Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for bringing forward this important statement? Before I get to the main issues that I want to ask you about, I'd like to just make a few comments on how the strategic approach to transport has to reflect our wider ambitions for the Valleys. Because it's not just a matter of effective and efficient transport—as important as that is—but it is also about unlocking further potential across our Valleys communities, whether that's for our people, the economy or whether it's the tourist industry, and I know that that's something that you agree with.

As I've said before, one of the Welsh Government's key achievements is investing to protect the social fabric of our communities, and we have a number of strategies to that end. But we protect that social fabric in order to provide the opportunities for people in communities to flourish, and, in order to flourish, they require better transport connectivity. So, a quick history lesson: it was on 21 February 1804 that the world's first-ever railway journey ran nine miles between the ironworks at Penydarren to the Merthyr-Cardiff canal in a steam locomotive designed by Richard Trevithick. But, having achieved that feat in 1804, I'm sure Trevithick would have expected a journey of just 30 miles from Merthyr to Cardiff to take less than the one hour that it takes by train in 2017. This is why a strategic view of transport has to reflect our vision for the Valleys and to ensure that transport links are upgraded to deliver the systems that people and communities need.

On that point, Cabinet Secretary, you will recall the discussions that we've had over my concerns for the Upper Rhymney valley. I know that Caerphilly council were pressing a very good case for a metro depot in that area, and they have my wholehearted support for that, as we need to ensure that all our Valleys communities benefit economically and socially from the metro. I have no doubt that the upgrading of the Rhymney line, with more frequent services, could bring much-needed help to break down the relative isolation of communities in the Upper Rhymney valley. Of course, our transport vision must also include the completion of the Heads of the Valleys road, progressing the plans from Dowlais to Hirwaun and then onwards, because delivering those effective east-to-west Valleys road connections has to be a high priority in any transportation strategy.

But, if I may now come to my main point today, it is that, as we look at our vision for the future, we can't overlook the critical importance of removing strategic problems in our existing networks now. One such problem, which I have raised before, and I know you have acknowledged, is the lack of evening bus services in the Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney area, and further services are being cut as we speak. This is a major barrier for people without cars trying to secure employment in jobs that operate outside of standard working hours, and is a significant contributory factor in social isolation if you have little or no chance of getting anywhere after 5.30 p.m.

This, I would suggest, is also a contributory factor to the next problem, which is the regular traffic chaos on the A470 at the Cyfarthfa retail park, and the fear of this being compounded by the opening of the new Trago Mills development next April. While Trago Mills is another very welcome development for the economy of Merthyr Tydfil, the development is based on a 20-year-old planning consent, when traffic was much, much lighter than it is now. So, the road network there needs some early and strategic intervention to try and avoid misery for road users come next spring and summer, when Trago Mills opens, around what is already a regularly gridlocked junction at weekends and holiday periods.

So, I welcome the initial response that you've made on these issues, Cabinet Secretary, particularly the pinchpoint programme on congestion, but, in concluding, can you give me your assurance that these specific, key and immediate transport issues are receiving urgent attention and that we can expect some constructive, early proposed solutions to these problems?