As a member of the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee, I welcome the opportunity to contribute in this debate and add my support to the motion. I’d like to start by thanking, actually, my fellow committee members and committee staff for the work that has gone into producing the report, and the Cabinet Secretary for his careful and positive consideration on behalf of the Welsh Government. The Chair is quite right about the range and scale of the potential projects currently in the pipeline, and as a proud north-Walian, it would be remiss of me not to add into the mix the north-east Wales metro and a potential third Menai crossing.

I’d like to focus my contribution briefly today on two areas of the committee report, recommendations 7 and 8. Starting in reverse order, recommendation 8 states that

‘the NICfW board should reflect the diverse communities of Wales to ensure an understanding of all parts of Wales.’

I’ve always stressed that this pan-Wales body, in principle, needs to be just that in practice, and that there is potential for all regions of Wales to benefit. But in order to do so, the commission must have a comprehensive understanding of the needs and aspirations of the different areas of our nation. Given the focus and the recognition of the role of the various city deals and the cross-border growth vision within the north of Wales, I’m pleased that the economy Cabinet Secretary on behalf of the Welsh Government has concurred with the committee’s recommendation that it will be important for the commission to engage with regional fora at the appropriate levels. In fact, the written response to the committee states:

‘This principle will be enshrined in its terms of reference; I see the detailed mechanisms as a matter for the commission.’

I hope that, once the commission is established, we as a committee will be able to play a part in ensuring that these mechanisms are put adequately into action, and effectively into action, of course.

Moving back to recommendation 7, that

‘The NICfW should produce a regular “State of the Nation” report in a timescale disconnected from the political timetable’, and putting forward a suggestion of every three years—a suggestion that was accepted by the Welsh Government—this idea of taking steps to separate projects so significant to the future investment of our economy and the infrastructure of our country from the political cycle, coupled with a long-term pipeline, planning and vision that will hopefully be enabled by the establishment of the commission, was met with consensus and support at a recent Future Flintshire event that I held this week in my own constituency, to discuss the needs and aspirations of our local economy with stakeholders across the area. The priority now must be to establish the commission within the planned timescale and to kick-start work on these key projects, which would not only benefit businesses, communities and stakeholders in my area but across the whole of Wales.