Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:06 pm on 2 November 2021.
Thank you very for that response, First Minister, and I'm sure you would agree that the impact of COVID-19 and Brexit has been very damaging for our rural towns. What we see is a picture of decline in our main market towns across the region: shops, banks, pubs and post offices all closing; our town centres being empty and the footfall falling; public services cut and a number of areas having difficulty in recruiting GPs and dentists. With the emphasis on us to use private vehicles less, the use of public transport in and out of these towns is more of a lottery than it is of a service. Our young people are leaving our rural areas, and a recent survey suggested that they were very pessimistic about finding jobs in their localities. So, traditionally, our rural towns have made an important contribution in job creation, the provision of services and being centres for business, shopping and so on and so forth. And the phosphates review is also a cause of great concern. So, what are the Government's plans in terms of regenerating our rural towns, and are you willing to give this priority during the next few years?