3. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on air pollution levels in South Wales West? OAQ51348

Average levels of air pollution across Wales, including in south-west Wales, have improved over recent decades, but we still face significant challenges. We must do more to improve air quality in all regions and I have tabled a debate in December to discuss plans for cross-government action.

Can I thank the Minister for that reply? Further to that, recent data released by the Royal College of Physicians show that two areas in my region, Port Talbot and Swansea, are recognised amongst the worst areas in the UK in terms of air quality and are breaching World Health Organization guidelines at present. With Healthy Air Cymru stating that the Welsh Government needs to lead the way on reducing air pollution in these areas, what assurances can you provide that you recognise the scale of the problem, and do you agree that you need to raise the bar in terms of your collaborative work with local authorities to tackle the air pollution issues within these areas?

May I thank the Member for his question? You're absolutely right to raise this important issue, and it's something that will be high on my agenda going forward in this portfolio. We know that historically Port Talbot has a high level of PM10 pollution, and this is generally, obviously, attributed to the industrial nature of the area. I know that Welsh Government officials regularly meet with steelworks operators, Natural Resources Wales and Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council to identify potential sources of, and solutions for, the high PM10 levels. As I said, we are tabling a debate next week to discuss this. We will look at, actually, not just what local authorities are doing in terms of the clean air framework, but also what we can do across Government to meet those challenges and to create healthy, better air quality throughout Wales.

I thank the Minister for her answers, in particular about Port Talbot, and identifying the actions you're taking. However, it's not just PM10s; it's PM2.5s as well. And knowing the area, it's not just the industry and the steelworks; it's also the motorway, which is caught on that narrow strip, and the roads on the side of it. So, one of the ways you can actually look at it is to actually look at planning, and maybe talk to your Cabinet Secretary colleague about planning regulations. Look at the cumulative impact of any decisions taken upon air pollution, not just the individual project, because the more we see coming in, which creates more pollution, it adds to what's already there, and what's already there is not getting lower. So, please look at the issue so we can ensure that we do start seeing a decrease, not an increase.

Thank you, Dai Rees, for your question. You're absolutely right that we need to look at cross-government, cross-departmental working on this, and I'm sure I will speak to my Cabinet Secretary colleague on how we can actually go forward with this, not just across Government in terms of planning, but also transport, health and local government.

Can I congratulate you on your new job as well? Can I begin by saying that scrutiny has been brought to bear and, actually, the dreaded Nowcaster system in Swansea council, with which I appreciate you may not personally be familiar, is now up and running after several years of delay, and advising drivers in real time whether the air quality in that particular part of Swansea is safe enough to drive through. It doesn't tell them when the air quality is good enough, but it does tell them when it's bad. Your department has actually refused a further application for funding for this particular project. I appreciate you may not know much about it yourself, but do you think your department would be more likely to support an application to expand upon the Nowcaster system if the data collected by the machines could more widely inform traffic management in the city—for example, providing evidence for a Swansea bay regional metro, perhaps—or if it could help with the clean air framework in helping create enforceable targets for particulate reduction? Thank you.

Thank you, Suzy. Thank you for your question and thank you for your warm words of congratulations. I have had a brief—I am familiar with the Nowcaster system. You raised some very valid points there, and I think if you want to follow it up now with a letter to me—. And I think, going forward, as I said, I'm really keen to get this high on the agenda and making sure we work across Government and with local authorities and across the board on how we tackle this important issue, not just in south-west Wales, but across Wales.

I, too, wish to offer my congratulations to you. Cabinet Secretary—sorry; Minister—people living within my region have to contend with some of the worst air pollution in the UK. For a few days this month, children attending school in Margam had to contend with PM10s at twice the safe daily limit. According to Public Health Wales, this is one of the biggest public health challenges facing our nation, killing 2,000 people per year. Of course, the biggest contributor to poor air quality is transport, which is made much worse by the level of congestion we are seeing now on our roads. Minister, how will your Government ensure that new developments do not contribute to this congestion, and how can the planning system be utilised to limit congested road infrastructure?

Thank you again for your congratulations. Just to point out: I am the Minister, not the Cabinet Secretary. I don't want to upset my colleague at this early stage. Children and individuals are particularly susceptible to the effects of air pollution, and so local authorities do need to take a risk-based approach in looking at how we monitor the situation. But absolutely, I think we need to, going forward—. As I've said previously, it is a really important issue, and obviously with respect of planning, it is in the Cabinet Secretary's remit, so I'm sure we will be working together closely on this, going forward.