Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:16 pm on 9 October 2018.
Leader of the house, can I call for two statements today, please? One is from the Cabinet Secretary for transport infrastructure. I was very pleased to see the announcement of investment in the south Wales Metro that was announced this week—£119 million—but it's left a bit of a bitter taste in the mouths of people in north Wales, who are looking for investment in our own infrastructure. The leader of the house will be aware that I raised, just a couple of weeks ago, the concerns around the fact that the A55 is choked up, our rail infrastructure is also ailing. I think it is about time that we saw some significant investment in our roads and rail infrastructure in north Wales. So, I wonder if we could have a statement coming forward from the Cabinet Secretary on that particular issue.
Can I also ask for a statement on libraries in Wales? The leader of the house will know that it is Libraries Week. I took the opportunity to visit Colwyn Bay library in my own constituency just yesterday to hear more about their Reading Well project and their Books on Prescription scheme, which they're participating in—a wonderful scheme that gets people together, helping to overcome issues related to dementia, in particular, and helping to overcome social isolation. So, as a bit of a bookworm—and I'm sure there are others in this Chamber as well—I think it would be good to know what the Welsh Government's strategy is for the future of libraries in Wales so that the sorts of schemes that I'm seeing on my doorstep, in places like Colwyn Bay, can be extended into other parts of the country.