I’m pleased to have the opportunity to contribute to this debate today, and I thank David Melding for initiating it. As has already been mentioned, there is the situation in Crumlin on the A472, of course, where the emissions there are the highest in the UK outside of London. Of course, it’s more than just a reading on a sensor—this is about the health and well-being of people, and Government and local authorities have a statutory duty to further the public health of people, and to take steps, indeed, to protect their health. The issue in Crumlin is a public health issue, not simply a transport issue. The emissions readings that have been referred to there have sadly not yet resulted in a comprehensive plan from either local or national Government, although as other Members have suggested, that work is being consulted upon at the moment. Indeed, whilst I note the improved road layout in the area since the time of the sensor readings, I know that there are many residents—some I’ve spoken to—who are concerned that the new layout there may actually exacerbate the air quality, due to the high speeds now that vehicles are able to reach because traffic has been freed up.

In her contribution to this debate today, I’d be very grateful if the Cabinet Secretary would address a few points for consideration. First, can she enlighten us in terms of whether or not Natural Resources Wales have, or are planning to, extend their monitoring of PAHs—polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons—and also pollution in waterways, especially in relation to traffic pollution? As David Melding said, this is a new area for many of us, so I’d be grateful if Members didn’t ask me to repeat these acronyms again. Members will also appreciate that the residents in Crumlin are most concerned about not just the problem with the air pollution, but about finding a solution to the air quality in their area. In the short term, I urge the Welsh Government to ensure that all buses using the route through Crumlin are encouraged to either use low-emissions buses or even electric buses, and I’d be grateful if the Cabinet Secretary could elaborate on any proposals to extend or to use the UK Government’s low-emissions bus scheme. Also, I think it might be worthwhile for the Government to convene a summit of hauliers to explore the possibility of them being supported to upgrade to low-emissions or electric vehicles in the future. It’s vital, in an industry that is facing difficulty, that they are brought in and are seen to be part of the process of helping us to tackle problems with air pollution in this country.

In the longer term, I wonder if the Welsh Government would consider the introduction of low-emission zones in Wales along the London model in high-emissions areas of this country, perhaps starting off in communities like Crumlin as pilot schemes. The Cabinet Secretary will be aware, I’m sure, of the plans some decades ago for a new road to alleviate the specific problems in Crumlin. Such plans were lost following the dissolution of Gwent County Council in the 1990s. I wonder whether she has had discussions with Caerphilly County Borough Council on the possibility of resurrecting plans for a new road in the Crumlin area to alleviate the problems in the residential area on the Hafodyrynys hill.

Llywydd, as I mentioned in my opening remarks, this is a public health matter, and the first priority of any government must surely be to uphold and further the health and well-being of its citizens. Diolch yn fawr iawn.