We will move now to the short debate, and today's short debate is in the name of Russell George, and I therefore call on Russell George to introduce his short debate.

Diolch, Llywydd. I'm pleased also to give a minute of my time to James Evans and Jane Dodds also. I should also declare an interest, as I'm also a member of the Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust.

The Montgomery canal was once a 35-mile stretch of waterway, weaving from the English border into the heart of mid Wales at Newtown. Volunteers and a range of community groups have and are now working very hard to restore the canal to its status as a corridor through Montgomeryshire communities for visitors, walkers, ecology and trade from tourism. These organisations include the Montgomery canal partnership, the Canal & River Trust, the Friends of the Montgomery Canal, Montgomery Waterway Restoration Trust, Shropshire Union Canal Society and Mid Wales Tourism.

I want to explore, briefly, the canal's history, before moving on to talk about some of the canal's benefits to mid Wales. The Montgomery canal in its heyday served communities such as Llanymynech, Welshpool, Garthmyl and Newtown, and the canal was built in stages, from the mid 1790s through to 1819, for transporting materials from local businesses, including agriculture. Through the 1920s and 1930s the canal saw dwindling rates of freight, and was forced to close to boats in 1936.

Local people have been passionate about the canal and its preservation for decades. In 1960, the community fought proposals for the use of its route for a bypass—not the Newtown bypass, I should add—and have worked very hard ever since to restore the canal to operational use. Volunteers were instrumental in restoring a 12-mile section of the canal that runs through Welshpool, and there's a picture of just that behind me, if you look closely. And this was reopened by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales at that point. Volunteers have been, of course, vital to conserving the locks and substantial numbers of listed structures along the canal's route.

Then, late last year, in 2021, a bid by Powys County Council to the UK Government's levelling-up fund secured funding for the restoration of a 4.4-mile stretch of the canal near Llanymynech, and this funding will create two restored sections separated only by half a mile where two road bridges need to be replaced. So, that was the stumbling block at the end of last year. But I'm pleased to say that just this month the Welsh and UK Governments, working together, have signed the mid Wales growth deal, and this deal should further help the canal's restoration, and is likely to fund the rebuilding of the two road bridges needed to bring the two restored sections together. This will then bring the opening of the canal section close to the English border, from just where a 2-mile stretch needs to be restored to connect it to the national network. This land required is in the ownership, of course, of the Canal & River Trust.

The Deputy Presiding Officer took the Chair.

Sometimes, the benefits of the canal’s restoration can be difficult to appreciate, because the financial and well-being impacts are spread across various local individuals and businesses. There are already, of course, many benefits to the existing stretch of the canal’s restoration around Welshpool. The Heulwen Trust does amazing work offering canal trips to those who might not otherwise be able to access them, on the UK's first adapted boat for vulnerable people. These trips are offered free of charge thanks to local fundraising and help people in more difficult circumstances to celebrate birthdays and enjoy time with loved ones, and they can of course access and enjoy the benefits that many of us enjoy on the waterways. I was very pleased to join them myself for a journey on the boat the Heulwen II—again, there's a picture you can perhaps just about see behind me on my wall.

Local people will benefit in a number of ways from the canal’s restoration. There’ll be increased employment opportunities from the new and expanded businesses to the area, and I’m confident that many private enterprise and investment opportunities will be unlocked by the restoration. The restoration represents a huge regeneration opportunity and I'm very keen that Powys County Council comes to the table with a master plan on the back of the public sector investment.

In the wake of the pandemic, of course, exercise, as we know, is even more important to us than ever before. Those who have canals in other constituencies will know just how popular they can be for local people when it comes to walking and taking out dogs or undertaking other exercise. I was very pleased some years ago to visit the canals in Scotland, along with a number of other Senedd Members as well, to understand the benefits there, and I was quickly persuaded, as I know all Members were on that trip, that waterways encourage people to exercise more and improve well-being, as a number of reports demonstrate. The canal locally already hosts the Montgomery canal triathlon, which brings 200 entrants from across the UK and 90 volunteers together. The canal is also, of course, part of our local history and culture. Preserving it, with its fantastic range of listed structures, will serve and save an important part of our shared past for future generations to come.

So, what will the future bring? Over 10 years post restoration, the additional visitor income generated by the canal is estimated to be over £23 million, according to the feasibility studies by the Montgomery canal partnership. Of course, this will benefit shops, cafes and attractions and, by restoring the canal and boosting those businesses, more facilities for local people and tourists in our towns and villages can, of course, be preserved. The canal will also give mid Wales a brand to promote itself to potential visitors. Of course, Montgomeryshire has brilliant visitor attractions, such as Powis castle and Welshpool and Llanfair Light Railway, which the canal will complement as well.

