2. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the Welsh Government's work to promote active travel in Cynon Valley? OAQ51722

Yes. Our active travel promotional programme, Active Journeys, is delivered to schools right across the length and breadth of Wales, including to schools in Cynon Valley. Local authorities also have a duty to promote active travel in their community, and I'll be delivering an oral statement on active travel this month, I believe on 27 February.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. When Sustrans looked into how 25 disused railway tunnels in Wales could be converted into active travel routes, there was one clear winner. That's the Abernant tunnel, which links Cwmbach in my constituency to Merthyr Tydfil, which scored highest on the rate system in terms of both benefit-to-cost ratio and annual usage estimate. Some work has been ongoing between Rhondda Cynon Taf council and Merthyr council regarding this, but how can the Welsh Government engage and support this scheme, which has huge potential in terms of promoting cycling and walking within the Valleys?

Well, I'd very much agree with the Member. Wales has an abundance of fantastic rail tunnels that could be utilised for the purpose of cycling and walking, particularly for the tourism sector, and I'm pleased to confirm that we have awarded Merthyr Tydfil council up to £25,000 in local transport funding for the current financial year in order to undertake Welsh transport appraisal guidance work on the Abernant tunnel. And the Member is also right that that partiuclar tunnel did come top of the list. Five tunnels were shortlisted for further work: Abernant, Rhondda, Pennar, Tregarth and Usk. Abernant was considered the most likely to be able to deliver in the short term. And we're also considering a request for an additional £40,000 in this financial year to undertake a structural survey for that particular tunnel, to inform the potential longer term maintenance costs of the asset. 

Cabinet Secretary, can I say I've not seen such an elegant button hole since William Graham was a regular in the Chamber?

You will be aware that the 2016 Tour of Britain event was a huge success for the Cynon valley, not only its economic benefits, but also for the promotion of cycling. I know it's at the elite level, but the rest of us can take inspiration. I believe the 2018 route is about to be announced, and RCT were looking to host the departure stage. It's very important, I think, that we get across to people the health benefits, and also the benefits in the speed of journeys that you can get from cycling, and it's a great opportunity when these big sporting events come along to do that as well.

May I thank the Member for his question, and add that I've been inspired by his sartorial elegance in the Chamber over many years?

The Member is absolutely right that people can be inspired by elite sportspeople, particularly in those sports that can influence behavioural change in everyday life, such as cycling, swimming, walking and running. We're keen, through programmes that are delivered by professional bodies, and also, through programmes that are delivered at local authority level, to ensure that more people have access to opportunities to get on a bike and to walk, that they get the right support, and that they also get the right training. And that's why I'm particularly keen to ensure that we go on supporting the right programmes at a school level, and we're doing that by extending for a further year the programme within our schools estates to ensure that young people are equipped with the right skills and the confidence to be able to cycle on a daily basis.