1. What impact will the Welsh Government’s roads review have on improvements already in progress on the A40: Llanddewi Velfrey to Redstone Cross bypass? TQ572

As I confirmed to Joyce Watson in the climate change committee this morning, the A40 Llanddewi Velfrey to Redstone Cross project will not be reviewed by the roads review panel, and will proceed as programmed. 

Thank you, Deputy Minister. That's really reassuring to hear after what you will understand has been a concerning weekend in west Wales due to a press report release that said to the contrary. Your office said, 'We understand the interest in this project. It is right for the scope of this review to be as broad as possible. Beyond that, we cannot predetermine the views of the panel', clearly indicating that the A40 project at Redstone Cross/Llanddewi Velfrey was part of the review. And on the floor of this Chamber to myself and to my colleagues, you gave assurances four times, and again today, which I'm very grateful for. The people in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire and Llanddewi Velfrey will be very grateful for this, as will the former Her Majesty's coroner, Mark Layton, who also called for this following a series of nasty fatal accidents on this dangerous stretch of road.

I am very thankful that this happened, and the reason that I bring it forward today is that this is about more than this project alone; this is about taking the assurances that Government Ministers give us as backbenchers and opposition Members—that we are able to take them at face value, that we are able to believe the assurances that we get to written questions and to oral questions here in the Chamber. As I said, Deputy Minister, I heard your response to my colleague Natasha Asghar earlier regarding the Conservatives and roads. This is about more than this road, Deputy Minister; this is about making sure that the information we receive as Members is correct, and that there is unnecessary conflict avoided when press reports are out saying that the contrary is true. So, I do welcome your commitment to this project. I know everybody in Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire will welcome it, businesses will welcome it, as will the community of Llanddewi Velfrey, who've been calling for this project for a number of years. Diolch. 

I'm very happy to clarify that when we announced the roads review, we made a distinction between roads that were within scope and those that were outside of scope. Those that were outside of scope were ones where contracts had been let. The phrase I used was that there were 'diggers in the ground'. Now, I think Mr Kurtz has interpreted 'diggers in the ground' rather literally and made a series of suggestions that there were not diggers in the ground—that work was not taking place. Both he and the local MP made a series of comments in newspapers and in the Senedd that suggested that perhaps we had wrongly categorised this scheme, and perhaps it ought to be within the roads review because work was not advanced. I took that very seriously, as I think I ought to—as to the point the Member had made to us. 

The roads review panel, when it was set up by Dr Lynn Sloman, was working to terms of reference that said that projects would not be part of the review if the works were too advanced to cease. Given what Mr Kurtz said, we had a discussion with the panel on whether or not this was the case. The panel asked whether or not they would be able to look at the scheme as part of their review, and I have met with officials to understand the state of the scheme. And having looked at it, I'm satisfied that the road is, in fact, too advanced to cease. The cost of the road is around £80 million for a few sections; about £20 million of that has been committed and is not recoverable. Furthermore, if we were to delay the scheme any further, there's a real danger that the European funding would be lost entirely to Wales. 

So, given that, my original statement stands. I think it was absolutely sincere when it was said, and, as I say, it was only after repeated questioning by Sam Kurtz that perhaps we'd got this wrong that we looked again at it. But having looked again at it, I'm satisfied that the original judgment is correct and that the road should go ahead.

It was pleasing this morning, when I asked you the question in the Climate Change, Environment and Infrastructure Committee, to have an answer that you’d already given actually before, so it seems. I travel this road—up and down—at least twice a week and I could clearly see that that work was ongoing. I’m not sure that I’d seen a digger exactly, but I could certainly see work. I was certainly there in traffic lights as well, which were holding traffic, quite rightly.

But I think what we’re seeing here is an £80 million investment in improving a road, carrying out a promise that we had made. And I do take some issue with the fact that what we are—you are, as Ministers—saying to people must be believable. Well, as far as I can see, it always was believable, because your answers were quite clear to those who wanted to listen. So, my final word on this is it seems to me that this is really much ado about nothing.

Deputy Minister, do you want to add anything?

I don't think there's anything to add. I thank Joyce Watson for her comments and I agree with her summary.

Thank you, Deputy Minister. The next topical question is from Peredur Owen Griffiths.