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

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:32 pm on 21 June 2016.

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Photo of Lee Waters Lee Waters Labour 3:32, 21 June 2016

Minister, I welcome the fact you’re going to take a fresh look at the number of options available for the congestion on the M4. Would you also look at the way that these decisions are calculated? Because, in the light of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and the increased climate emissions target, we need to take into account the full range of costs and benefits from any option. I was concerned to hear you mention the time-saving benefits that form the basis of the cost-benefit ratios that are used to underpin these schemes. For example, the current formula advantages car journeys, and the time saved from those to the economy, against, for example, journeys on public transport. The economists reckon that bus passengers are worth less to our economy than car passengers are, and that that’s the basis on which the figures are used to justify cost savings. So, as part of the spirit of looking afresh at the options, will you also consider the formulae used, which are often used to justify these decisions?