6. Debate: 'Our Valleys, Our Future: Delivery Plan'

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:16 pm on 9 January 2018.

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Photo of Alun Davies Alun Davies Labour 5:16, 9 January 2018

The opening speech I made, the opening remarks I made, about the Valleys taskforce were that this is shaping the work of the whole of the Welsh Government, so we're seeing contributions, and the point I was going to close on was the point made by Vikki Howells in terms of the breadth of ideas from Mountain Ash, the need for our plans to be rooted in sustainability and sustainable jobs, and finally the points that she made—and I agree with her very much—on the landscape park. It is my good friend and colleague Lesley Griffiths whose department is leading on that landscape park, and it is her officials who are doing the work on that. The work that's being delivered through the strategic hubs, the meetings that are being discussed elsewhere, are being led by Ken Skates. So, there are Ministers and ministerial responsibilities delivering on these ambitions right across the whole of Government. What we want to move away from, Adam, is the compartmentalisation of the Valleys into one department and one quango. We want the whole of Government to address these issues, and the work that Mick Antoniw described in terms of the metro, of course, will also be led by the economy and transport Secretary.

So, let me finish by saying this: Adam, you quoted Idris Davies, and we've all read Gwalia Deserta at different times in the past, and that of course was a cry of anguish from a community that had been betrayed by a government that didn't care. What I would say to you is this—let me paraphrase Gwyn Alf Williams, and be absolutely clear—our Valleys will succeed if we choose to enable them to live in the future, and we will make and remake our communities because we are committed to those communities, we are from those communities, we are rooted in those communities, and this is a Government that is rooted in the future of those communities. So, we will make and remake a future for all of our communities.