Can I thank the Minister for that statement and welcome today’s announcement, and, indeed, point out that when the Cabinet Secretary made his statement on this last on 3 October, he said it would start no later than 31 March next year? So, it’s welcome news that it’s going to start a month earlier than the latest possible date.

David Cameron, in one of his more memorable statements, described the current situation of the congestion on the M4 as a

‘foot on the windpipe of the Welsh economy’.

It is vital, therefore, that this inquiry should be concluded at the earliest possible date.

Does the Minister have any indication how long the inquiry’s likely to last? In the statement in October, it was said to last around five months. Has that estimate been revised? Since October, the traffic forecasts for the future on the M4 have been revised to a lower level and I wonder if the Government’s enthusiasm for the black route has dimmed—[Interruption.] I’m asking a question now. [Interruption.] If the Government’s enthusiasm for the black route has diminished and therefore the blue route will get proper consideration as an alternative, I wonder if the Minister can also tell me whether she or any of her colleagues has had any meetings with Professor Stuart Cole or anybody who has been an advocate for the blue route to work up the case for that as an alternative to the black route in the context of this inquiry, and therefore whether she will confirm that the Government will take a reasonably open-minded view about this, that there is more than one way of solving this problem and that the evidence that the Government gives to the inquiry will take full account of the alternative propositions that are on offer. [Interruption.]