Conservation and sympathetic, sustainable reopening of the canal are also at the heart of the ethos of all those involved in the delivery of this exciting project, and I'm very pleased that the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust, of which I’m also a member, has actively contributed to this project, and will continue to do so.

Ambition for the area for progressing the project to the complete restoration of the canal is extremely high. The momentum that we now see will get a substantial section of the canal finished. We should be looking then, of course, to press on with plans for the Newtown section, so that, when construction is finished on the current stages, energy, manpower and funding will continue with the restoration. Newtown Town Council have been enthusiastic supporters of the project and I know are very keen to support some of the funding of works required for this phase.

I’m particularly pleased as well to see that the restoration of the canal has seen such widespread support from across the political spectrum. I know that Jane Dodds and my colleague, James Evans, will be speaking in support of the canal restoration today as well. But, from my own party, my own MP, Craig Williams, has been actively campaigning for the canal and has made it one of his priorities since being re-elected. Back in 2020, the First Minister spoke very favourably about the project when I asked him about the efforts to promote the fantastic heritage of mid Wales, and I know the previous economy Minister, Ken Skates, was very positive and supportive of the scheme, and he certainly has expressed his wider view that the canals are vital for the tourism industry in Wales. I agree, of course, wholeheartedly, and I hope that the continuation of this project will see mid Wales enjoy the same benefits as other areas of Wales with active, joined-up canals. I was also delighted when Lord Elis-Thomas joined me on a trip on the Welshpool section of the canal, back in October 2018. You'll have to have very good eyesight to see the small picture behind me of me and Dafydd on the canal back in 2018. And Dafydd, as the tourism Minister then, was particularly keen to see the restoration of the canal. 

So, much has already been achieved in the canal's restoration, and this has been significantly boosted recently by a number of significant announcements of funding. I'm sure the Minister will want to encourage all departments across the Welsh Government to support the organisations restoring the canal in seeking further funding opportunities for this project, which links our communities together. And we should celebrate the canal's further potential for boosting our local well-being, economy and heritage, and thank those very many volunteers who, over many decades, have already done so much for our community. Diolch yn fawr. 

I will only be taking a minute of time, and a lot of this is to praise the good work that my colleague Russell George has done. I know from a previous life, when I was cabinet member for economy on Powys County Council, just how much lobbying Russell, Craig Williams MP and the previous MP who was in this place once upon a time, Glyn Davies, did to try and get the moneys to restore the Montgomery canal, and I just want to pay tribute to you, Russell. Without your perseverance, I don't think this fantastic project would have come off, because, in my own constituency of Brecon and Radnorshire, we have the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal, and the benefit that provides to the wider economy here in Breconshire and wider into Peter Fox's constituency of Monmouthshire. The amount of people who come into our patches to use the canal is unbelievable, and I know, when the restoration is done in Montgomeryshire of your canal, just how much that is going to benefit your economy and the wider economy of mid Wales. And it's pleasing that all Governments have worked together, from UK Government to the Welsh Government, to make sure that we have a commitment of investment into mid Wales to boost the economy. So, thank you very much, Russell, for all your perseverance on this matter. Diolch yn fawr iawn. 

Thank you to Russell, once again, for tabling this debate and for allowing me to say a very few words. Thank you, also, for his work in supporting the Montgomery canal—a beautiful waterway that runs through Montgomeryshire and instils that mwynder Maldwyn, the spirit of Montgomeryshire.

I just want to say a few words about the Heulwen Trust, which I also have encountered, like Russell. It exists to bring sunshine and smiles to the lives of the vulnerable and less abled on board, with the wheelchair-accessible canal boat trips on the Montgomery canal. It began in 1975, when the Prince of Wales Committee, in partnership with the Variety Club of Great Britain, arranged for the apprentices of Cammell Laird to build a 70 ft canal boat specifically designed to carry disabled children. It is thought to be a world first. It was named Heulwen, which, as we all know, is Welsh for 'sunshine' and was launched by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. The scheme was set up to last 10 years, after which local people would assume responsibility to continue the good work.

The Heulwen Trust, as you've heard, was formed in 1985. It continues to be enthusiastically run by a team of volunteers. And, like Russell, I would like to echo the thanks to them for both what they do in relation to staffing the boats and also raising funds to continue the work that they do. I support the continued development of the Montgomery canal, and, once again, thank you to Russell George for bringing forward this debate. Diolch yn fawr iawn. Thank you. 

