Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:15 pm on 27 November 2018.
Leader of the house, could I revisit the M4 discussion that was just had in FMQs? During an environment and sustainability committee meeting last week, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport was before us. He clearly outlined that the planning decision is a decision for the First Minister and him alone. It's not a collective responsibility decision of the Government as a whole, which you indicated in your response to us. But, he also told the committee members that there was the belief within Government that a debate would be taken on 4 December and that the report would be made available to Members of this institution this week. It's a 580-page report, as I understand it. You are leader of the house, responsible for Government business. If that debate is to be taken next Tuesday, you would have to be tabling that debate today. Can you confirm whether that debate will be tabled today, and that the report will be released for Members to look over in the coming days? Or, is it really the case that this debate will not see the light of day now under this current First Minister, and that we are looking at going into the spring term before that debate is held here? As I said, there are so many conflicting notes and responses to questions out there that we do need clarity. This is the largest infrastructure project that the Welsh Government has undertaken, or will potentially undertake, since 1999. From the Cabinet Secretary, to your good self, to the First Minister himself, there are so many different scenarios working out there that we, as Members, do require the courtesy that we do have clarity from the Government over the course of action.
I'd also ask, in light of the continuing poor experience that people are having on the railways, that the Cabinet Secretary himself brings forward a statement that outlines entirely what happened in the handover process from Arriva Trains to the new franchise operator. There is evidence, given by the Cabinet Secretary himself and by Transport for Wales, that it wasn't the most ideal handover that could have been undertaken. Yet, this date was well-known to many people; it was known to everyone, in fact. The statement that we received from Transport for Wales last week even alludes to the fact that the stores for spare parts were certainly not what they should be, and there was an inadequacy there. We do need to understand, because we are all getting e-mails, telephone correspondence, face-to-face experiences with the travelling public over the horrendous situation that many have been left in. It is not fair on the travelling public, leave alone Members in this institution, that we cannot furnish them with the answers that they do deserve.
I am grateful for the statement that came from Transport for Wales last week. But, if this were a positive news story, I'm sure the Cabinet Secretary would be making a statement about the initial handover and the six weeks in the intervening period. So, please can we have a Government statement outlining exactly the responsibilities the Government has taken on itself to fix this problem?