The following amendments have been selected: amendments 1, 2, 3 and 7 in the name of Darren Millar, and amendments 4, 5 and 6 in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Item 8 on the agenda this afternoon is a debate on the Valleys taskforce, and I call on the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport to move the motion—Lee Waters.

Motion NDM7129 Rebecca Evans

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Recognises the importance of the Ministerial taskforce for the south Wales Valleys in supporting economic development across the region.

2. Notes the update on the Ministerial taskforce for the south Wales Valleys published on 18th July.

3. Welcomes the seven updated priority areas and the extension of the taskforce to include the Gwendraeth and Amman Valleys.

4. Welcomes the empty home grant scheme that will be rolled out to all local authorities within the taskforce area during this financial year.

Motion moved.

Diolch, Llywydd. I'm grateful for the opportunity to update Members on the work of the Valleys taskforce and outline its direction for the remainder of this Assembly. We should all be grateful for the huge amount of work done by my predecessor, Alun Davies, in establishing the taskforce, and to those who made significant contributions as its members.

I've been keen to take the opportunity to take stock, and I set out in a written statement to Members on 18 July how the taskforce has now agreed to focus on seven priority areas, each with a sub-group of its own of the taskforce to take forward their area of work. Some of the original members have taken the opportunity to step away and allow new members to join—I'm grateful for all their work, and I'm pleased the main group will now be gender balanced.

I'm also keen that our plans are scrutinised, and it's important that today we have a proper debate to help inform our next steps. I have already engaged with Members representing Valleys constituencies and I've met with each council leader across the area to test emerging ideas and to ask for examples of best practice that we might scale across the whole area. Rather than imposing ideas on communities, it is much better to identify local good practice and seek to spread it to neighbouring valleys. 

In my first meeting with Councillor Andrew Morgan, the leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf council, he explained to me the success that his council has had in bringing empty homes back into use. Their own scheme of giving grants to people who take on properties that have been empty for six months or more is one other council leaders agreed would benefit them too, and they've endorsed housing becoming the first of our new strategic priorities. We're setting aside £10 million for the scheme over the next two years and, crucially, this is funding that will flow across the Valleys, not just into the strategic hubs as originally intended, but in the northern Valleys too. We'll emulate the RCT scheme and look to add to it where we can. For example, we're looking at how we can retrofit energy-saving measures as we regenerate the housing stock.

In my meeting with the leader of Swansea Council, Councillor Rob Stewart, he persuaded me of the case for allowing local authorities to access this funding to bring empty homes into council ownership too, to make them available to people waiting for affordable homes to rent. I'm pleased that my colleague Julie James, the Minister for housing, has embraced this suggestion with enthusiasm.

The chief executive of Carmarthenshire council convinced me of adopting the model used in the twenty-first century schools project of match funding to make the funding pot even larger and to give councils skin in the game, as he put it. We'll be looking to adopt these ideas as we approach the second year of the scheme. Our priority now is to crack on with rolling out the project. And in an excellent example of regional collaboration, RCT council are taking on the role of lead authority, using their expertise and experience to help deliver this for all councils in the taskforce area. And I'm delighted that the people in the Amman and Gwendraeth valleys will be able to benefit from this too, now that we've extended the taskforce boundary to encompass the western edge of the old coalfield.

I'm hopeful the scheme will bring palpable benefits right across our Valleys communities. Llywydd, an empty property is not only a home going to waste, it's a blight on an area: overgrown gardens attract vermin and broken windows scar a street. By tackling the problem of empty homes, we will nurture the fabric of our communities and we'll also help the second of our strategic priorities: growing the foundational economy.

The experience in RCT is that the homes being renovated are using local builders and trades—grounded small and medium-sized enterprises—who recirculate the spending in their area. We're also using some of the taskforce allocation to increase the size of the foundational economy experimental fund, allowing us to double the £1.5 million we originally agreed with Plaid Cymru as part of our budget negotiations. I hope to make announcements on which schemes we are supporting in the coming weeks.

A third strategic priority area is entrepreneurship and business support. I'm very grateful for the work of angel investor Andrew Diplock—the work he's done as a member of the taskforce in this area. He's helped us run a #PitchItValleys event, where 43 Valleys-based entrepreneurs applied to take part. Six are now through to the final round and are working with mentors before the final pitch at the end of November, where each will bid for up to £75,000 of equity investment.

We're also trialling a peer-to-peer network to help existing businesses grow. This is a very promising idea, I think, of bringing 10 founders so far of local firms together to counsel each other using real-world business growth challenges, which they can then apply to their own businesses. We hope this can provide a template for how we can support grounded firms in the rest of Wales.

We're also running with an idea put forward in an entrepreneurship workshop I held in Bedwas of local business advice surgeries. Caerphilly Assembly Member Hefin David piloted the idea in Bargoed in June, and I've since written to all Valleys constituency AMs and offered to work together to roll out a similar model in their area, and the next one will take place in Rhymney at the end of November.

Dirprwy Lywydd, I don't have the time to go through all the activities in each of the seven priority areas. There is a lot going on, and we'll be publishing our annual delivery plan in November, which will provide more details. But I will highlight two more areas in my opening contribution, if I may.

Access to regular, reliable and affordable transport was the No. 1 issue highlighted during the initial round of taskforce engagement. We co-hosted our first event with Transport for Wales in Merthyr last week, chaired by Dawn Bowden, the local AM, of course, and now a full member of the taskforce. We'll be running further events across the Valleys until the end of October to update local people on the developments in their area. It's important that having asked them for feedback we now report back to them on what we're doing as a result of that.