I call the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, and Chief Whip, to reply to the debate, Dawn Bowden.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and can I thank Russell George for raising the Montgomery canal project with us today? I know he's long championed this project, and has again highlighted the achievements of the many enthusiastic local volunteers who give so much of their time, energy and skills to the canal restoration project, which has been running now for many decades, as we've heard. It truly is a labour of love and a tribute to the commitment of everyone involved. 

Canals were once the living arteries of the industrial revolution, linking quarries and industrial works to markets and ports through which Welsh products were transported to cities across the globe. Today, our canals remain important for us as symbols of our industrial heritage, drivers of economic generation, and as places where nature can flourish. They're also much-loved sources of recreation, offering opportunities for communities to participate in physical exercise by walking, running and cycling along the many miles of restored towpaths, as well as enjoying activities on the water itself. 

Last November, I was delighted to have the opportunity to visit the Pontcysyllte aqueduct and canal, one of our four world heritage sites, and while I was there, I learned from those responsible for its management about the many benefits that the canal brings to the region. It's now 12 years since Pontcysyllte was made a world heritage site, and its popularity as a visitor destination has increased year on year to the point, prior to COVID, when it was seeing in excess of 300,000 visitors visiting the main aqueduct alone. The Llangollen canal is itself one of the busiest stretches of canal anywhere in the United Kingdom.

The Montgomery canal also plays an important role in the industrial history of mid Wales, and I'm pleased to see that it continues to play an important role today. The canal is a part of the living heritage of the region, along with other treasures such as the Welshpool and Llanfair light railway, Powis castle and the Powysland museum that give mid Wales its unique character, and which helps draw thousands of visitors each year. And while a walker passing through the region of the famous Offa's Dyke footpath might think of the region as being primarily rural, the canal and its associated quaysides and lime kilns reminds us that there were few parts of Wales that were not touched by the spread of industry in the recent past.

The increasing number of visitors and canal users illustrates what a draw historic canals can be, because tourism is an important part of the regional economy, as recognised in our regional economic framework, published last year. Getting tourism right at a local level, whilst ensuring that Wales can compete on the international stage, are key components of the 'Welcome to Wales' five-year strategy, which was published in January 2020. 'Welcome to Wales' sets the framework for growing the visitor economy, focusing on Wales's strengths: its landscapes, cultures and places. The strategy highlights two main ideas of bro and byd, 'bro' meaning local community, a sense of purpose and place, and 'byd' meaning international levels of quality, standards and ambition.

At the heart of tourism policy remain the three key areas that underpin all activity: sustainability, inclusivity and accessibility. The mid Wales growth deal includes a dedicated strand for tourism, within which the Montgomery canal restoration is one of the projects under consideration for funding, as a result of the bid by the Montgomery canal partnership, which I know was supported by Russell George. One of the particular opportunities presented by the canals is that they connect places and people that can be catalysts for productive partnerships. Tourism benefits from linking sites together, and it can also be a productive way to share conservation experience and skills.

Canals are just one of the more visible reminders of our industrial heritage, but to understand and enjoy them fully, it's also important to consider the places to which they connect and run through. And the work undertaken recently in the preparation of the Pontcysyllte aqueduct and canal world heritage site management plan emphasises the importance of connections and partnership working, and this is equally important for other canals.

I'm glad to hear that the Montgomery canal benefits from a strong partnership that brings together organisations with varied interests in the canal. Visit Wales continues to work with the partnership, providing them with advice and support and promoting the canal alongside other regional heritage attractions. Visit Wales has also provided funding for projects to improve towpaths and public access.

I've focused on the heritage values of the canal, but of course part of its international status is for nature conservation as a special area of conservation for aquatic flora, and I'm aware that the success of this has benefited from a Natura 2000 grant of almost £250,000 to ensure the ongoing management of this important nature resource.

It's also important to recognise and commend the work of the volunteers that we've talked about earlier. Since taking up my role as Deputy Minister, it's been my pleasure to meet many groups and individuals with a passion for their heritage who work tirelessly to conserve and protect historic sites of all periods and to share them with their communities. The collective knowledge, skills and passion of groups and individuals such as these cannot be underestimated, not only for their contributions to heritage or historical research, but for what they deliver for their communities. The physical and social benefits of physical activity and volunteering are well understood, and projects like this demonstrate how our historic environment and heritage assets provide excellent opportunities to put this into practice. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Thank you, Deputy Minister, and that brings today's proceedings to a close.

And I look forward to seeing many of you next week.

The meeting ended at 18:36.