6. Will the First Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government’s priorities for improving transport infrastructure in the Cynon Valley during this Assembly term?

Yes. The national transport finance plan sets out investment for transport and infrastructure in all parts of Wales. By now, the Cynon Valley link is identified as Rhondda Cynon Taf’s No. 1 priority scheme for 2015-20, and we have allocated money to the council to develop the Cynon Gateway South scheme.

Thank you, First Minister. It’s welcome news that work is progressing on the development of a cross-valley link in the southern part of Cynon Valley, thanks to the Welsh Government and RCT council working together and investing to improve local networks. Will you continue to work with the local authority to push forward this important infrastructure project, which has the potential to benefit commuters and boost economic regeneration throughout my constituency?

Yes, we will. It’s early days yet, of course, because this is the preparatory work that’s being done, but we would expect RCT to make a formal submission over the course of the next few years. We know that Aberdare is close geographically to the A470 and the A465, but we know that the roads are not good in terms of people coming in to Aberdare, and it’s important to have a fast route out to the Heads of the Valleys from the town. We’ll be working, of course, with RCT council to make sure that happens in the years to come.

First Minister, the leader of RCT has said that the city deal model is now key to improving transport infrastructure and promoting economic regeneration. Will your Government, in the term ahead, be working effectively with all of the partners to ensure the city deal model is effectively implemented?

Yes, absolutely. We have worked with the UK Government and with the 10 local authorities involved to make sure that the city deal came to fruition. It’s right to say that it’s dependent, of course, on funding from various different sources. We know the metro, for example, is dependent on £125 million of funding from European sources, and if that was lost, it would endanger the viability of the metro. But we’ll continue to work, of course, with all levels of Government to make sure that the city deal is taken forward.