3. Statement by the Minister for Environment: Air Quality

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:31 pm on 24 April 2018.

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Photo of Jenny Rathbone Jenny Rathbone Labour 3:31, 24 April 2018

I'm very pleased to hear that we have cross-party support for this really significant subject, because when the going gets tough—and it will get tough—when we start actually introducing measures, we know that we have people in our own parties, and indeed in the wider community, who are still living in the second half of the twentieth century, and we have to start getting people to realise that air safety is just as important as road safety. Air pollution is killing more people than bad driving via vehicles, and the people who are most at risk are, of course, children with their young lungs. So, I'm very pleased to see that the Minister is launching the clean air zone framework tomorrow, because we absolutely need to get on with doing things rather than talking about them. For example, Tredegarville primary school, which is opposite the Cardiff Royal Infirmary, just off Newport Road—this is an area that I think should become a play street or access-only because it's simply unacceptable the level of pollution we are submitting these children to, and there is an alternative route for vehicles. So, I hope that Cardiff Council is going to be ambitious and courageous, in its action and not just words.

It's more difficult to see what can be done about the children of St Peter's who are actually on Newport Road, but we really need to get across to parents that they're putting their children more at risk by bringing them to school in a car than by walking, cycling or getting the bus. That cannot be repeated too often but it's not something that parents often recognise. I have three questions. [Interruption.] They are literally one-liners. [Laughter.] The Llanedeyrn interchange on the A48 is another hotspot. There are three schools and one nursery near to it. Is that a Cardiff council action that needs to be, or is that a Welsh Government—? It's the A48 interchange with the slip road to the Bay.

Secondly, I would like to see a levy on city-centre car parking. We already have alternatives, which are the—. There are about 1,000 car parking spaces in the city centre of Cardiff, and if we had a levy, we would be encouraging people to do the right thing, which is either come by bus, come by train or do a park and ride. Is that something that is within the purview of the county council?

And, thirdly, will invest-to-save be available to local authorities who want to clean up their buses?