Thank you for that statement, First Minister. I recently met with the Bevan Foundation to discuss ideas and strategies for economic regeneration in my constituency. Part of those discussions focused on the Cardiff capital region and the metro. The Cardiff capital region will undoubtedly bring significant benefits to the south Wales area, but there is a danger that areas like Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney may not benefit fully because of their distance from Cardiff, and, in reality, Cardiff in itself could not provide enough jobs for the needs of the Valleys areas.

Given that within 20 minutes of Merthyr Tydfil there is a population base of around 175,000, it’s a key transport intersection between the A470 and the A465, and it will have a metro terminus providing good public transport links across the Valleys, does the First Minister agree with both the Bevan Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation that Merthyr Tydfil is ideally placed to be a growth hub for the south-east Valleys to act as a counter-balance to Cardiff, and that this should be considered as an integral part of the Government’s economic strategy?