7. How is the Welsh Government working to increase economic output for the communities of Islwyn? OAQ51685

We are investing in developing the skills of our people, improving our infrastructure and supporting a competitive business environment. 

Diolch. First Minister, on 15 January, the Cardiff capital region cabinet unanimously agreed to support, in principle, the £180 million redevelopment of Wales's capital city's main transport hub, with £40 million of city deal funding. The money from the city deal investment fund will aim to assist with securing match funding from the UK Government and Welsh Government, as well as the private sector, to deliver the project. First Minister, it is a fact that 85 per cent of Wales's capital city jobs growth has arisen from an increase in net commuting into the city from adjacent communities like Islwyn. Therefore, what can the Welsh Government do to ensure that the economic benefits of a modernised Cardiff central train station, a new Cardiff central bus station and other innovative integrated transport infrastructures will benefit my constituents who will continue to commute to Cardiff for work?

Through our work on the ministerial taskforce for the Valleys, and, of course, through the development of the metro, we are looking to support change, maximise opportunities and improve economic outcomes in the Valleys. And we will place a particular emphasis on maximising benefits from new initiatives, such as the metro and such as city regions and city deals, to support those who commute into Cardiff, but also build on previous regeneration policies and programmes with the aim of creating better opportunities within the Valleys, reducing, of course, the need to commute.

First Minister, last week, I was privileged to attend the Severn growth summit, organised by the Secretary of State for Wales, really looking to maximise the benefit we can receive from when the Severn tolls are abolished at the end of this year. First Minister, what are you and what are Welsh Government doing to ensure that we in Wales reap the maximum possible benefits from the end of those tolls and, particularly, in Islwyn, in the Caerphilly council area, what are you doing to ensure that we can see more housing, more regeneration and more opportunity to benefit, not just people commuting to Cardiff, but people commuting to Bristol and, even more importantly, bringing economic development and jobs into those Valleys communities?

His idea of a privilege is different to mine, but I can say this to him: the one thing we will not do is say that, somehow, there is no difficulty with Brexit, no matter how it happens, because we know that the economy of Islwyn and the whole of the Valleys would be affected adversely by a hard Brexit. We are working, of course, through the economic action plan, to develop regeneration and jobs. We are working to develop more housing through our housing target—affordable housing of 20,000 homes. I have to say, I hear what the Secretary of State says about connecting the south-east of Wales with the south-west of England. It's a shame the UK Government wouldn't allow us to run a train service between Cardiff and Bristol Temple Meads, which is a shame, because that would help, of course, to link the areas economically.