4. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport: 'Llwybr Newydd: a new Wales transport strategy'

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:55 pm on 23 March 2021.

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Photo of Russell George Russell George Conservative 3:55, 23 March 2021

When it comes to transport and infrastructure, I don't think that the Deputy Minister would be surprised for me to say that I don't think that this Government has delivered at all for the people of Wales. And I noted the Deputy Minister expressed disappointment over the weekend that the £200 million investment that he had announced didn't make the news headlines, but I guess the media feel the same as me: £200 million over 20 years is a drop in the ocean compared to what is needed, I think, to invest in our transport networks and encourage the behavioural change that he wants and that I want to see as well.

As a Labour Government, I'm afraid to say you've consistently failed when it comes to putting into place solutions for congestion on the M4, the A55, the A40. We have had 20 years of discussion and consultations but no practical solutions have yet been delivered, and, whilst the Government has been dithering and delaying on any meaningful schemes, the traffic volume has increased. And I think one of the biggest failures of this administration is not delivering the M4 relief road. Your boss, the economy Minister, was in favour of the M4 relief road; your other boss, the First Minister, wasn't. It's just disorganised and disjointed, and, in that process, millions and millions of pounds of taxpayers' money have been wasted. So, I'll make it clear to the Deputy Minister and Welsh Government that my party is committed to building that M4 relief road from the £1 billion of money from the UK Government, and, if we are the next Government in Wales, we will build the M4 relief road, and, unlike the Labour Government, we will not go back on our manifesto commitment and we will deliver the M4 relief road.

I'll move on to some areas now where perhaps I can agree with the Deputy Minister—I hope I can find some areas this afternoon to do that. So, I have a range of questions about the new strategy. Certainly, I think it's well overdue, the strategy; I think the previous strategy was brought forward by Ieuan Wyn Jones. We've had a number of plans set under that strategy that have—. The current one expired some time ago, so, certainly, well out of date on bringing forward a plan. You've listed three points, very simple points, you've mentioned yourself. I can't disagree with all of them, and, if I was to be the next economy Minister, I'd be happy to adopt those three points; they're very welcome, from my perspective.

You said at the end of your statement today, Deputy Minister, that delivering it would be challenging. I agree entirely that this is particularly challenging, particularly the first priority. The first priority is, of course, to bring services to people in order to reduce the need to travel. I can agree with that, but I'm just thinking. 'What does that mean?' How will you liaise with Government colleagues and local authorities on that? I was speaking to somebody from Machynlleth the other day who has to do a 60-mile round trip to drop off their recycling—because the recycling facility closed in Machynlleth—all the way to Newtown. I was visiting Churchstoke school yesterday—walked around the village, new housing development taking place, all the children walk to school; just as on page 10 of your strategy, two children walking to school. But how is this going to work when the local authority is proposing to close that school, so those children who now walk to Churchstoke school will now be getting into a car or onto a bus to get to the nearest school? So, this is huge. Bringing services closer to people in terms of integrating planning systems and health systems is huge, and I'm just wondering what kind of buy-in you think that you've got from other departments of Welsh Government and from local authorities. And Minister, in your statement, you talk about the commitment to move away from cars to walking, and you talk about the current 32 per cent share and raising that to 45 per cent—so, very ambitious. How have you come to that figure? What's your analysis? What was your thinking to get to that figure? And also the 2040 figure—why that figure as well? No criticism; I'm just asking a question about the logic behind that.

And you talked about the shift away from the private car, and my question is: what does this mean for rural Wales? Well, you do address that, so I welcome that in your strategy. You said to increase public transport, especially in rural Wales. I was very pleased to get that—'especially in rural Wales'. 'How are you going to do that?', I suppose is the question. You have mini-plans within the strategy—