Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. May I thank the Business Committee for giving me the opportunity to speak about this legislative proposal today? Can I also thank all the Members who have supported it? A great many, I'm pleased to say, put their name to this for discussion today. I'm very pleased that my proposed Bill has received support from all political parties, indeed. I believe that this shows that there is a broad political consensus in favour of rapidly improving the electric vehicle network in Wales.

It fits into the wider narratives, of course, that have been dominating this Assembly for the last few years, none more so than the declaration of a climate emergency by the Welsh Government. It also encapsulates the principles that we support and promote in the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, and it would move us significantly closer to achieving our international climate obligations. Electric vehicles are the future. I don't doubt that that's the case. Indeed, only yesterday, the UK Government announced that new petrol, diesel and hybrid cars will not be sold from 2035, at the latest. And given that that target has now been reduced from 2040 down to 2035, I think 'at the latest' is an interesting qualification. 

As previously mentioned in this Chamber, there are still a number of barriers that need to be overcome, such as improvements in battery technology, better range, faster charging and growth in the choice of models available. But the sector is surpassing these barriers at an astonishing pace, Only last week, Tesla posted record sales of electric vehicles and their share price has increased significantly. The car industry itself is bracing for 2020 to be the breakthrough year for electric cars, with the number of models in British showrooms set to more than double, and annual sales of zero-emission passenger cars potentially breaking through the 100,000 mark. This is highly significant. 

But unfortunately, Deputy Presiding Officer, whilst Britain as a whole is on the verge of an electric car revolution, the people of Wales are not yet feeling that fully. So much so that even The Guardian reported on this issue towards the end of last year. According to the figures that they quoted, the eight counties in the UK with the lowest number of charge points per person are all in Wales. Rhondda Cynon Taf was at the bottom of the league, with only three chargers for every 100,000 residents; Caerphilly and the Vale of Glamorgan were not much better, with only four and five per 100,000 respectively. Now, two of those council areas are in my region of South Wales Central, so I definitely want to see this improve very quickly. 

Now, according to the experts, the lack of charging points across the country is one of the most important factors holding back the consumer take-up of electric vehicles. Drivers are, therefore, put off making this crucial change. That's why the UK Government has put forward legislation, on which my motion is loosely based. It would be apt for me to recognise, at this point, that the proposals build on foundations that have already been laid by Members in this Chamber, and I recall Rhun ap Iorwerth's similar legislative proposal from 2018, which also got wide support from Members and all political parties. 

What I am proposing, and indeed what Rhun proposed in 2018, is legislation that will be a step forward towards providing the basic infrastructure that we need to charge these electric vehicles in order to make it easier for people to make that choice for this new technology. So, why is the Welsh Government so dormant in this area, really? There are many options at our disposal, and we need to emphasise this. We could see Wales as a leader of sustainable and renewable transport, and I do think that should be our ambition.

My proposal is just one of those options, to ensure that all new-build homes come with the necessary infrastructure for this vehicle transition to take place. It is one piece of the puzzle. A key attraction of an electric vehicle is that it can be charged wherever it is parked, providing there is a suitable electrical outlet. People will want this to be provided with ease of access in all aspects of their normal daily life, whether they go to the supermarket, their place of work—indeed, I'm delighted that we do have some charging points now on the Assembly estate—or at the gym.

My legislation ensures that we are connecting this technology into the most common and basic aspect of our daily life: one's home. This is where the vast majority of electric vehicle charging will happen. Home charging would provide the most convenient option, of course, and will more often than not be cheaper than using the public network, particularly when charging overnight and taking advantage of off-peak tariffs. Given that 98 per cent of journeys in the UK are less than 50 miles, many drivers with access to a charge point at home may never need to use the public charge point network.

I do think the time has come for us to hardwire this into our new housing. The UK Government estimates that a charging point costs about £976 per parking space if provided with a new build or a renovation, as opposed to over £2,000 for retrofit. So, clearly, we need to get on and do this and help our residents make that great choice. Thank you.