Diolch, Llywydd. Can I start by, obviously, thanking Members for their contributions today and also for giving me the opportunity to respond to the debate? I think there's no doubt that we have an important responsibility to ensure that Wales has a safe, reliable and efficient motorway and trunk road network that can support the economy and the communities of our country. But I want to make it clear at the outset of my contribution that, where this motion falls down is that, in isolation, I do not believe it is enough. It concerns only one element of creating the high-quality, sustainable and multi-modal transport system that can support the social, the economic and societal needs of Wales in the twenty-first century.

Now, we take our responsibility for roads very seriously indeed, and, in the last financial year, we've spend more than £150 million in maintenance and minor improvements alone. But, as I've said, it's important to see the road network as part of a wider integrated and sustainable, multi-modal transport system. We need our transport system to support the needs of communities and visitors across the length and breadth of the country. That's why our recently published national transport finance plan sets out an ambitious programme of road, rail, bus and active travel improvements as part of a balanced and sustainable plan for transport investment.

I'm going to talk more about the plan in a moment, but, first, I'd like to look at what we've achieved recently and the works that are being undertaken right now on the ground or are in the pipeline. First of all, the A55, that key strategic route in north Wales: last year, we completed a £42 million programme to bring its tunnels up to current standards. We are investing £40 million to upgrade junctions 15 and 16, and a further £200 million in the Deeside corridor to facilitate the sort of smooth, cross-border traffic flow that Russell George talked about.

But the M56 on the English side of the border also needs considerable investment, as does the A5. Now, I've been working closely with Owen Paterson, the Member of Parliament just across the border from Clwyd South, on the need for UK Government to invest in that particular road. I've said that we will be investing on the Welsh side; it's time that the UK Government plans to do so on the English side as well. Other works in north Wales include the acceleration of the completion date for a third Menai crossing, which could now be open in 2022; it also includes progression of the proposed Caernarfon to Bontnewydd bypass, which represents further investment of over £125 million to the network.

In mid Wales, we're investing £92 million in the Newtown bypass, which is expected to be open next year, on time and to budget, just as work on the Brynglas tunnels and the M4 at junction 28 are operating to budget and on time. And we also published the draft orders and an environmental statement for our planned improvements to the Dyfi bridge, and announced £50 million of funding to accelerate the delivery of the A483 Llandeilo bypass. We've invested more than £0.25 billion in west Wales roads over the past 10 years.

Of course, in south Wales, the M4 corridor around Newport would represent significant investment in our infrastructure, and we're currently investing over £40 million in the refurbishment of the Brynglas tunnels. In June, the First Minister opened the eastern bay link, and we'll also be completing our challenging Heads of the Valleys dualling project by 2022.