Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:58 pm on 7 February 2017.
First Minister, the UK’s industrial strategy aims to close regional productivity gaps. Here, in Wales, regional productivity varies widely, from Anglesey having 53 per cent of the UK’s gross value added, compared with 90 per cent in Cardiff. Your Government has previously stated that variations in levels of GVA per head are affected by commuting patterns. While the Welsh Government has put £80 million of European funding into the Heads of the Valleys road improvements, mid and north Wales have traditionally suffered from poor transport connectivity. I note the exception, of course, of the Newtown bypass, which is making good progress. Can I ask what your Government is doing to close these regional gaps in economic prosperity caused by inadequate transport infrastructure?