Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:45 pm on 15 June 2021.
I thank Alun Davies for that, Llywydd. It was a matter of great disappointment to us that when the UK Government finally published its long-delayed response to the Williams review, it made no mention at all in that response to the potential for future and further devolution of responsibility for rail infrastructure, as that was part of the original terms of reference that the UK Government itself set for the Williams review.
But, when it came to it, it chose to ignore that whole aspect, despite the fact that the Hendy review of union connectivity specifically says that devolution of transport responsibilities across the United Kingdom has been a success story. The Hendy review urges the UK Government to build on that success, and I look forward to that real test of the UK Government when it publishes its final response to the Hendy review this summer.
As far as the Ebbw valley line is concerned, I was very pleased that we were able to provide that £70 million to Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council. It will enable us, Llywydd, to move ahead with greater services for that part of Wales. From December of this year, a new hourly service will be brought about on the Ebbw Vale line from Crosskeys to Newport, and the £70 million that we have provided will allow two trains an hour to operate on that line from Ebbw Vale itself from 2023.
So, the plans are there to use that money to improve services in the way that the Member has suggested and to answer some of the questions already raised this afternoon, Llywydd, because not only will they bring better transport facilities to that part of Wales, but they will allow people to use an effective, convenient public transport system, leaving the car behind and adding to those benefits of clean air and other environmental improvements that we've already discussed today.