6. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport: Active Travel Integrated Network Maps

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:40 pm on 27 February 2018.

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Photo of David Lloyd David Lloyd Plaid Cymru 5:40, 27 February 2018

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Can I welcome the statement from the Cabinet Secretary? Obviously, from a public health point of view, it is vital to tackle this agenda. It's vital to tackle the obesity agenda inherent in active travel and encourage the total physical fitness agenda in general, because all the stats show, from a medical point of view, that if you are physically fit as an individual, as I've said before in this Chamber, your blood pressure is 30 per cent lower than if you're physically unfit, your blood sugar is 30 per cent lower than if you're physically unfit, and your cholesterol is also 30 per cent lower than if you're physically unfit. Now, if we'd invented a tablet or a drug that would have that dramatic effect on those indices—because we haven't yet—it would be a totally transformative drug, and there would be a clamour for NICE to approve it tomorrow. No such drug exists, but physical fitness exists. So, I would suggest, in your hunt for some additional funding, that actually having close consultations with the Cabinet Secretary for health would be of benefit because we are talking a huge agenda here, which needs to be grasped, obviously.

So, I do welcome your statement, and obviously welcome the vision of the active travel legislation of which this statement on active travel integrated network maps today forms an integral part. But, obviously, this active travel vision requires a step change in behaviour, as you've already alluded to, Cabinet Secretary, and obviously, that step change in behaviour is a challenge to us all, personally, as well as being a challenge to government, both national and local. Because there remains justifiably a real fear of road traffic—a fear of the danger of cars and lorries—and a very real situation in terms of accidents, particularly involving cyclists. Allaying that fear requires, I think, proven spending on safety and keeping cyclists and pedestrians safe so that we can prove to people that it is safe, and keeping them apart from cars and lorries. Now, that can't happen overnight, I appreciate, but that is the idea. Those ideas need to be transformative, as much as our thoughts on behavioural change need to be transformative, and spending, I would contend, needs to be transformative too.

Now, obviously, you've mentioned your intention to boost funding, which is very welcome, but as we know, spending per head on active travel is around £5 per head per year in Wales. Scottish Government spending on active travel is £16 per head per year. Dutch and Danish cycling utopias spend around £30 per head per year. So, I'm not saying we jump to that tomorrow, but that's the transformative change that we are looking for. Presumably, spending challenges informed the local authorities that have responded in their integrated network maps and, obviously, as you alluded to, not all of which have met with your approval, but obviously local authorities, like everybody else in this age of austerity, are under tremendous funding pressures.

So, basically, can you just detail how much additional funding you will be searching for, or can be made available for active travel legislation so that we can truly see the transformation that needs to happen? Diolch yn fawr.