Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Economy and Transport – in the Senedd at 1:54 pm on 8 May 2019.

Alert me about debates like this

Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 1:54, 8 May 2019

Not at all, not at all. I completely reject that. And just going back to the very first point, the point that we need to look up: that's exactly what we in Welsh Government have been doing. That's why we've been able to achieve those staggering results in terms of lowering economic inactivity, improving job prospects, improving skills levels. And perhaps it's the party that the Member represents that should look up with a bit more ambition and, rather than completely and utterly on regular occasions criticising the Welsh Government for securing companies like Aston Martin, which are about the best that you can find in the automotive sector, those sorts of investments should be celebrated.

Now, in terms of the climate emergency, my department were already doing sterling work in terms of driving down the contribution that transport makes to our overall carbon footprint. We have some incredibly ambitious targets, including a zero-emitting bus and taxi fleet in the next 10 years. A hundred per cent of the electric that will be used on the core Valleys lines in the new franchise will be from renewable sources, and 50 per cent of that will be from Wales. We developed an economic action plan very much with decarbonisation at its heart; that is why decarbonisation is one of the four criteria of the economic contract. You will not secure funding from Welsh Government unless you're able to demonstrate how you're decarbonising your business. That is a huge commitment to make, and that shows why our department was, in many respects, ahead of the game.

But in terms of road projects and in terms of active travel, we've already allocated an additional £16 million for active travel. And in terms of road infrastructure, of course there will be many difficult decisions over many different roads that we are going to have to make as we respond to the climate emergency. I would invite all Members to reflect on this: the M4 relief road that is being promoted by the Welsh Government is a carbon-neutral road scheme over the course of its lifetime. Are all other proposed road schemes across Wales, in all parts of Wales, carbon neutral or are they worse? If they are worse, would those Members who support them stop promoting them?