Transport for Wales are developing a pilot project to test a demand-responsive bus service in the Ebbw Vale area. It's been described as a type of Uber for buses—not to emulate every aspect of the app-based service but to paint a picture of how we think we can innovate the way local bus services work. We're also developing proposals for community transport pilots in Neath.

We have listened to the feedback on the taskforce from the Department for Work and Pensions that some people are finding it difficult to take up offers of work on industrial estates because buses simply do not run in tandem with shift patterns. We're therefore funding a pilot in the upper Rhondda Fach to get workers to the Treforest and Llantrisant industrial estates in time for work. This has been running since May, and, so far, it's showing signs of success, so we'll be looking at how this can be rolled out once it's evaluated.

Of course, on top of all this is the exciting metro plans that are being worked through—new trains, more-frequent services and improved stations are coming. The efforts of the taskforce in identifying strategic hubs across the Valleys have been invaluable in adding value to the planned work. We've provided Caerphilly, Merthyr Tydfil and Rhondda Cynon Taf councils with over £600,000 of additional funding from the taskforce to commission feasibility and design studies to develop some ambitious integrated transport hubs across the Valleys. These are due to be presented at the next taskforce meeting in October.

We're setting up a sub-group of the taskforce to look at how we can make the most of the millions of pounds-worth of investment in the Heads of the Valleys road. We don't want the A465 to be a bypass around some of our most challenged communities, but a way of bringing jobs and investments to them. My colleagues who represent these constituencies have been pressing me on this, and I am pleased that Dawn Bowden has agreed to lead a sub-group of the taskforce to focus on it.

Finally, Llywydd, last week the First Minister and I announced nearly £7 million of funding for the Valleys regional park. Eleven good projects will benefit. At Parc Penallta near Ystrad Mynach and Cefn Coed mining museum in the Dulais valley, we are fully funding completely new facilities. All the projects have a strong community focus and will act as gateways to the Valleys regional park, a concept strongly championed by my predecessor, the Assembly Member for Blaenau Gwent.

Will you take an intervention? 

Of course. 

One question that constituents have raised about Parc Penallta and what's being offered there is the amount of money spent and what is actually going to be based there. How will it engage with people in the immediate area and the immediate community? What exactly is planned? 

I'm happy to write to the Member with the exact details of the plan. The main focus is going to be a new timber-framed building that will be a site for outreach and community involvement, as well as considerable environmental schemes too, but I'm happy to give him the full details of that. It is a site that was a late bid. We reopened the bidding to allow new bids. I was initially sceptical about doing that, but such was the quality of the bid and the depth of the community engagement in drawing up the bid that I was persuaded, rather than to share all the money equally to make sure everybody had something, to fully fund good-quality schemes, and I was pleased that that was the one that I agreed to fully fund. And the whole point of these sites is that they will be launch pads to encourage local people and visitors to explore the surrounding areas, to create a necklace of parks. And as part of that, we will be returning to the original idea of the Valleys regional park coming from the city region development in Stuttgart where they have landscape parks, where they put promoting the landscape alongside traditional economic development to improve the whole place. I'm delighted that, in taking forward that concept, Cardiff capital region have agreed to absorb the governance of the Valleys regional park into their own structures. So, we're not creating new structures from scratch for the sake of it, but we're giving ownership and returning this to local authorities so that they can take this forward beyond the life of the grant, because I'm conscious that the last time the Valleys regional park existed was part of the Objective 1 funding, and when that funding ran out, the concept slowed down. So, I don't want us to do that again, which is why I'm keen that, having announced the funding, we now hand the project over to local authorities.

And then a final example of adopting good practice: I was very impressed by the work Bridgend council have done in their local area of community connectors. So, instead of having traditional park rangers through the Valleys regional park, we will be adopting the approach of Bridgend of having community connectors to signpost people to their local environment. Huw David, the leader of Bridgend, told me how this approach involved working with local GPs to encourage people to take green exercise, and this social prescribing model encourages people to get out and meet people, improve their well-being and resilience. And I'm pleased that Bridgend will now take the lead in spreading this model across the whole Valleys regional park.

I'm grateful to the leader of Torfaen, Councillor Anthony Hunt, in agreeing to lead this work on behalf of the city region, and for involving Neath Port Talbot, Swansea and Carmarthenshire in that work, even though they're not part of the capital region. And I'd also just like to finally single out the contribution that Jocelyn Davies has made in this area in particular, the former AM for south-east Wales. She has made a significant contribution to the development of thinking around the park.

So, Dirprwy Lywydd, to close, spreading good practice, engaging, listening and acting on good ideas are the ways we are working to make lasting change in our communities. This is no panacea, but we are making progress, and I looking forward to discussing what more we can do. Diolch.

Thank you. I have selected the seven amendments to the motion, and I call on Russell George to move amendments 1, 2, 3 and 7 tabled in the name of Darren Millar. Russell. 

Amendment 1—Darren Millar

Delete point 1 and replace with:

Notes that the best way to improve the lives and communities of those who live in the Valleys is through providing quality, long-term employment opportunities, empowering people to fulfil their potential and to take ownership in their own communities.

Amendment 2—Darren Millar

Delete points 2 and 3 replace with:

Regrets that the 'Our Valleys, Our Future' delivery plan lacks sufficient ambition to help support the Valleys communities.

Amendment 3—Darren Millar

Delete point 4 and replace with:

Notes the 40 per cent increase in the number of empty homes in Wales since 2009 and the need for funding and enforcement solutions to bring these back into use in order to address the housing issues within the taskforce area.

