Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:17 pm on 28 January 2020.
I thank Jack Sargeant for his contribution and questions. Buckley is a town that I'm familiar with, not because I spent many of my younger years going to the Tivoli nightclub there, but because it's actually on the border of my own constituency and I have many friends and family who live there as well. Like many towns across Wales, Buckley has changed over the years, the way we shop has changed, the way we work and the way we live has changed.
But you're absolutely right in terms of the role that the north-east Wales metro can play and, actually, those vital infrastructure links in another sense, like banks and pharmacies. When we see some high streets that have managed to buck the trend slightly, they have managed to retain those things that bring in the footfall; bring people in and then drive them to perhaps independent businesses alongside that. So, yes, certainly I've had conversations with my colleague, the Minister for economy, about how we can use our collective leverage to ensure that we do bring services into communities like Buckley right across the country.
On the point you make as chair of the cross-party group on beer and pubs, which is quite a cushy role if I do say so myself, the consultation that we had previously recognised the role that pubs play not just as a focal point for the community, but as a hub, as we've seen in many places, perhaps in more rural towns, they actually host post offices now, and utilities and shops. I know that the Minister is committed to bringing forward that as soon as is legislatively possible.