Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:31 pm on 27 February 2018.
I was 13 years old when an M4 relief road around Newport was first mooted in 1991. [Laughter.] I haven't aged. [Laughter.] The current local public inquiry is the longest and most thorough inquiry in Welsh history, testing seven potential routes, including the option of doing nothing. The independent public inquiry is eagerly anticipated by my constituents, and it's only right and proper to look closely at the findings when they're published later this year. As for many businesses, visitors, commuters and constituents, the option of doing nothing, or more delays to a decision, are costly. It's estimated that the M4 is a key artery for 70 per cent of Wales's population and economy. Will the leader of the house relay to the Cabinet Secretary and the First Minister the imperative of a speedy resolution once the independent inspector reports, particularly with the removal of the Severn tolls, which will increase traffic and congestion on that part of the road?