Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:35 pm on 22 November 2017.
When I write my Hollywood screenplay blockbuster, I will be using the Ger-y-Gors story as an example. We took evidence on 19 January from Duncan and Ray Taylor, and they told us the story, with no telecommunications experience whatsoever, of how they established a mast that delivered broadband. I've been looking on their website, and what they did was negotiated and accessed a number of grants made available to them through the Welsh Government and the European agricultural fund, secured the generosity of community members in terms of use and access to their land, gained planning permission, constructed 600m of access road, commissioned the laying of a 1.5-mile power line to the site, and constructed a 25m telecommunications mast to full mobile operator specifications. And, since August 2014, they have been broadcasting wireless broadband from the mast situated near the quarry at Ystrad Meurig to anyone wishing to subscribe to the service. What an inspiring story. They had trouble as well getting hold of a mast, because they were seen as competition to the bigger companies, which is utterly absurd, and I think that was recognised as absurd by those who gave evidence from those companies to our committee.
They shouldn't be the norm, but communities should be able to do this where they can, which is why recommendation 2, that the Welsh Government should consider establishing a repayable grant or equity scheme to enable small operators to fill in the gaps in the network, is such an important recommendation, and why it's good that it's been accepted in principle. I'd also say: I don't know whether Adam Price has been speaking as the economy spokesperson or as a member of the committee, because he does wear these two hats; he's the living embodiment of the need for more Assembly Members, because sometimes he doesn't know which mode he's in. I think his speech was a bit of both, actually; it was a bit of constructive proposals and a bit of party political criticism, none the worse for that.
But I would say that the Cabinet Secretary and leader of the house has been heroic in the way she's pursued these issues. She hasn't given up. She has come to my constituency to meet with businesses that have struggled with these issues. She's introduced me to civil servants who have listened, and I have had assurances, particularly with regard to the Castle Reach and Kingsmead estates in Caerphilly, that, by the drop-dead date, these issues should be resolved, and I have every reason to believe BT. At this time point in time, though, if we are let down, then there will be consequences. There have to be consequences, and I'd like the Minister to emphasise that there will be consequences. I'm going to give them until February, actually, after the drop-dead date, to come in and get the broadband operators to come and provide the services. But BT have given those assurances that Openreach will have these areas connected, and I hope that that will happen.
The Minister also visited businesses located at Penallta industrial estate, for example, and they haven't been able to get broadband access. They're relying on Airband to deliver services, but even so, that service hasn't been excellent either. We know that if 'Our Valleys, Our Future' is going to work, then connecting these areas, these final stages, must be solved, otherwise we will end up with areas that are suffering and will not achieve the ambitions of the 'Our Valleys, Our Future' aspirations.
So, notwithstanding the Ger-y-Gors project, which was inspirational, we also need this Government lead, which the Cabinet Secretary has been providing. There are residents in my constituency who don't live in Ystrad Meurig; they live just half an hour from the M4 in the south end of Caerphilly. They must have twenty-first century broadband access. I commend this report to the Assembly because it does contain an action plan for achieving that, and I think the thing now to do is to get on and accept those recommendations.