The next item on our agenda is the business statement and announcement, and I call on the leader of the house, Jane Hutt.

Diolch, Llywydd. There are several changes to this week’s business. Today’s oral statements will issue as written statements, and the debate on the school nursing framework has been withdrawn. As no questions have been tabled for answer by the Assembly Commission, the Business Committee has agreed to amend tomorrow’s timings accordingly. Business for the next three weeks is as shown on the business statement and announcement found among the meeting papers available to Members electronically.

Can I ask you whether we can have a statement on the A55 trunk road? The Minister will be aware that there was an incident over the weekend that caused 13-mile tailbacks on the A55. This is in the height of the, sort of, tourism season in that part of north Wales. That tailback continued for five hours. It was so long a duration that people were literally doing line dancing on the A55 dual carriageway; they were playing cricket on the A55 dual carriageway. Now, I know that from time to time there will be incidents on this very busy trunk road, which does not have sufficient hard shoulders for the whole of its length, but there was significant cost incurred by the taxpayer a few years ago in order to install gates within the central barrier of the A55. We need an explanation, I think, for the people of north Wales, and for the tourism businesses that were affected by this horrendous tailback, as to why those central barriers were not opened on this occasion and why that delay continued for such a long time. These things are unacceptable and we have to start using and reaping the rewards of the investment that has been made in that part of the trunk road network. Can we have a statement on this so that we don’t have to endure these sorts of embarrassing problems and cock-ups again in the future?

Well, Darren Millar, I think you’re aware of the tragic circumstances that led to this very unfortunate hold-up. I think it’s important to say that, from Easter, we’ve seen a culmination of four years of imperative improvement work, especially to the tunnels of the A55, recent road surface improvements, flood alleviation work and urgent maintenance work, but the Cabinet Secretary does recognise the importance of looking at the resilience of the A55. He’s commissioning a resilience study to determine how best to achieve this in terms of making sure that journeys along the A55 are as reliable as possible, delivering for local people, businesses and visitors alike. Of course, this resilience study will be based on the most recent data figures from the Welsh Government and others, and it will look at all aspects of the road, identifying where and how best to improve travel experience, how to minimise frequency and impact of incidents and breakdowns, and it will complement existing plans for improvement while continuing to ensure that the disruption of roadworks are kept to an absolute minimum.

We have a very large number of small and medium-sized companies in Wales but we have a distinct shortage of indigenous large companies. I would like to ask for a Government statement on proposals to support the growth of medium-sized businesses, which we seem to have quite a lot of, into large businesses, especially in industries such as construction, and also what the Government can do in letting contracts to let them in such a way that they will benefit current medium-sized companies, which are indigenous to Wales, as opposed to very large companies, which tend, certainly in construction, to be based over the border.

Mike Hedges, of course, is very aware of the fact that SMEs—the small to medium-sized enterprises—are the backbone of the Welsh economy. It’s the next stage, as you say—growing into medium-sized businesses and beyond. We remain committed to doing all we can to support them to grow and flourish. The construction sector is dominated by SMEs and that’s why the Construction Industry Training Board in Wales is such an important partner. Our Construction Futures Wales programme—that’s specifically tailored to assist them to grow and develop. Also, looking at the opportunities and the importance of house building—helping to diversify the market, promote innovation, increasing housing supply, and assisting those Welsh SME builders to develop and grow into the larger enterprises of the future. Of course, one can draw attention to programmes such as Help to Buy, and also ensure that house building, as one aspect of this, is seen as an extremely important part of the Welsh economy.

Leader of the house, a couple of weeks ago here in Plenary, the Cabinet Secretary for the Economy and Infrastructure agreed to publish the Welsh Government’s response to the UK Government’s industrial strategy. Please can you confirm when it will be published?

The Cabinet Secretary did respond positively, Russell George, to that request. He indicated he would share a copy of the Welsh Government response to the UK industrial strategy. That response now is ready, and will be shared with all AMs. It will be sent to all AMs. That, of course, is a letter to Greg Clark, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, and you will of course receive a copy of that as soon as it’s issued, which is imminent.

Vikki Howells. Huw Irranca-Davies.

Could we, in light of President Trump’s recent cowardly retreat from one of the biggest challenges facing this generation and future generations on climate change, find time for another statement from our Cabinet Secretary on climate change? Last year, when the Cabinet Secretary returned from the talks and the convention in Marrakesh, she made clear the role of nations and regions and cities in tackling climate change, and no matter the size of that nation, the importance of this for its people, but also people overseas and people of future generations, in tackling the massive risks that we face, but also gaining the opportunities that come from tackling climate change.