Amendment 7—Darren Millar

Add as new point at end of motion:

Welcomes the opportunities to enhance Our Valleys, Our Future as a result of funding announcements by the UK Government which will provide an extra £600 million in 2019-2020 to the Welsh block grant.

Amendments 1, 2, 3 and 7 moved.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I move those amendments in the name of Darren Millar. 

I'd like to thank the Deputy Minister for his update on the progress of the Valleys taskforce and also for his earlier update sent by e-mail to Members this afternoon; I haven't had time to look at that in great detail. I would like to reiterate the Welsh Conservatives' support for the Valleys taskforce. I think that—. It's correct to say that I think the taskforce area makes up nearly 30 per cent of the population of Wales, and for hundreds of years this area has been the beating heart of the Welsh economy. I think it's therefore vital that we do not let down the descendants of those who were so essential in powering the industrial revolution and making Wales the home of the first £1 million contract. A lot has changed, sadly, and the Valleys areas have not been able to adapt to the changing world. I think politicians of all parties have let down the Valleys at times and we must put that right to ensure that the people who live in the Valleys have the same opportunities, the same standard of living, decent housing and the ability to achieve more than they thought possible. That is why in today's debate we should be critical of the response so far but also supportive of the proposals as long as they have the impact of improving the lives of people in the Valleys and their children, as they are, and, of course, will be the future of Wales.

Our first amendment today is to make it clear that the best way to improve people's lives, not just in the Valleys but, of course, across Wales, is through providing long-term employment opportunities. It is a concern that since the taskforce was created less than 2,000 economically inactive people have been helped into work through the Welsh Government-led employment programmes. The target, of course, is 7,000 by 2021. I'll be interested if the Minister in his concluding comments can confirm that that is a target he still believes will be reached.

Our other amendment is also in regard to having more ambition. We do believe that there should be more ambition in the 'Our Valleys, Our Future' plan. The Government I think really does need to deliver better on joined-up public transport that people can afford. I'm sure that perhaps the Deputy Minister would agree with that statement; he did talk about that in his opening comments. But I think it's particularly important to look at how fares are calculated in terms of bus journeys, because there do seem to be some perhaps unfair and not-comparable rates if you look at the bus timetables and the distances travelled in parts of Wales.

And let's not, of course, forget—I can't go without saying this; I disappointingly have to say it, but we look at the summer as well, and the trains from Cardiff back home into the Valleys. If the trains aren't cramped with people squashed in like sardines, they're delayed. So, what I'd say is: how can people who want to get on in life and provide for their families—how can that happen? How can that be achieved when hurdles such as these are put in front of them?

With an increase of 40 per cent in the number of empty homes in Wales, I am keen to see the success of empty homes being brought back into use. I agree with the Deputy Minister's comments in regard to the negative impact it has when you have empty properties across a community and the blight that is attached to that. I am concerned to the extent that the £10 million that the Deputy Minister mentioned in his opening comments will go to make sure that this project is a success for businesses and homes.

And I'll conclude, Deputy Presiding Officer, by welcoming, of course, the £600 million for the Welsh block grant for next year and would, of course, urge the Welsh Government to spend this additional money on the Welsh NHS, but more importantly ensuring that the extra £195 million for schools this year is spent directly on schools so that the funding gap that currently exists between Wales and England can disappear.

Thank you. I call on Leanne Wood to move amendments 4, 5 and 6, tabled in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Amendment 4—Rhun ap Iorwerth

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to provide information on the expected tangible outcomes and submit a detailed plan that outlines the benefits of the taskforce on a valley-by-valley basis and progress in delivering those outcomes.

Amendment 5—Rhun ap Iorwerth

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd to draw up a specific budget line for the Valleys taskforce to be included in the Welsh Government’s upcoming budget.

Amendment 6—Rhun ap Iorwerth

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls for a special temporary committee to be established with a specific remit to hold the Minister to account on the work of the Valleys Taskforce and for the membership of the committee to be made up of Assembly Members representing valleys constituencies.

Amendments 4, 5 and 6 moved.

I move the amendments in the name of Plaid Cymru. The constituency that I represent, the Rhondda, is possibly one of the best-known of the Welsh Valleys throughout the world. Now, having served its purpose as far as the British state is concerned, the Rhondda, similar to many other Valleys, as well as non-Valleys communities throughout the country have been left by successive Governments on both ends of the M4 to rot. Unlike other parts of the UK that were deliberately de-industrialised, the former coalfield in Wales did not get the same economic support, and, as a result, we lag way behind places like Sheffield, Edinburgh, Nottingham, Yorkshire in terms of economic development and wealth. Too many people in too many of our communities are forced to live with the scourge of poverty, and it's beyond disappointing to say that after 20 years of devolution the Valleys—and specifically the valley in which I live, the Rhondda—has seen pitiful levels of both attention and investment.

Of course, the policies of Governments in Westminster—principally austerity over the last decade or more—have made our situation much, much worse. There are amazing things going on in the Valleys by some amazing people, but too often that is despite Government, not because of it. If you had to pay for the work carried out by volunteers, it would bankrupt this Government. Community activists everywhere are running radio stations, foodbanks, food-share schemes, community centres and youth clubs, Scouts, Guides, sports clubs, paddling pools, support for older and disabled people and so on, all for free, but their efforts are hindered by cuts and hiked costs—often Government costs.

