Diolch, Lywydd. Can I welcome the Cabinet Secretary’s statement on the next stage of the proposed M4 relief road? It’s a subject that elicits strong views as we’ve all heard today, and I do not doubt for one second the sincerity of those views. I’m pleased that the public inquiry has been announced early in the fifth Assembly, as I want to strongly encourage maximum public engagement with the process. Could the Cabinet Secretary assure me that every reasonable action will be taken to widely publicise the inquiry, and that it’s made easily accessible to all interested parties? We need to capture and consider the wide-ranging views held by the public.

As a regular user of the M4, and a resident of Newport, I know the reality for my community and I fully understand the importance of this to Wales. The stretch of road between junction 24 and junction 29 is the most heavily trafficked section in Wales. Many who enter via the Severn bridge may well miss the sign ‘Croeso’ and be welcomed instead by ones that say ‘Queues ahead’. Our current motorway around the Brynglas tunnels is not fit for purpose, and I’m sure if we asked many people to do a word association with Brynglas tunnels, most would say ‘jam’, ‘bottleneck’ and ‘traffic chaos’. That’s certainly not what I want Newport to be known for, and that’s definitely not what I want the main artery into Wales to be known for. The reality of this situation means that an M4 relief road is essential, and I believe the nettle should have been grasped many years ago. I’m pleased, in the Cabinet Secretary’s statement, that alternatives will be looked at, but also that the option of doing nothing will also be looked at.

So, I’d just like to finally say that the problem will not go away if we bury our heads. Inaction is not an option. Newport cannot sustain a future of gridlock traffic hell and pollution, and Wales cannot be stuck with a blockage of our main economic artery.