So, in light of President Trump’s statement, I think it’s an opportune moment to actually have a refreshed statement on that, which would be welcome. It would also, perhaps, give us a chance to see where people in this Chamber stand on this issue, not least in light of the leader of UKIP in this Chamber actually writing to President Trump welcoming his announcement—

‘a very warm invitation to you in Wales and hope you may be able to fit in a visit to your fellow Celts here’, where he’d find this retreat from climate change would be very welcome indeed. I think we need to disabuse him of that notion.

I think that many here would share that view, Huw Irranca-Davies. In Wales we not only endorse the Paris agreement, but we already have legislation in place to deliver on this important long-term goal. Can I take this opportunity just to reflect on that? The benefits to be realised through a transition to a low-carbon economy are recognised globally, and why we saw the support for the Paris agreement, not only setting the context for tackling the causes and consequences of climate change, but also setting the context of the decarbonisation of the global economy. Through our legislation—we put in place the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Environment (Wales) Act 2016—the legislative foundations have been laid for delivery against the Paris agreement.

You also talked about the importance of the regional alliances that have developed. Wales, along with other states and regions, such as those who have just formed the United States Climate Alliance—California, New York, Washington—are already making a difference through collective action, through the memorandum of understanding on sub-national global climate leadership, which covers 33 countries, six continents and collectively represents more than $27.5 trillion in gross domestic product, equivalent to 37 per cent of the global economy. Of course, Wales was a founding signatory to this important MOU, and I think the Cabinet Secretary will want to indeed come forward with a statement to update on our position in Wales, and make our position very clear in order for others to comment.

Can I call for a single statement on the protection of fisheries in Wales, after issues regarding the failure to protect fisheries in Wales, in consequence of Welsh Government policy, were covered in the national angling paper ‘The Angler’s Mail’? This highlighted a serious decline in fishing in Wales. It said that the Welsh equivalent of the Environment Agency, Natural Resources Wales, had been branded no longer fit for purpose by fishing and environmental groups, and that of the 6,886 reports of water pollution that Natural Resources Wales received between 2013 and 2016, only 60 per cent were investigated, and there were just 41 prosecutions and 10 civil sanctions, amounting to less than 1 per cent of incidents reported. There has been a steep decline in fish numbers in recent years in Wales.

‘The regulator needs to take a much tougher stance but…The organisation is unwieldy, too bureaucratic and they don’t seem to have a strategy’.

They did say that they were meeting with officials in the Welsh Assembly, by which I presume they mean the Welsh Government, to demand action, concluding that there’s been a national failure of Welsh Government to tackle the problem. Given particularly their reference to Welsh Government in the article, and their reference to a meeting with officials, could we have a statement to bring us up to date, not only on what was concluded, but what actions, if any, have resulted?

Well, it would be helpful, Mark Isherwood, if you wrote to the Cabinet Secretary on this matter, and, of course, as her officials are already engaged in that discussion, I think it would be not only a matter of courtesy, but also of clarification, if you wrote to the Cabinet Secretary accordingly.

Leader of the house, may I ask for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government on loans and grants issued by local authorities in Wales for the refurbishment of properties and business properties in Wales? A constituent of mine was actually given £20,000 to improve his business property. He injected his own £9,000, so it cost him nearly £29,000 three years ago. After three years, the local council is insisting he pay the £20,000 back. If he doesn’t, they will take his property and repossess it. So, that is the sort of scenario businesses are facing, which is totally unacceptable, I think, for those businesses who want to improve in Wales. And we want to improve those in the most deprived areas in south-east Wales. Whilst I recognise the value of these grants and loans in upgrading properties, could we have statement on why local authorities can insist on or demand repayments of original loans in full after three years, and businesses are not been given much time to pay back over a much longer time? Now, they want the whole money with interest. So, could you please make a statement on this issue? Thank you.

I think the Member will recognise that this is a matter for local authorities in terms of their audit and governance arrangements, and I don’t think this is a matter for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government.

Leader of the house, is it possible to have a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for regeneration, in relation to the Vibrant and Viable Places funding that the Welsh Government brings forward, obviously for regeneration across Wales? As I understand it, I think there’s a second tranche of that funding being made available, and I’d be very interested if the Cabinet Secretary would agree to specifically identify whether places that missed out on the first tranche of funding were now able to bid for an element of that second tranche. In my own electoral region, for example, Barry missed out first time around, and I’m sure that you being the constituency member would like to welcome the opportunity, if that money was available via the second tranche, for the new council to bid for such money if it is available.

Andrew R.T. Davies, the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children is, imminently, going to be making a statement on this matter.

Thank you to the leader of the house.