Just this week I had a meeting with the Rhondda Tunnel Society, a group of volunteers who have done sterling work for many, many years. Their work is being hindered by Government in action, both local and national: failure to resolve the ownership problems, failure to designate the area as an active travel route—obstacles, obstacles all the time. For just relatively small sums of money, many of these projects and community activists could reach so many more people but, of course, what we really need is economic development and jobs. And that's why I was so excited to learn about a co-operative that had been formed in the Rhondda made up of ex-Burberry workers. That excitement didn't last for long. This garment co-operative was given to understand that, were they to constitute a proper business, they would be looked upon favourably for a Government contract making public sector workers' uniforms—new train workers' uniforms, NHS uniforms and so on. These are highly skilled workers used to delivering high-quality products. They've got a premises in the old Burberry factory and their plan was to use that iconic history to build a business to train the next generation. Imagine how devastated they were to learn that the contract was instead going to a training company operating out of another valley, supported by the Valleys taskforce initiative, when they had no idea that they were in competition with others. Yes, there may be a possibility that this company can be successful—they haven't given up—but there are questions to be answered, and I haven't had credible answers so far.

Despite great efforts, I've failed to get a sense of what financial or other support may be available for this sort of development or any other. When I've made enquiries about specific sums of money for the Valleys, I've been told that there is no figure to give. When I ask what we can expect to see in the Rhondda, I get told what investment is available in other places. Just this week, a Transport for Wales consultation misses out the Rhondda, and, when asked on Twitter about that, we're told that there are meetings in Pontypridd and Aberdare. I'm asking about the Rhondda—can I please emphasise the Rhondda is not in Pontypridd or in Aberdare? I've lost count of the number of meetings I've had with the former Minister and how many times I've asked questions that we hope to have addressed by these amendments, and I'm still waiting for answers.

How much budget is being allocated to the Valleys taskforce? How much, and what exactly can we expect to see in the Rhondda? I don't want to know about other places; I want to know about your plans for the Rhondda, and, given that I haven't been able to get answers to these questions thus far, a temporary committee where those of us who care about this can scrutinise the decisions, the spending, the Ministers' statements. This Government needs to demonstrate to me that this Valleys taskforce is worth something; I'm not seeing it so far.

The Llywydd took the Chair.

The Welsh Government undoubtedly made a strategic error when ditching the successful Welsh Development Agency. It had the skills, the expertise and the contacts to serve Wales on a long-term basis. All the expertise, skills and contacts developed by competent and experienced staff was discarded and lost forever, and it could be said that Wales has never recovered from that disastrous decision. Its replacement by the Welsh Government's initiatives such as the Valleys taskforce falls into line with all other past initiatives: it fails the first test of any plan—measurability. The signposts are missing, which, of course, prevents overall assessment of its progress. After reading the two sets of minutes of the taskforce, you begin to realise that there is no detailed joined-up plan, but simply an incoherent jumble that seems to mimic the defunct Communities First programme.

Two years on from the production of yet another glossy brochure, there is still no clear focus and it would seem that efforts are spread over too large an area. The Bevan Foundation also says that solutions to the lack of skills and qualifications are conspicuous by their absence.

I do welcome the plans outlined earlier by the Deputy economy Minister, and I am sure that his enthusiasm and commitment are genuine, but he has still not indicated how all the effectiveness of these initiatives will be measured. If we take one example of the ineffectiveness of the taskforce, Ebbw Vale has seen a 50 per cent reduction in bus services into the town centre, and Stagecoach experienced 50 breakdowns in just one month, including a bus fire in the Blaenau Gwent area. Surely, the taskforce should be examining such matters given its impact on local businesses and connectivity in the Valleys in general, otherwise where does its remit lie? We should also raise the question as to the make-up of the taskforce. Is the make-up of the taskforce the right one for this initiative? It is said that the right composition should bring coherent and subjective planning to undertake the necessary actions required. Are the skills and competences present in the present governance structure? Most of the initiatives are far too small to make a difference and, indeed, moving jobs from one place to the next can hardly be called creative.

In Wales, we need a total reinvention of the economy with all the parties involved and focused to work together. It is time to end the business of playing party politics and concentrate on putting things right in Wales, because we have to all agree that there are too many things wrong in Wales. As an ex-director of the WDA said some years ago, the key aspects of the problem are superficial politics, lack of technical analysis and focus and a civil service culture that is not task orientated.

Can I thank the Government for bringing forward this debate today on the work of the Valleys taskforce? What I think we can now see is the vital shift taking place in the work of the taskforce as it moves to the funding and delivery of projects. And, before I go on, can I add my thanks to that of the Deputy Minister to my colleague Alun Davies, who spent a huge amount of time and energy on the first phase of the work of the Valleys taskforce? When I joined the taskforce earlier this year, it was very clear that there was a substantial foundation of work and project ideas, so thank you, Alun, for your part in that.

Having seen that strong foundation established, it has allowed the taskforce to move to the implementation that we now see of the delivery of projects. Indeed, the announcement in recent days of a package of funding for parks and heritage sites is an important part of turning some of that vision into reality. These sites are the initial gateways to a wider strategic vision for the landscape and environment of the Valleys communities, and many of them, like Cyfarthfa Park in my own constituency are, of course, highly valued by the local community. And, while this might be a parochial consideration, it's certainly my hope that this round of investment in Cyfarthfa Park is a stepping stone to the much bigger ambition that we hold to tell the story of this site and this community and its wider environment, with the development of the Crucible project.

