Diolch Llywydd. I would usually like to open a debate like this by setting out why it's timely, but, in many ways, this isn't a timely debate. Improving the M4 has been a matter of debate since before the beginning of devolution. It was first proposed in 1981 by the Welsh Office, yet here we are 27 years later and we are still discussing it.

Let me be clear: rejecting the proposed black route on the grounds of cost and the environment was the right decision. To spend the equivalent of 10 per cent of the Welsh Government's annual budget on one stretch of road that would have destroyed the Gwent levels was not an acceptable course of action. What's more, studies have shown that upgrading roads alone simply leads to more cars using these roads. Our Parliament was the first in the world to declare a climate emergency. I'm very proud of that, and this is one of the, yes, difficult, but absolutely necessary steps that had to spring from that declaration. But we knew all this before Welsh Government decided to spend £114 million and five years of effort on the inquiry and project development. That's £114 million more that could have been spent on a deliverable scheme such as the blue route, which Plaid Cymru supported.

So, here we are back to square 1. Many of us were surprised that Welsh Government didn't have a plan B ready to go, so we're having to begin from scratch with the establishment of yet another commission to consider which of the alternatives to the black route should be pursued. The problems for Newport will not go away on their own. People living in Newport, one of my members of staff included, are desperate for a solution to congestion and pollution that too often spills onto their streets when accidents at the Brynglas tunnels mean that traffic is redirected. It can't be allowed to just get worse. So, we have called today's debate to outline some alternatives that could be considered to help the people of Newport whose concerns, of course, have to be central in these considerations. But we will also look at alternative means of easing congestion on our roads and upgrading our infrastructure to make us a green, sustainable nation fit for the twenty-first century. After all, we now have £1 billion-worth of borrowing powers at our disposal on top of Welsh Government's capital investment budget.

In terms of road improvements, the blue route should certainly be considered alongside other options, including upgrading current roads and intelligent signing that would direct vehicles either onto the new road or the current M4 to keep traffic and trade flowing. What's more, we should consider learning from the Scottish example of paying grants to companies that decide to transport freight via train. Furthermore, Government should look at a programme of freight consolidation, where goods are transferred from smaller vehicles to larger HGVs in order to reduce the amount of vehicles on the road, but this can only be part of the solution.

So, in terms of public transport improvements, options should include exploring express coaches to hotspots, improving public transport from areas like Monmouth and Newport to Cardiff to decrease the pressure on the M4, and bringing forward upgrades to the Ebbw Vale line. One train per hour in lots of areas just is not good enough. And Welsh Government could even look at setting local rail fares. Finally, we could consider providing a free bus service on selected routes for a designated period. It took just four months to set up the free weekend travel on all TrawsCymru services, which raised passenger numbers. Free or half-price travel could have that very same effect. Let's be bold here. The people of Newport and all commuters who are sick to the back teeth of sitting in queues on the motorway need and deserve a resolution to the daily problem that they face. We need a twenty-first century solution that combines modern public transport infrastructure with a sea change shift away from car use.

I hope that these ideas can form the basis of our discussion today. Plaid Cymru will be discussing them internally—we are already discussing them internally—and intend to publish our detailed recommendations in due course. I look forward to hearing ideas from other Members across the Chamber.