Adverse Weather Conditions

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 1:32 pm on 20 November 2019.

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Photo of Rebecca Evans Rebecca Evans Labour 1:32, 20 November 2019

Well, Russell George is right that the risk of flooding is becoming increasingly prevalent in our communities, which is why we're taking a preventative position, as far as we possibly can, by committing to invest more than £350 million in flooding defence and coastal erosion risk management over the lifetime of this Government. And I think it's worth recognising that we're allocating record levels of funding in this area, and our spending here in Wales, per capita, continues to outstrip English investment. So, in Wales, we spend £17.20 per person, versus only £14.05 per person in England. But I appreciate completely the pressures that local government are under in terms of continuing to fulfil their local roles, in terms of the maintenance of the systems, which is why we're committed to giving local government the best possible settlement in our budget for the forthcoming financial year.

Russell George also mentioned the importance of ensuring that trunk roads are particularly well cared for during harsh winters. And in the first instance, those additional costs will be managed through the rest of the motorway and trunk road budget, through the reprioritisation of spend to the end of the year. In some cases, we do have a legal duty to intervene, and funding would obviously not prevent a safety-related response. And, obviously, alongside the flooding issues, there are issues of ice on the roads as well. So, I can confirm that, for this winter, we've replaced 10 gritters, to increase resilience in our communities.