<p>Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople</p>

Part of 2. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure – in the Senedd at 1:46 pm on 19 July 2017.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 1:46, 19 July 2017

Can I thank the Member for his further questions? Of course, the one big question that we’re still awaiting an answer for is whether he agrees with our decision that was taken last month, and unfortunately there is no agreement, which I’m sure indicates that the Member would have been content to have signed off the project, only to have returned here, in all likelihood in six months’ time, to tell the Chamber that he was having to put on ice more than £300 million of capital programmes, which, as I’ve said in this Chamber before, would amount to 5,000 affordable homes or 10 schools or one superhospital. I don’t just call that irresponsible; I call that reckless in the extreme. [Interruption.] I hear the leader of UKIP—we’re entering the pantomime audition season—entering the fray from the side, but the point is that he too would have signed off this project in a demonstration of huge irresponsibility.

The fact is that we took responsible action on what was a controversial subject, which did fire up passions and beliefs in the Valleys, but we are now moving on with a clear vision for the Heads of the Valleys and we will deliver. The people of Ebbw Vale, Blaenau Gwent and the Heads of the Valleys have waited long enough. We are here to deliver and we will do just that.