3. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport: The Welsh Government Response to the South East Wales Transport Commission’s Final Recommendations

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:56 pm on 19 January 2021.

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Photo of Lee Waters Lee Waters Labour 3:56, 19 January 2021

Laura Anne Jones is telling us that there's no practical solution been presented, and here we are discussing a practical solution that has been presented by a commission of experts on transport planning. We have a practical blueprint for the next 10 years, so I've no idea what she's on about, that there's no practical solution presented. That's exactly what we're talking about, Laura Anne.

She's saying that this is no substitute for an M4 relief road. That's absolutely right; it is no substitute for an M4 relief road. We've cancelled the M4 relief road because (a) it was going to cost £2 billion, and I've just said that the UK Government has short-changed us of £5 billion for rail infrastructure already, so—. She's muttering away to herself there, but she has yet to show us where we would get this mystical £2 billion because it simply isn't available. Even if it was available, it would fly in the face of all the commitments we've made on a cross-party basis to tackle climate change. It's no good on the one hand standing next to a Conservative tree and saying that you are the green party, and then on the other hand demanding actions that will tear into our carbon commitments. This is a different proposal: one that tackles congestion. It costs half the amount of money that an expensive road through a precious wetland would do, and it helps to reduce emissions, not increase them.