Spending Priorities for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:09 pm on 15 October 2019.

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Photo of Dawn Bowden Dawn Bowden Labour 2:09, 15 October 2019

Thank you for that answer, First Minister. I know that a number of those core priorities are important to the well-being of my constituents, particularly in the areas of health, housing and social care, but can I focus my supplementary question on the needs of the local economy? We know that there has recently been some bad economic news about job losses in the town, but I also know of companies that continue to recruit and have plans for expansion. So, for example, we saw recently the opening of Sharp Clinical Services in Rhymney last week. General Dynamics Land Systems UK is now recruiting more staff, and we see the success of major tourist attractions like BikePark Wales and Rock UK. And in each of those cases, Welsh Government has been a big help in delivering investment and jobs in my constituency. But with some of the economic uncertainties that we're currently facing, would you agree that Welsh Government investment in our transport network, including the completion of the dualling of the Heads of the Valleys road from Dowlais to Hirwaun, the new bus station now under construction in Merthyr Tydfil, reregulation of bus services and investing in the rail and metro system, must be amongst Welsh Government's spending priorities, because it's those transport solutions that will be the vital underpinning of the economy of Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, and the wider Valleys communities?