11. Short Debate: The case for anchor towns: Their role in building a fairer economy

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:57 pm on 22 January 2020.

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Photo of Lee Waters Lee Waters Labour 6:57, 22 January 2020

In terms of the point on division with the Valleys, I think Ken Skates, the Minister for economy, has made the point in his letter to Cardiff council, which has been released, that this has to be done on a regional basis. As I've just said, I think for a number of reasons that that will be the case.

On the point about bus services, I am a big supporter of sustainable transport. We have a series of practical problems, not least a very difficult budget settlement that has been painful to agree, which has meant the freezing of the support grant—not a cutting. I appreciate that in real terms the effect is much the same, but that has been a very difficult settlement and we have a practical problem in that the revenue funding available to us—and revenue funding is what runs bus services—in transport is extremely limited, and the problem we all have if we are sincere about addressing the climate emergency is that we need to address behaviour change. Behaviour change is about people, it's about services, it's about revenue funding. There is a structural problem we have in the Welsh Government budget that no Minister can easily get around, in that in order to achieve modal shift we need more revenue funding, and we simply haven't got it. It is easier to find funding for capital. So, that is something we're all going to have to confront as the Wales transport strategy comes out this year, and we follow through on our commitment for modal shift, and that absolutely has to be realised to achieve the vision that Hefin David has set out for replenishing and rejuvenating our towns. I pledge to continue a dialogue with all Members on this.