3. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Climate Change: The Roads Review and National Transport Delivery Plan

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:11 pm on 14 February 2023.

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Photo of Laura Anne Jones Laura Anne Jones Conservative 3:11, 14 February 2023

Deputy Minister, a decent road and transport infrastructure is key to a vibrant economy, yet you seem to want to block Wales's progress at every turn. What else have we come to expect from a failed socialist Government intent on banning things and slowing progress down? We could and should have seen an M4 relief road by now, yet this ludicrous decision to scrap the M4 relief road was taken despite spending £157 million on it, despite the vast inward investment that that would have brought. It just goes to show this Government will spend millions of pounds on anything apart from improving our road infrastructure. This Government wants to seemingly ban driving or make it impossible to drive, which, for someone living in a rural area, like many people in Wales, is a little bit insane, without significant public transport routes in place or laying more track. I cannot see this in any of your plans. On some of your successes to date, Deputy Minister, there has been no increase in the uptake of cycling for active travel purposes, and no money spent on advertising active travel since 2018 by this Welsh Government. Wales is falling significantly behind on moving towards electric vehicles, as my colleague Natasha Asghar outlined. And to top it off, the Welsh Government has reduced spending on active travel in 2023-24. Deputy Minister, I have one question for you: with an inadequate rail service, failing airport and crumbling roads, how do you expect people to get around, let alone get this economy moving again?