In a way, it's that word 'ambition' that projects my hope for the continuing work of the taskforce, because the deep-rooted challenges that we face in many of our Valleys communities require us to hold an ambition for transformation. We know that there's no single solution to the variety of challenges that we face, so a key part of our solution has to be found in our ambition—our ambition to combat negative and outdated stereotypes, our ambition to continue scaling up our responses based on a long-term commitment to the Valleys, a long-term commitment that I believe will be the key to its success. And that ambition must now see us deliver the final stage of the improvements to the A465 Heads of the Valleys road to ensure that we have the economic strategy that co-ordinates the potential of the new route. So, I was very pleased to hear the Deputy Minister confirm that we have not just spent billions of pounds to fund a bypass, but that we have invested in a means to unlock new potential in the communities along that route, and I look forward to being part of the group that will look at how we can do that. 

And that Heads of the Valleys route of course must also be considered as part of the wider transport and economic solutions to pressures in other parts of the south Wales region. So, it's right that the Welsh Government and partners continue to play their part in that. For example, the investment in the metro system, trains, buses and other forms of transport that we discussed at the event in Merthyr last week means that we can speed up journey times and use the power of Government to place jobs in the Valleys—vital if we are to meet our objectives of better jobs closer to home, and Pontypridd is a good example of that at present. But when I hear people tell me how it will be good to see speedier journey times to Cardiff, my response is always that it will also be good for people in Cardiff to only have to travel 45 minutes to work in Merthyr Tydfil or Rhymney. Our ambition must change those mindsets. 

So, can I ask the Deputy Minister, in addition to the work that you've already outlined in today's debate, that in the next 12 months we ensure that the commitment to the Valleys taskforce is the commitment to our ambition and that it is embedded in the long-term plans for our Government? Such commitment is needed to ensure that the projects that we deliver in 2019, 2020 and 2021 are stepping stones to the wider ambitions that we hold for the Valleys, with communities, economies and an environment in which we can all take pride because we've helped to deliver a brighter future for them.

In preparing for this debate this afternoon, I wasn't sure that I'd had the opportunity to welcome the Minister to his role in leading the Valleys taskforce, so I would like to put on record that I do welcome his appointment, but I also welcome the new and fresh thinking that he's brought to the role. I do believe that it's important that from time to time all ministerial roles need to be refreshed and that new thinking is always important in taking forward these projects and tasks, such as that which the taskforce has set itself. 

I've also listened to a contribution from a Minister that stands in stark contrast to the contributions we've heard from other political parties represented here. I listened to the list of grizzles from the Brexit Party and I noticed from the order paper that they didn't even bother to submit a single amendment to this debate today. So much for their ideas. So much for their commitment to the Valleys. They couldn't even write down an amendment to this motion this afternoon. 

I would also say this: that when I see investment taking place in any part of the Valleys, I celebrate it and I welcome it. I want to see the whole of the Valleys succeed. I want to see investment across the whole of the south Wales Valleys region. And I'll say this to Plaid Cymru: the only time I've seen investment taken out of the Valleys was when Plaid Cymru held the economic development brief and they put the dualling of the A465 on hold in order to move those resources elsewhere. So, let's have some realism about this. 

Will you take an intervention?

I will take an intervention.

I asked you when you were Minister on countless occasions how much investment would be available for the Rhondda. We've heard this afternoon that there's investment going into buses and houses. Well, that should be there already. Can you answer me now: what money has gone into the Rhondda from this Valleys taskforce? And if none has gone in so far, what specific money for the Rhondda, not Rhondda Cynon Taf, not Ebbw Vale—what money is coming from the Valleys taskforce to be invested in the Rhondda? Because you've failed to answer that question to date.

In your amendment 5, you ask for that budget.

Answer it. 

I would like to ask you to withdraw that amendment, actually—

Answer the question first. 

—because in my view, each one of the Ministers we have here should be a Minister for the Valleys and each one of the Ministers—

But they're not, are they?

—should be a Minister for every part of the community of Wales. [Interruption.] I don't believe in having a Minister for different parts of the country. [Interruption.] I want to have a Government and Ministers operating for the whole of the country—[Interruption.]—and that's why I reject the arguments that we need a set budget for the Valleys taskforce.

Can I say, Presiding Officer, there was a broad welcome last week for the funding announcement to invest in the creation of a Valleys regional park? I actually believe this is one of the most exciting and potentially transformative visions that we have in Wales today. The concept brings together our economic ambitions with the environmental and social ambitions to create a sustainable framework for the future. I was pleased to hear the Minister announce that he has given some consideration to the structure and governance that are required to deliver on this potential. I would ask him to also consider a formal designation that is rooted in statute. This was certainly the direction of travel that we were considering in Government in my time, and I hope that we will be able to do it again.

I am unsure, but open to be convinced, of his proposals for the city region to take on the governance of this park. I do believe that the park needs a focus and a clear, agreed and ambitious vision, with the capacity to deliver that vision. It's more than a series of individual projects and grants, and more than simply a collection of urban or semi-urban parks. I hope that the city region will be able to deliver that, and I'm open to be convinced by it, but I fear that we do need a structure that will deliver a greater focus.

The purpose of the strategic hubs was to focus public investment into seven parts of the Valleys, which would in itself create a catalyst to attract additional private investment. I can see that this approach is having an impact, and the Minister has agreed that this afternoon. But we also all note that progress is uneven. I would be grateful if the Minister could set some clear objectives for the coming year so that we can be sure that progress is being made across the whole region and that the target of creating jobs will be met by the end of this Government's mandate in 2021.

