Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:11 pm on 12 October 2021.
I thank the Member for what she said about the impact of the work that the Welsh Government is funding on residents of Treherbert. One of the things, Llywydd, that we have certainly learnt about the metro system is that it has lifted the aspirations of many other communities wanting now to share in the investment that is already going on. I had a series of conversations with my colleague Ken Skates about the way in which we could capitalise on the excitement about the investment that the Welsh Government is making in the south Wales metro, the north Wales metro, the metro plans around Swansea, to bring other communities into that picture in the future.
I know that Transport for Wales is working on ideas to improve connectivity for Rhondda Fach, into the investment that's already being planned and delivered for people who live in Treherbert. I think I know that the—. I was told when I visited, anyway, the Taff's Well depot, where I went to see for myself some of the new rolling stock that will be deployed in south Wales, that the Member for the Rhondda was due to make a visit there as well. So, I know that she will have seen for herself the improvements that that will bring.
Of course, the Welsh Government is committed to making sure that as many communities as possible are able to benefit from what is an investment, after all, of over £700 million. I don't like to use the word 'transformation' too often, Llywydd, because I think that it is often overused. But, I genuinely think that in this case, the services will transform what is available to people in those communities.