5. 4. Statement: The Public Local Inquiry on the M4 at Newport

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:10 pm on 21 June 2016.

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Photo of Russell George Russell George Conservative 3:10, 21 June 2016

Thank you, Presiding Officer. Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for his statement? It is, of course, my view and the view of the Welsh Conservatives that diggers should be in the ground without delay, and of course I entirely agree with the view of others that doing nothing is not an option. Now, millions of pounds have been spent already on the public consultation and the exhibitions. You mentioned in your statement that all the responses have been carefully reviewed, but it doesn’t state in your statement what your view is of those responses. There’s no mention of that. I wonder if you could perhaps outline how those responses have influenced your views before you made the statement today.

The environmental concerns, of course, on the black route in particular, have got to raise concerns across the Chamber. I won’t rehearse those today, but only a few weeks ago, 10 charities publicly voiced their concerns to the Welsh Government with regard to their preferred route, claiming that the project would represent ecological destruction on an unprecedented scale, and of course Natural Resources Wales have also objected in similar ways. Now, given those concerns, and considering the recent public input regarding the draft orders and environmental statements, I wonder what the Government is doing to alleviate those concerns ahead of the public inquiry.

Now, you said in your statement that you’ll be giving careful consideration and reaching a final decision on whether you will proceed with construction. Can I just ask for some clarity on that? Will the Government be going into the public inquiry with its officials and its legal team on the basis of promoting the black route as the best and the preferred route, or will it be approaching the public inquiry in a neutral position, as has perhaps been suggested? In regards to the public inquiry itself, you have said that it will take around five months. Now, I want that public inquiry to be as comprehensive as possible, but I do wonder whether five months will delay works beginning. So, I wonder if you do have views on whether that is the right time for the public inquiry to take, whether a lesser time would be more appropriate, and whether, indeed, that is your decision or the decision of the inspector.

You’ve also detailed where the public inquiry will take place, the venue. Now of course it will cover a large area of south Wales and I wonder whether you would agree to extending it, perhaps, if there was that call—to have the public inquiry meeting in other venues apart from the venue you’ve detailed.

Now, I’ll also take this: you also mentioned that the public inquiry will take five months. I wonder if you could tell me how long it will take for the inspector, between the end of the public inquiry to the time he reports to you. How long do you anticipate that time will take? Is it indeed up to you how long that takes, or is there a prescribed time? How long will it take for you from having that report on your desk to making the final decision?

You’ve also mentioned that the project would be complemented by the metro, and that’s reassuring to hear. Previously, perhaps they haven’t been working together as they should have done. Clearly, the metro will naturally affect traffic flows on both sides—on the M4 relief road and vice versa. Will the public inquiry therefore take into consideration the relationship between the two projects? Finally, can I say as well that there is concern from north, mid and west Wales on the amount of money that would be spent on the potential black route, so can I ask you to perhaps outline what consideration you expect the public inquiry to take in regard to the value for money for your preferred route?