I was also pleased to hear from the Minister that he'd appointed Dawn Bowden to work on the development of an economic plan for the Heads of the Valleys region. This, for me, is the one area of unfinished work that I believe we really need to prioritise. The Heads of the Valleys has long been identified as a region that requires the greatest and most intense public support. The dualling of the A465 is continuing and will be completed, but this investment must be seen as a tool of economic development. I hope that we'll be able to deliver a jobs plan that will focus our work over the coming years, and I hope that we will be able to set clear targets again to achieve that. I do believe that this is one area where the city region structure can help to deliver.

I'll conclude my remarks, Presiding Officer, with a note closer to home. The Tech Valleys scheme is a £100 million investment in the future of Blaenau Gwent. It's over two years since it was announced, with a commitment to spend £25 million in investments by 2021. I would like to gently note that this is not simply a housing scheme, but a project to drive economic activity and deliver new jobs and opportunities in the borough. That is not to decry the commitments that the Government has made to support housing developments that are clearly needed in the borough, but that should not be the focus of this investment programme. I fully recognise that Brexit may well have a negative impact on the Government's ability to deliver on its commitments, but I do want to see and understand more fully the ambition and vision that the Government has for Tech Valleys. I would like to see the Government publish a timetable for taking this investment programme forward to 2021 and beyond.

Presiding Officer, I think, across most parts of the Valleys and across most parts of this Chamber, there will be a warm welcome for the Government's statements this afternoon, and a warm welcome for the Minister's approach and the fresh thinking and drive that he has brought to this taskforce.

I would like to thank the Deputy Minister for bringing forward this debate in Welsh Government time and giving all of us the opportunity to scrutinise the work of the Valleys taskforce and, in particular, the changes that have been made over the last few months—      

Will you take an intervention? You mentioned scrutiny; I think scrutiny's really important. Do you share my concerns that a sum of money has not been allocated to the Cynon valley? The questions that I've been asking about the Rhondda are the same questions that are pertinent to the Cynon valley. Are you concerned that we're not getting answers to those questions from a scrutiny perspective?

I don't share your concerns on that, no, because money is not the answer to everything here—[Interruption.]—in terms of allocated budgets. There are Ministers with responsibility right across the Government; for example, health is a really important part of the way that we need to look forward with the Valleys, as well. So, I think it would be quite a simplistic approach to try and have a pot of money that can be spent. I prefer to look at how the Valleys taskforce interacts with Ministers across Government, and I think that if you look deeply, that is quite easy to see.

No, it's not.

Anyway, I wanted to make a few remarks, starting off with transport, which I know all of us Valleys AMs have raised at one point or another. Better transport links both in terms of roads and public transport are absolutely crucial, and I'm really pleased to see that this is one of the priority areas for the Welsh Government to focus on.

I will start by talking about the dualling of the Heads of the Valleys road as well. There is such a huge need to maximise the benefit the road brings to local communities. This is a point that I've raised several times and I know that other AMs have as well, so it's been really good to see that the Deputy Minister has taken that on board by setting up this sub-group to look at how we can maximise the benefits from that road and to look not just around contractual requirements within the procurement process, but also things like local opportunities for employment, apprenticeships and local opportunities for companies within that process as well, and also the recognition that these opportunities must carry on when the road is open through concepts such as the innovation chain. As the Bevan Foundation recently reminded us,

'the A465 is transforming the relationships between places in the valleys and the rest of the UK.'

But let's also make sure that it transforms local Valleys economies as well.

Similarly, delivering on the south Wales metro could be equally transformational. But there's been so much emphasis on the role of rail services within that. For the true vision of the metro to be realised, we must remember the fundamental role played by buses. Often, they are the only public transport service covering the most isolated and deprived communities, and certainly the Heads of the Valleys area is a prime example. So, I would like to ask the Deputy Minister if he would consider having some representation from bus companies within his sub-group there, looking at the Heads of the Valleys road, and also community transport as well. They seem to be the ones who are willing and have the moral compass to pick up the slack where commercial bus operators often let us down.

I'm sure I'm not the only Assembly Member who has had an avalanche of casework over the summer caused by bus companies like Stagecoach changing their routes, and doing so with no real consultation or consideration for the social and economic needs of our constituents. Indeed, their only maxim seems to be profit margins. So, I welcome how the Valleys taskforce may be able to tie in with the work that's currently ongoing with the Minister for the economy on bus reform. I think that's a clear example of where we need to look beyond simply shouting about whether there's a pot of money or not and how the work of other Ministers within Government is absolutely crucial to the work of the Valleys taskforce.

I've followed with interest the Welsh Government’s Rhondda bus pilot—a really exciting initiative. I hope we can learn lessons from that and see where it could be rolled out to other areas in the Valleys as well to enable those who need to get to work on industrial estates and at different times to suit their shifts to access the jobs market.

I was delighted to hear about the investment in the Valleys regional park as well, with Dare Valley Country Park in my constituency benefiting to the tune of £800,000, and I share with other Assembly Members who have spoken the enthusiasm for the Valleys regional park as a concept. I note that the Deputy Minister focuses significantly on the economic benefits that the Valleys regional park can bring, and, indeed, it can, particularly in terms of tourism. But, I'd just like to issue a plea, really, not to move away from the original concept, which focused on physical and mental well-being too. I think that's really important. If we're looking at the whole quality of life for people who live in the Valleys, then enhancing their physical and mental well-being needs to be at the heart of that vision. It also fits in with ideas like the Valleys Skyline project, which was the subject of an interesting event hosted by the Member for Ogmore a few months ago.

