5. Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport: Ambitions for Great Western and North Wales Main Lines

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:20 pm on 8 May 2018.

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Photo of Russell George Russell George Conservative 4:20, 8 May 2018

Can I also thank the Cabinet Secretary for his detailed statement this afternoon? I can agree with much of what the Cabinet Secretary has outlined. It's interesting that he mentioned that journey times in 1977 were actually faster between London and Cardiff than they are today.

With regard to your list of overarching needs, I was pleased to note that you've made reference to access to airports. Particularly, I'm thinking of Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool—all important airports, of course, for mid and north Wales. I'm sure I don't need to tell you, Cabinet Secretary, about that. But it'd be interesting if you could, perhaps, expand on your ambition in that regard. From what I've understood, you've outlined that Mark Barry is going to undertake a strategic outline programme case, and two cases are being proposed, for the north and the south. It would be useful to have some timelines on that for when those cases and reports will be reported to you and when you'll be able to report back to Members. Will this happen before the consultation that you have outlined that will take place later this year? I was pleased to see that you made reference to the Cambrian line and mid Wales not being neglected, but I'd be interested to see if that does sit in your north Wales case or your south Wales case. It's surely got to fit in one or the other.

I'd also like to ask you, Cabinet, Secretary, how your plans dovetail with existing policy documents that the Welsh Government has already published. How, for example, do you intend for your ambitions that you've outlined today to complement the existing economic action plan? And also, how are the proposals that you've outlined today going to directly complement the growth deals, which, of course, have a huge potential to drive forward economic growth right across Wales?

Can you also specifically outline how your ambitions will benefit Welsh commuters based in both urban and rural communities across Wales? Now, it's my view that it is, of course, vital that we build an integrated transport system that can support a host of wider economic and social policy objectives. I don't think you mentioned at all plans for how rail will be integrated with bus services to ensure that improvements will result in benefits for passengers across Wales, so can you give some views on this?

Finally, Cabinet Secretary, can you outline how the delivery of these proposals, or your ambitions, will be supported by the two new bodies that have been created to help drive forward the creation of new transport infrastructure in Wales? I don't think you mentioned the national infrastructure commission for Wales in your statement, which I'm surprised about, and if that's the case, perhaps you could just explain some rationale behind that. And with regard to Transport for Wales, I think at one point that you mentioned that Mark Barry will be working with your department and Transport for Wales, so I'm just keen to understand the relationships between Transport for Wales and your department and how they work together. And finally, does the national infrastructure commission for Wales have the resources and support that are required to deliver your ambition?