8. What assessment has the First Minister made of the Future Generations Commissioner’s submission to the M4 public inquiry? (OAQ51122)

Well, of course, the submission is welcome. It’s important that the public inquiry is open and detailed. That, of course, is what is happening at the moment.

Thank you. In its evidence to the M4 public inquiry, the Government acknowledged that a new motorway will inflict long-term harm, but this would be outweighed by the short-term economic benefits. The Government’s own independent adviser, the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales has now said that this is incompatible with the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. The watchdog of the Act says that that these trade-offs are no longer lawful in Wales. Would the First Minister agree to set up an expert group to quickly design a solution to the congestion on the M4 that is compatible with a law that we passed?

Well, that is precisely what’s happening now because we have got an independent inquiry that is looking at the M4. It was designed to be as broad as possible—so it didn’t just look at one particular scheme—and that’s what it’s doing. So, it’s important that that inquiry is able to report dispassionately and independently, considering all the evidence before it.

Thank you, First Minister.