Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 1:48 pm on 10 June 2020.
I'm very pleased to receive your statement, particularly the point you're making that the work we do in the future must be grounded on the science, and also, that people's safety must be at the forefront of every decision we take. You'll be aware of the initial findings and research flagging up the possible link between air pollution and increased levels of COVID-19 transmission, for example in the Bergamo area of northern Italy. I'm very pleased that you've been engaged with the socioeconomic sub-group of the BAME expert advisory panel, chaired by Professor Ogbonna, so we can really understand the causes of why BAME people have been so disproportionately affected by COVID-19.
In the context of the safety of my constituents, I know that Cardiff Council is planning measures to prevent commuters or shoppers overwhelming our city centre, so that we don't have the pre-COVID traffic congestion that delivered dangerous levels of air pollution.
Beyond these immediate measures, then, I'm keen to understand the extent of your ambition to build back a better, cleaner, carbon-neutral Wales. How can we use the unique selling points that Wales has—both our geography, which makes us a major generator of renewable energy, and as a pioneer of hydrogen from renewables, which could enable us to become a European leader in cleaner transport and becoming a more carbon-neutral Europe. So I wonder if you have given consideration to this.