Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Climate Change – in the Senedd at 1:13 pm on 16 June 2021.
I would like to congratulate both Ministers on their new appointments. I must say, I'm very much looking forward to working with both of you and I'll definitely be taking you up on that invitation to work together.
Minister, I welcome your commitment to reduce air pollution and to improve air quality. It's a fact that Wales has some of the worst air quality in the UK with Cardiff and Port Talbot having higher PM10 levels than either Birmingham or Manchester. Stop-start traffic not only emits more greenhouse gases than free-flowing traffic, but it also causes more particulate pollution to be emitted. Schemes such as the M4 relief road would have increased the flow of traffic and, as the independent inspector stated, would lower pollution and provide widespread and significant air quality improvements for communities living alongside the M4, similar to myself. Will you confirm that your clean air strategy will consider measures to improve the flow of traffic and include a review of speed limits on sections of the M4? Thank you.