Finally, I just want to touch on the final point of the motion. It was really an honour to join the deputy economic Minister and the housing Minister in Ynysybwl in July for the announcement of the roll-out of the empty properties grant. I'm really proud of the work that's been done by Rhondda Cynon Taf council, which has turned around 130 empty properties in the locality, meaning 130 families now have modern, energy-efficient homes, and there are 130 fewer empty eyesores. To be able to speak to the owners of that property about the benefits it brought to them, about their use of local builders in order to fulfil those contracts—. I look forward to seeing how other Valleys communities can learn from the work of RCT council and to spread that good practice across the area.

I thank the Minister for his reference to Parc Penallta. I don't think we should have any doubt of the national interest that is taken into some of our Valleys parks and landmarks. Indeed, I took part in the winter of 2015 in a BBC national programme in which I was invited to be interviewed on the pit pony, which is the sculpted mound at Parc Penallta built in the honour of the pit pony Sultan. I wore my best suit and I climbed to the top of the mound of the pit pony. It was raining, it was the middle of winter and I got my legs covered in mud, almost right up to the top of my legs, but I was thinking, 'Oh well, it'll be broadcast from waist up,' only to discover that the programme was on BBC Radio 4. So there is a lesson in preparation for any media event that I've subsequently learned, but I won't be turning up to Sharp End in a cagoule and wellies.

I think the money for Parc Penallta is very welcome. You've promised to give me further information about what is specifically planned to engage with the community there. I can see the thinking, and it has been largely welcomed when I've mentioned it via social media. But some of the questions that have also been raised have been, 'Well, what about the winding wheel and pit baths in Penallta colliery, which is just across the road?' The problem is that this is privately owned, and it links directly with Penallta park, and I think there needs to be some consideration about how some public sector leverage can be used to do something with the pit baths and the winding wheel there.

And of course, Caerphilly castle—you cannot be an inspiring candidate for any office in Caerphilly without being pictured outside the castle. It is receiving much attention from the Deputy Minister for culture. It is good to see—in fact, it's almost his second home, Caerphilly castle, so many times I've seen him there—but it's good to see also that the landscape around the castle is now getting funded. Because one of the things—. The Deputy Minister and I were looking out towards Caerphilly town, and one of the things we felt was that the townscape needed work, and I think that is the focus of this additional funding, too.

But let's also not forget that we have a Welsh national mining memorial in Caerphilly, too, and I think that needs attention. I think Alun Davies made the point there needs to be a strategic intent to this funding, and if that strategic intent is to mean anything, then the Welsh national mining memorial must be part of that discovery zone, because it is key to the cultural landscape of the Caerphilly constituency.

The former Minister mentioned also the strategic hubs, and he mentioned the fact that the delivery is uneven in some places. I'd say that the strategic hubs missed a chance a little bit in Caerphilly, because I think there are areas—. It focused on Ystrad Mynach and the south of Caerphilly; I think there are areas in the Caerphilly constituency that need a strategic focus, and I think those are some of the areas I've already mentioned: Senghennydd and the Aber valley, Nelson, and the town that is closest to my heart because it's where I went to school, Bargoed. These areas need that strategic attention, and I know that the Minister has listened to me to some extent on this, and we've had the business workshop that we held in Bargoed, which was successful and a good learning opportunity. I'd say to Members who are planning to do it in their communities that there are things we learned there, particularly about getting businesses to know about what's going on. But also I think we need to think about how towns like Bargoed can be part of a bigger strategy, and I think that is something that still has some work to do, connecting those northern Valleys. And maybe I'd echo some of the things that perhaps Leanne Wood was getting at, that those strategic connections across the Valleys still need some work.

The issue of housing and the work to be done on housing is very welcome. I've long called for strategic development plans, and the Valleys taskforce finds a good footprint for a strategic development plan, at least in part, across that region. And what he was talking about, by bringing homes back into use, we are talking about moving housing further north and not building in those already overdeveloped areas in the south of the Caerphilly constituency. Making use of those properties that already exist and bringing them back into use is a key area. 

I think that there are real opportunities with the Valleys taskforce, but to echo his predecessor, I still think there are opportunities to learn as well, and I look forward to hearing what the Minister says in his response. One thing I'd say, finally, is that you can see his personality is imprinted on this, though, and that's quite impressive.

Islwyn is a varied constituency, comprising a series of beautiful Welsh Gwent Valleys communities, and it contains both the wonder of the natural lush mountainous landscapes of Wales with the harsh realities of society continuing to tackle the challenges of deindustrialisation: the loss of its mining and steel communities and the propensity for respiratory ill-health, with the Wales indices of multiple deprivation data to underpin and accompany such harsh socioeconomic diversity. So, as a child of Islwyn, I'm incredibly proud to represent this constituency here in the National Assembly for Wales, the Welsh Parliament.

I have championed, as have many, many causes, but one of the most important to me has been the work of the Welsh Labour Government's Valleys taskforce, and this is because it has both opportunity and potential to truly transform the lives of some of the most diverse communities in Wales. So I would like to thank the First Minister of Wales, Mark Drakeford, and the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport, Lee Waters, for the high priority that they have continued to give to ensure that the Valleys taskforce remains one of the most important ongoing projects of the Welsh Labour Government. 

Just last week, the Welsh Labour Government announced that Cwmcarn forest drive constitutes one of the five Gwent sites named as discovery gateways that will share more than £2 million Valleys taskforce funding. I have consistently pushed here and in private for Cwmcarn forest drive to be fully reopened to its former glory, and this continues to be a priority for me and for my constituents. National Resources Wales are now committed to reopening the Cwmcarn forest drive fully by Easter 2020 because it is one of the natural jewels of nature that has been bestowed on Wales. And I know that the Minister for culture was visiting there recently, and he knows it is imperative that Cwmcarn forest drive is opened for Wales and the world again as a must-visit destination. 

