Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Climate Change – in the Senedd at 1:44 pm on 2 March 2022.

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Photo of Natasha Asghar Natasha Asghar Conservative 1:44, 2 March 2022

Okay. Deputy Minister, you were recently reported as saying that electric buses—this will be something that I know you'll enjoy [Laughter.]—should be made in Wales instead of being imported from China, expressing the wish to see an electric bus factory opened here to create greener jobs. In response, Andy Palmer, the chief executive of Switch Mobility, one of the handful of UK-based companies already making electric buses, said he had approached the Welsh Government to build a factory but had received no traction. Recently, electric buses have been bought from China by bus companies in Newport and Cardiff, which is great news. Bus operators have claimed the plan to move the whole of Wales's bus fleet to zero-emission vehicles by 2035 needs a nationwide funding plan, but Wales does not have a Government-run fund to help them with the cost of green vehicles infrastructure, unlike England and Scotland. John Dowie, the director of partnerships of First UK, which owns First Cymru, said it's time for Wales to set up its own scheme that's suited to Welsh circumstances and drive its own agenda, not just wait to pick up the crumbs from England. Deputy Minister, when will you bring forward a funding scheme to support the transition to electric buses in Wales, as they have done in England and Scotland? Thank you.