3. What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve transport links in Wales? OAQ54949

Well, a vast amount, including the £5 billion rail franchise agreement and hundreds of millions of pounds for improved roads; specifically, £600 million for improved roads in the Member's region of north Wales.

I'm very grateful for that response. One of the key routes, of course, in Wales is the east-west route along the A55 corridor, which as you've already indicated does go through my constituency. Now, I know that there has been some effort by the Welsh Government to invest in some of the pinch points along that road. But would you agree with me that it's time that we had a major upgrade of the A55, so that we can lift it into a motorway status, where it receives the significant investment that it needs in order to cope with the demands that are being placed upon it? As the main artery in and out of north Wales, it is the economic lifeblood for the region, and we need to make sure that we deal with the congestion that is regularly appearing on there in a much more substantial way than we've done to date. 

Can I thank the Member for his question? It gives me an opportunity to update him and others on how much we are spending on road improvements and pinch points in north Wales. Our list of improvements amounts to £600 million, and it stretches from the far west of north Wales, right across to the border with England—hugely important programmes of work on the A55 that will improve cross-border and cross-community transport, utilising the main artery of north Wales. 

But it must be said that it's not just about roads, rail is vitally important as well in terms of east-west travel. That's why I am hopeful that, at the budget, the UK Government will make a down payment of £215 million, which is roughly per capita what we would have expected to have been spent in north Wales had the UK Government delivered the same amount of investment to the region as it did to other parts of England.

Minister, transport networks are more effective when they combine modes of travel and modes of transport—buses linking into rail stations and railway links. That approach allows us, as the Deputy Minister answered in an earlier question, to be more effective in our transportation system. However, when there are no buses moving along, we have problems in putting that combination together.

We see many problems with buses. I know that a Bill is going to come forward through the Welsh Government on improving buses, but if the buses aren't going to be there in a year's time or in two years' time, when local authorities will have the ability to regulate them, we are going to have a huge problem, because those people are going to lose out.

What can you do now to ensure that those bus services are going to be working for people, both in the Valleys, in the Afan valley, and across many other communities? We are seeing buses being cut because the operator is seeing commercial opportunities disappearing. They see that it is no longer commercially viable. Now, if we want those people to work around the area and to be able to access jobs because they are using a combination of networks, the basic one is the bus. Will you ensure that we have bus services, please?  

Three things in response to Dai Rees's question. First of all, you're right: the Bill will achieve much in terms of giving local authorities a range of tools that they've been deprived of for several decades. But the Bill alone will not solve the problems that we face with bus services across Wales. The bus services support grant is vitally important. We've been able to maintain it through a sustained period of austerity at £25 million a year, but I need to make a very clear statement regarding the continuation of the BSSG. There will be an expectation that this money that the Welsh Government makes available to local authorities is in addition to, not in place of, local authorities' own funding. It's absolutely vital that local authorities, even during this period of austerity, are able to make contributions to local bus services. And the third point I would make, Llywydd, concerns the legislation being taken forward by the Minister for Housing and Local Government, and specifically the ability for local authorities to be able to plan transport interventions, specifically bus services, on a regional basis. The establishment of corporate joint committees will be invaluable in this regard.

Minister, as you know, there's a great deal of frustration and impatience at the fact that the Newport to Ebbw Vale passenger rail link is yet to be established. Are you able to give us an update today regarding the necessary work to make that link a reality?

Yes, of course. As the Member is aware, Transport for Wales have undertaken an outline business case study of the Ebbw Vale line on behalf of the Welsh Government, and we are now reviewing its findings in order to set out next steps. I can confirm also that the outline business case has identified an estimate of the total capital cost to achieve four trains per hour on the Ebbw Vale line.

It's important to note that this route is owned and maintained by Network Rail and, as a consequence, it's answerable to the Department for Transport. Therefore, the ability to deliver any infrastructure improvements over the coming years will be wholly dependent on full UK Government support. I will, Llywydd, make a further announcement on future opportunities for improving services very shortly.

Question 4, Gareth Bennett.

Diolch, Llywydd. Minister, there was some discussion in the Chamber yesterday about the proposed—

Would you ask the question on the order paper? Question 4.

Sorry. Apologies.