1. What assessment has the Commission made of the provision of safe cycle storage on the Assembly estate? OAQ53297

The Assembly has a secure undercover facility for the storage of bicycles. We currently provide storage for 69 bikes, with further capacity planned for this year. In addition, there are publicly accessible racks outside Tŷ Hywel for use by visitors. We also provide showers, lockers and tumble-dryer facilities for cyclists to use.

The Deputy Presiding Officer (Ann Jones) took the Chair.

I thank you very much for that response, David. This morning, as usual, I got off the train at Cardiff station, got onto my bike, cycled up to Cathays Park for a meeting and cycled back through the park, through the frost, all the way here, my scarf flying behind me, on my sit-up-and-beg bike—all the way here. It was great, when I arrived, to find that all of the bikes were there—this time of year, with all of the frost and everything else, it is packed out down there in storage, which is a great testament to the success of what we're trying to do to promote cycling and active travel. But it is packed to the gunnels. So, could you give me some more details on those proposals you mentioned to actually expand the capacity, and just make clear that, in expanding capacity, it is the indoor capacity of safe storage that we want, for security, but also so that our saddles, our bikes and our gear aren't soaking wet when we come out in the evening? 

We are, of course, keen to expand the use of bicycle transport for work. In keeping with this, we are planning, as I said, to introduce extra car parking spaces this year—[Interruption.] I'm sorry—

Carry on, David.

Of course, it will require a much more expansive approach to cycle provision. In order to do that, we will be, obviously, looking at the possibility of taking out car parking spaces at some time in the future. Obviously, we're hoping that that won't impact on those people using cars because, hopefully, they will be using bikes and therefore, obviously, the necessity for those car parking spaces will be reduced. 

Question 2, again to be answered by Commissioner David Rowlands—Jenny Rathbone.