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.