6. Will the Minister provide an update on the work to reopen the Menai bridge? OQ58910

The emergency programme of works to reopen the Menai suspension bridge began on 5 January. The programme is scheduled to be completed within four weeks, subject to weather conditions. The 7.5 tonne weight limit will remain in place when the bridge reopens. 

Thank you very much. It is very important to stick to that timetable. We can all agree, I hope, that the experience of the past few months has proven just how vulnerable the infrastructure is in terms of the Menai crossings. The closure of the Menai bridge and the traffic jams on the Britannia bridge have created great inconvenience and had a great impact on business, not only in the Menai Bridge area but across the island. And I will draw the Minister's attention to the fact that Isle of Anglesey County Council wrote to the Minister for Economy in the past few days asking for further business support—something I've also requested, and I'm happy to endorse that again. But, given how vulnerable the crossing is, it's clear that we need a more robust crossing, and the solution is to dual the Britannia crossing or to erect a third crossing, and it was agreed that that would be done in 2016. I realise, of course, that we need to secure the need for new developments before they proceed, but can I ask the Minister to make an early decision to ensure that resilience for the future?

Well, thank you. I note that we have supported, through Business Wales, some 288 businesses on the island, and I acknowledge the impact that the closure has had at a time that is already difficult for businesses and this has been another pressure on many of them. In terms of the future of the crossing, as he knows, we have a programme of works planned, which we are still confident, weather permitting, will be completed by the end of January. And then, as we've explained, a more permanent solution will be scheduled in consultation with the local council at a time that is best not to interrupt tourism trade through the course of next year. 

I noticed, over Christmas, that the Member had managed to persuade some in the media that we had changed our position on the future of the third crossing, owing to its inclusion within the Wales infrastructure investment plan, along with a number of other legacy schemes, but it also made clear that all of these were subject to the roads review. So, the position in fact has not changed at all, despite the spin that was put on it. We'll be publishing the roads review within the next month, and we'll be asking the Burns commission to look at the future of the crossing as part of its work. We are expecting an interim report from the Burns commission shortly, and I think we all need to think about the role that infrastructure has to play in achieving both economic development but also achieving our carbon targets. 

I thank the Member for submitting today's important question, and I certainly support much of the sentiment expressed by the constituency Member for Ynys Môn there as well. And it is welcome news, of course, Minister, to see the work taking place to reopen the bridge. But myself and Mark Isherwood as a fellow north Wales MS, have been joining meetings with the MP Virginia Crosbie with local businesses in Menai Bridge that are expressing their continued struggle and concern with the level of business and footfall that they're seeing. And it has been welcome, of course, to see some of the interventions take place to date. But with the reopening of Menai Bridge just a few weeks away, hopefully, I wonder what activity and promotional activity you have planned to let as many people know as possible that Menai Bridge is open for business and that the bridge itself will be back open so that those businesses can flourish again very soon.

Of course, the town of Menai Bridge has never been closed, and what's been very interesting is that the data, rather than the concerns and claims, have shown still a significant level of activity through the Patrwm project using long-range wide area network, which we've been pleased to support. So, I think it's important to put facts alongside concerns. I note that the Member of Parliament that he mentioned has been heavily ramping up the concerns. But actually, the data doesn't fully bear that out, and the nature of the custom and people staying actually longer in the town centre, has been quite striking.

But there has been, of course, an impact, we don't deny that, and mitigation measures have been put in place, including free car parking, which will remain available in Menai Bridge town and the two park-and-share sites throughout January. Also, to assist with the loss of bus services on the island, the council has provided additional stops closer to the Menai suspension bridge, which is proving successful. I was pleased that Ynys Môn had done that. Gwynedd, I think, has yet to match that level of activity on their side of the bridge, and I think they should be encouraged to do so. And some behaviour change has already started to take place with people increasingly walking across the bridge and heading beyond because of its closure. But of course, we will continue to work with the council to see what more we can do to make sure that the area is promoted, and that we are able to restore confidence in the area as quickly as possible.