7. Will the First Minister make a statement on the delivery of public services in Blaenau Gwent? OQ57273

Llywydd, I am grateful to all our colleagues working in public services across Wales, including Blaenau Gwent, for their commitment to the delivery of services in our communities. They're crucial in helping protect our people and, indeed, our way of life, as well as supporting our nation's recovery from the COVID pandemic.

I'm grateful to the First Minister for that response. You will remember that, last week, I asked him about the transport services that serve the borough of Blaenau Gwent, and I want to return to that this afternoon. I'm sure he will have shared the distress of our Conservative colleagues to discover that the 'Union Connectivity Review', commissioned by the United Kingdom Government, supported his approach and the Welsh Government's approach to the Burns review and to investment in public transport in and around the south-east Wales corridors to deliver connectivity for Blaenau Gwent and for other parts of the region. Does he agree with me that, since Wales is the only part of the United Kingdom not receiving significant investment in rail services as a direct consequence of decisions taken by the UK Tory Government, the only way in which Wales can catch up with investment in rail services is through the devolution of rail infrastructure to the Welsh Government?

Well, Llywydd, I thank Alun Davies for that. I was very pleased to see the full Hendy review, Llywydd. I was pleased to see the way that it endorsed the Welsh approach to improving transport across Wales, that it should be multi-modal, that it should involve working with partners, and of course Alun Davies is right: the Hendy review does endorse the recommendations of the Burns review in south Wales, as well as calling for electrification of the railway line in north Wales as well. I do hope that we will now see the United Kingdom Government implementing the recommendations of its own review. Too often in Wales, we have seen reviews by the Conservative Government not followed through, as in the case of the Swansea bay tidal lagoon, to cite just one example.

Where the railway is already in the hands of the Senedd, Llywydd, we have made major investments—transformative investments—that will make a real difference in Blaenau Gwent and in other communities in Wales. If we had more powers, provided—provided—we had the investment needed to go alongside them, then I am sure that, as Sir Peter Hendy said, devolution has been good for transport policy making, and it would be even better if we had the scope that the Member referred to in order to do even more, to make sure that services to his community and others would be made in decisions close to people who understand those communities and know what they need for the future.

And finally, question 8, Jack Sargeant.