Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you all for the contributions made on this topic. I very much welcome the opportunity to discuss measures that have the potential to contribute meaningfully to the transformation of our transport sector and our environment, and which have so much obvious cross-party consensus.

Clearly, this matter relates to transport, however I am responding to the debate as we have determined that building regulations, which fall within my portfolio, will be the key means to deliver electric vehicle charging for new buildings, as we said to Russell George's committee report, indeed. 

The electrification of road transport is central to our plans to reduce carbon emissions, as set out in 'Prosperity for All: A Low Carbon Wales'. Cars on their own account for almost 8 per cent of Wales's greenhouse gas emissions. Transport sector carbon emissions have changed little since the 1990 baseline, and the emergence of electric vehicles could reduce this significantly during the 2020s. Electric vehicles also have a key role to play in improving air quality in our towns and cities.

As David Melding acknowledged, building the comprehensive network of chargers needed to support the large-scale uptake of electric vehicles will be a significant challenge. There are a variety of charging systems and chargers, and they are needed with various speeds and at a variety of locations to offer convenient charging for all. However, charging at home, for those with the facility to park at home, will be the most convenient and cost-effective method of charging their cars in the foreseeable future. Charging overnight at home can also help to balance the peaks and troughs of electricity demand and so should be encouraged. Around 80 per cent of all electric car charging currently happens at home and we expect that to continue to be the most popular method of charging.

Later this year, the Minister for Economy and Transport will publish an electric vehicle charging strategy, which will help us to decide which actions are required to fulfil the requirements for chargers during the next five years or so. At this early stage in the adoption of electric vehicles, we recognise the need to encourage take-up. I highly recommend the Zap-Map, as highlighted by Angela Burns, for anyone who does have an electric vehicle—it is actually really useful to know where you might find a charging point.

As Russell George said, we've already introduced a requirement in 'Planning Policy Wales' for new non-residential developments, such as supermarkets and workplaces, to have electric vehicle charging points. For existing buildings, we have introduced permitted development rights to enable businesses to install electric vehicle chargers without the need for any planning permission. These measures are all important in addressing concerns about range anxiety. Obviously, anyone who's looked into an electric vehicle immediately works out what their normal range is and whether they can get there and back without the charging mechanism. For those of us who work in two different places, whether you can charge at work if the range is too far, as it would be in my case, for example, is a big issue.