3. Statement by the Minister for Economy: The Free-port Programme in Wales

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:29 pm on 28 March 2023.

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Photo of Tom Giffard Tom Giffard Conservative 3:29, 28 March 2023

Can I join colleagues across the Chamber in congratulating the Welsh Government and the UK Government on delivering the two free ports planned for Anglesey and for the Celtic free port, which is situated partially in my region? And I don't need to regurgitate statistics, but it can be genuinely be transformational, not only for Port Talbot, but for the whole south-west Wales region. But, with that economic boost, one of the things I'm hopeful that we'll get to see is an increase in freight travelling across south Wales, and so my mind immediately went back to a visit that Altaf Hussain and I did last year for National Lorry Week with workers in the haulage industry, and they raised two big issues: first of all, they spoke about the lack of adequate truck rest stops along the Welsh portion of the M4 corridor. So, if we're going to see more freight, would the Welsh Government commit to looking at the potential of the improvement in that area?

And, secondly, the other problem they identified was, unfortunately, sitting in traffic in the Brynglas tunnels on the M4, sometimes knocking them over their allotted hours as a result. So, I know the Welsh Government has taken a decision on the relief road—I don't want to go back over that—but has the Welsh Government commissioned any study into the impact that the free port will have on the M4 and the traffic problems that it causes there? Thank you.