7. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the Cardiff capital region city deal? OAQ52822

With Government funding flowing to the Cardiff capital region city deal, the region continues to identify, prioritise and agree projects and interventions that will drive sustainable economic growth, and benefit the region as a whole.

I thank the Cabinet Secretary for that response and I welcome the investment that the city deal will bring, both in terms of jobs and transport. But I'm very concerned about how the deal as a whole has the input of women, and that the services and the projects that are developed take into account what women need. Because, of the council leaders, the 10 council leaders who make up the cabinet for the deal, only one is a woman, Debbie Wilcox from Newport. So, I wondered what steps the Cabinet Secretary could take to ensure that the city deal has a positive impact on women in the community in those areas that are covered by the deal.

Can I thank Julie Morgan for her question? The issue of gender imbalance, actually, was on my mind just recently, but with regard to another part of Wales, when discussing a particular deal, in north Wales, where, again, I do not believe there is fair balance in terms of men and women as leaders of councils or, indeed, on councils as a whole. The economic action plan makes inclusive growth the Welsh Government's top priority, and I think it's absolutely essential that we talk about inclusive growth, we talk about balance and fair growth, and we need to look—not just in local government, but also in Welsh Government—like the community that we serve. So, it's absolutely essential that, when photographs are taken or when deals are signed, the people who are there with the pen, carrying out that important duty, reflect the communities that they serve. So, it should be balanced and it should be representative of the people of the community that they represent.

Can I commend the Welsh Government and Cardiff council, and the private sector, for the excellent joint working that's doing so much to transform central Cardiff at the moment? The only fly in the ointment that I can see at the moment is the Welsh Government-owned land at Callaghan Square, which I think has been ready for development for some time. It's certainly been owned by the Welsh Government since 2013. When may we see some progress on the disposal of that site for an appropriate use in this very important part of our capital city?

We are considering a particular project in Callaghan Square. The Member, I'm sure, will appreciate the value of that particular land has increased since it was acquired by Welsh Government, and we're working to make sure that it is put to best use for the community and that we gain maximum return on the investment for the taxpayer. I think that, as part of the development of the centre of Cardiff, it could become a crucial point for redevelopment, and so we're keen to make sure that this once-in-a-generation opportunity is maximised for the people of Cardiff and the wider region.

Thank you very much.