I think it was an important step for the Government to bring forward this debate today. As has been pointed out any number of times in the last two weeks, this question of how to resolve the M4 problem has dogged every political party and every tier of Government for decades. Clearly, we now need to build a solution that can win the support of most people in the Chamber and most people across Wales.

There are three tests I think such an approach will need to pass before we can restore full credibility to this process, and these are three tests we need to consider if we are to find an answer that commands a majority support and which is deliverable. Number one, the Brexit test; number two, seeing this as a Wales problem, not a Newport problem; and finally, number three, dealing with the world as we find it today not as we would wish it to be.

I want to start with the last point first because it speaks to the concerns of employees and employers alike in my constituency and in neighbouring boroughs who are, like me, regularly caught up in hellish traffic on, or around, the M4. The First Minister has said that even if he had approved the black route, no immediate relief would have been forthcoming for perhaps five years. The point is well made, but it also underlines the need for changes that can make a lasting and, where possible, rapid impact on the journeys of people who need to use this road. And that is what I mean by dealing with the world as it is today, not as we would like it to be. People do need to use this road day in, day out, because there are no alternatives for thousands of people who are making a living and seeking to have a family life. The personal impact of surrendering hours at a time to Wales's most inefficient infrastructure problem isn't just economic, it has an impact on mental health, well-being and family time, as well. This is the test for the new commission: to deliver solutions that, yes, speak to environmental concerns, but also deliver change quickly, change that recognises the real-life decisions and the lack of options facing people using this route. We would all like to see a clean, green, multi-modal answer to Wales's transport problems, but that is decades of work, not five years. So, what is the immediate answer?

Secondly, it has been far too easy for people to dismiss the urgent need to reduce congestion in this area as a Newport problem, or if they're being very generous, a Gwent problem. I think this is a deeply unhealthy way to approach the debate because fundamentally, as our most vital transport artery with the rest of the world, this is a Welsh problem, not a Newport problem. You'll have heard the statistics a thousand times, so I won't repeat them now. The importance of this route to our country's economy cannot be overemphasised. But there is another problem with this kind of approach, and that's the precedent it sets. This is the National Assembly for Wales—the whole of Wales. You don't have politicians jumping up and down dismissing the importance of the £135 million Caernarfon to Bontnewydd bypass because it is just a Gwynedd problem, or the tens of millions spent on the Llandeilo bypass because it is just a Carmarthenshire problem, but it has been acceptable for some to dismiss this as a Newport problem and I think that is wrong. It is too easy to lay claim to geographical bias in favour of local political gains, whether that be north-south, east-west or rural-urban, politicians from all parties do it and it is deeply unhelpful. There is a difference between fighting for your patch and pitting communities against one another. People from Newport and Gwent are the ones suffering the most due to the congestion, but that is not the same as looking at this as a regional priority. It is unquestionably a national priority. And to that end, I hope that the National Infrastructure Commission will be heavily involved in the next steps.

Finally, the new proposals must pass the Brexit test. Different sectors in our economy are being stretched in different ways with the prospect of leaving the EU, perhaps even leaving without a deal. This is being felt most acutely already in the automotive sector, where just-in-time deliveries form an essential part of successful operations. The car industry and manufacturing more generally plays a massive role in the economic and social fabric of Torfaen and we've battled for years to make that sustainable against new challenges, both local and global. We cannot afford to allow any more hurdles to be placed in the way of this sector. We need to give comfort to our manufacturers, as well as to our commuters that we are prepared to act to meet these three tests: being innovative, being swift and putting this nation's infrastructure needs above localism and factionalism. Thank you.