In our age of climate emergency, where the appreciation and value of our natural landscape has never, ever been greater, we know that family and friends want to spend their days outside. We know more than ever the value of getting outside for our mental health. Days spent exploring the natural landscapes of Islwyn will benefit our local communities and all those who visit. So, I'll say to Members present in the Chamber: come and visit our sites across Islwyn, in terms of Twmbarlwm tump, ancient sites like the scenic drive, the Gwythen and Sirhowy valleys—they are of great importance.

The nearly £0.5 million of Welsh Labour Government investment looks to maximise community use, with the promise of a shared space at the Cwmcarn scenic drive, the lifelong learning office space with Wi-Fi for community use, the development of landscape interpretation points and discovery trails, and it's essential that the magnificent natural beauty of Cwmcarn forest drive is fully utilised by frequent and meaningful engagement by the public with the needed access to do so. So, this is further evidence of an ambitious programme of renewal for the Valleys and for Islwyn by a Welsh Labour Government determined to revitalise the landscape and the people we serve. 

Finally, Llywydd, tomorrow evening, I will be attending a meeting of the Friends of Cwmcarn Forest Drive at the infamous Cwmcarn Working Men's Club and Institute, and some ongoing engagement and dialogue with people living and working in the Valleys will be critical to ensuring that the taskforce's laudable goals are met and superseded. And so I will continue to work closely with the people of Islwyn and the Welsh Labour Government and the Minister to ensure that, together, we maximise the prosperity of our great Welsh landscapes and Valleys towns, not just for every single individual here, but for all of our future generations. 

The Deputy Minister to reply to the debate.

Diolch, Llywydd. I don't have an enormous amount of time to respond, so I won't be able to respond to each of the comments, but I'm happy to have further discussions with anybody who wishes. 

I'll try and address some of the points that have stuck with me. To begin with, Russell George's challenge on the target of 7,000 people into employment. I'm not sure where he gets his figures from. He quoted that only 2,000 people had moved from inactivity into activity. Our figures are showing that 4,500 have been supported into work through community employment programmes since July 2017. So, we're on target to meet the 7,000 jobs we’ve committed to, all other things being equal. Of course, we don’t know the impact that the recession and Brexit is going to have on our economy over the next 18 months and the Brexit uncertainty that his Government has unleashed upon us may well have an impact on that. As of today, we’re on target to meet our commitments on employment.

Vikki Howells made the call for bus company and community transport representatives to be incorporated into the taskforce and we are, as I said, having a separate sub-group on transport, and I will certainly do my best to make sure that those groups are represented on that. And she was right to highlight the personal impact from our visit to Ynysybwl of the empty homes initiative, where we saw the impact on the street of bringing a derelict home back into use and giving a family who worked in the village a chance to have a home in the village—that had a real, tangible impact.

The question of the strategic hubs was touched upon by both Hefin David and Alun Davies. This was a decision that I made. We had £15 million, I think, allocated towards spending in the strategic hubs and I looked at the quality of the bid that came through from the local authorities and I thought that if we funded all of those, I didn’t feel that we'd have more than the sum of the parts to show at the end of it of the impact of the Valleys taskforce that I wanted to see. So, I took a decision not to do that and to use the funds more strategically and more laterally so that they could be spread into the northern Valleys. And the empty homes project will spread into every community and not into a hub.

But to address directly the criticisms that Leanne Wood made, I would say that this taskforce is not a panacea. The socioeconomic condition of all the Valleys is the result of 100 years of economic headwinds and we’re not going to transform them in the short term. We are, though, doing practical, constructive things. And the invitation is open to Leanne Wood, as the Assembly Member for the Rhondda, to engage with us in a practical and constructive way. It’s easy to complain about all the things wrong in the Rhondda. I’m open to having a conversation with her about the things that we’re doing—[Interruption.] I'm afraid I don't have time. 

Will you take an intervention?

I won't, I'm afraid. But let me just tell you some of the things we are doing in the Rhondda—[Interruption.] I've got 30 seconds left, Leanne Wood, and I've agreed to meet you tomorrow to discuss in detail some of the issues you have raised. I don't have time, I'm afraid, but we are spending £27 million on the Rhondda—

You'll have to sit down, Leanne Wood. He's not giving way.

—£27 million in the Rhondda constituency alone from the metro, which you did not acknowledge. The foundational economy fund, I’m confident, will have projects in the Rhondda. The transport-to-work pilot is specifically in Rhondda Fach and the empty homes fund is also open to the Rhondda. So, I don’t think that it is a fair representation of the work that we’re doing in your constituency.

And on the specific example you quoted of the sewing co-operative in Treorchy, it’s a point you’ve previously made in this Chamber. We have written to you setting out the case since then. You continue to make the original point you made, which, I’m afraid, is not an accurate description of what has happened, but I’m meeting you tomorrow—[Interruption.] If I had time, Llywydd, I’d happily address the points from a sedentary position that the Member for the Rhondda is making, but she has a misunderstanding of the situation and I want to engage with her in a constructive and polite way tomorrow to try and talk her through the position we have to see if we can find a way to make sure that we are able to bring investment into Treorchy as well. It’s not a case of one valley against the other. We all have a responsibility to work together to raise up all of the Valleys and we are trying our sincere best, through this project, to do that and the invitation is open to all Assembly Members to engage constructively in that process. Diolch.

The proposal is to agree amendment 1. Does any Member object? [Objection.] I will defer voting under this item until voting time.  

Voting deferred until voting time.