2. Will the First Minister outline the Welsh Government's plans to improve access to Cardiff airport? OAQ(5)0494(FM)

We are continuing with the development of proposals to improve access to the airport by public transport and by car, supporting, amongst other things, of course, the current bus and rail arrangements.

I thank the First Minister for his answer. I think all in the Chamber welcome the huge improvement in the airport’s performance since the Government’s intervention. But does the First Minister not agree that a rail link will greatly enhance its appeal to the international traveller and give it a competitive edge over other local airports? So, can he tell us why this has not been included in the metro project?

Can I welcome what the Member has said about the airport, and in particular his comments about the progress the airport has made since the Welsh Government took it over? They’re not comments that are echoed on that side of the Chamber, who would happily have seen it overgrown by now if it had been left in their hands. He does ask an important question though. Can I say to him that the focus at the moment is on the bus service, on looking at improving the frequency on the current railway line, and then, beyond that, looking to see either whether we should consider a rail spur—there are issues with that; there will be opposition, that’s true—or whether, in fact, at some point in the future, the terminal itself would move closer to the existing railway line? So, at the moment, it’s a question of improving what is already there, and looking, in the future, to see whether there is a way of locating the terminal closer to the rail link.

The agreement announced yesterday between the Welsh Government and Heathrow Airport is welcome. But, in stark contrast to that published in relation to Scotland, there are no concrete targets in the agreement, nothing on the amount of construction-related spend, nothing about the overall jobs target, nothing about landing charges or a development fund for flights. Is that because, essentially, the First Minister negotiated any leverage he had away by announcing his support for Heathrow, without actually getting these concessions, in contrast to what the Scottish Government did?

Well, the question is about access to Cardiff Airport, but I’m more than happy to answer the question about Heathrow. I’m surprised he doesn’t welcome the announcement yesterday—the fact that 8,000 jobs will be secured, all that investment, the fact that we worked with Heathrow to—[Interruption.] High-pitched screaming won’t help him. The fact that we have secured commitment to manufacturing hubs outside Wales. We have an event on 5 July to ensure that Welsh businesses—[Interruption.] Well, he’s still high-pitch screaming. Welsh businesses will be able to take full advantage—[Interruption.] He still hasn’t learned his lesson. Welsh businesses will be able to—

I think the Member is maybe screaming because the Member did welcome the statement yesterday. Carry on.

Well, I’m sure the Member can speak for himself, Llywydd, actually, on that basis.

The issue is this: we will be creating thousands of jobs. We will be ensuring that there will be hubs for manufacturing outside Wales. We will be ensuring that there will be routes that are being looked at to Welsh airports, not just Cardiff—not just Cardiff. And what was announced yesterday is far more substantial than what Scotland has achieved.

Well, I’m going to give another welcome this afternoon. I’m going to welcome the growth in passenger numbers on the T9 bus service. I think that is fantastic news to welcome. Now, given the fact that this service is such a success and is now proving to be sustainable in the long term, will you commit to scrapping the £0.5 million Welsh Government subsidy for this service and instead offer subsidies to other bus services that have been axed by cuts to the bus operators grant?

What he seems to be suggesting is we shouldn’t have a bus service to the airport. I can’t agree with that position. It comes back to the position his party took—they didn’t want the airport to succeed. At the end of the day, the Welsh Conservatives didn’t want the airport to grow, they were happy to see the airport decline, they would have sat on their backsides and seen the airport close down. [Interruption.] They’re still not happy at the fact that the airport is doing well in reality. They don’t want to see a bus service to the airport, and we want to make sure there are public transport links to our airport in Cardiff, and they will continue. Having public transport links, surely, to any airport, whether they are bus or rail, are hugely important to the future development of any airport.

Well, I welcome the partnership agreement between Welsh Government and Heathrow in respect of airlines wanting to fly out of Wales’s Cardiff Airport to Heathrow, and the potential of thousands of new skilled jobs it could create, alongside boosting the Welsh economy. However, for my constituents and people and businesses across north-east Wales, it’s increased and better connections with airports such as Liverpool and Manchester that make a direct difference to them. So, First Minister, can I urge that enhanced connectivity and greater efficiency of train links to the neighbouring north-western airports form a key part of the north-east Wales metro plans and are considered as part of the Wales and borders franchise?

Yes. I can say that, with the support of the Welsh Government, Arriva Trains Wales secured additional paths from the north of Wales to Manchester Airport. Those additional services started operating in May of last year, and we are working, of course, with Merseytravel to develop opportunities for delivering new services to Liverpool and to John Lennon airport in the next franchise, on the reopened Halton curve.

First Minister, I put in a freedom of information request to Cardiff Airport, owned by the Welsh public. I wanted to know how much money had been spent on lobbying firms, what companies had been employed, and whether or not there had been a tender process gone through by those lobbying companies. Now, this is owned by the Welsh public, so the public have a right to know these things. The airport have refused to answer. What do you make of this?

Well, I mean, there are ways of appealing, if he feels that his request hasn’t been dealt with.