6. 3. Statement: The M4 Corridor around Newport Project

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:35 pm on 4 October 2016.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 3:35, 4 October 2016

I think the Member raises an absolutely crucial point, and it’s one that has previously been raised by our friend and the Member for Llanelli, Lee Waters. I think it’s fair to say, actually, that, in the past, WelTAG was a system that had its origins in highway modelling, and therefore often skewed in favour of road development taking place. Changes have now been made to make sure that it’s mode agnostic, and those changes are also now reflected in the fact that transport models developed using this method have also incorporated walking and cycling schemes. But I remain concerned, given what has happened with the Department for Transport’s revisions, about using a system that has let us down on this occasion, or at least adopting a relationship that has not served us on this occasion, and therefore I am giving consideration to devising a Welsh model for future infrastructure.