7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
Thank you.
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
And it very much still makes sense in the urban setting, but it'll be interesting to see what TfW think around more rural Wales switching to EV buses with this new charge coming in.
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
Just picking up on the point you were making, Minister, about decarbonisation of buses, I know that the UK Government is looking, in 2028, I believe it is, at implementing a 3p charge per mile driven by an electric vehicle. They've committed that, currently…
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
Yes. But thank you.
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
And I totally accept that. I totally accept that this is investment that needs to be made. It's important that we maintain our road network, whether that's at the strategic level or at the local authority level, but it's just doing it in a way that isn't…
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
Thank you, Minister. I just couldn't leave Alun's bait there—I had to take it—but I appreciate the response. What I did actually want to ask about regarding highway maintenance is touching on what Kiera talked about a bit there. We're talking about a…
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
Yes. And then I want to come back on what I actually wanted to ask you about.
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
Thanks, Chair. I'm going to have to take Alun's bait, I'm afraid. [Laughter.] I was trying to will myself on not to, but I'm going to have to take it. I think a lot of this comes down to the image and the messaging that comes from the Government, Minister…
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
I'll let Kiera come in, and then I'll come in.
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
Yes, and I appreciate what you're saying—1 per cent equals x thousand car journeys, but it's still sort of justifying that to the taxpayer, because £50 million is equally a massive number. But I appreciate what you're saying, Minister. Thank you.
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
But I think you can accept that Members probably read that and thought, 'What, we're spending £50 million for a 1 per cent decrease?' It seems like a lot of money for not a lot of traffic change. But I suppose if your methodology is that you're trying to…
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
That's useful. I appreciate what you're saying about underplaying the 1 per cent because I think—
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
Okay. I appreciate that, and thank you for the clarity. It's really useful. So, switching to the M4, I wanted to explore one of the options that you're looking at as part of the five-year work that you're looking to get on with pretty quickly, and that was…
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
Yes, sure. Okay.
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
The part that alarms me, then, is that, if we compare it to the M4, where, like the Minister says, you're kind of starting, not quite from scratch, but you've got a lot more thinking work to do because certain routes now aren't protected routes, whereas the…
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
I appreciate there's a programme of work going on now; I do recognise and welcome that. But you were saying it's going to take three to five years to complete the design and the assessment stuff that you announced yesterday in the statement. That was my…
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
Thank you, Chair. I want to touch on the Menai crossing and then switch to the M4, if that's okay, Minister. Just quickly on the Menai crossing, in your statement you very kindly outlined that you're going to do 18-months-worth of planning for the M4 and all…
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
Yes, okay. Thank you.
7 Hydref 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Trafnidiaeth
Yes. Thank you, Chair, and thank you, Minister, for coming to see us. I wanted to pick up on the regional transport planning aspect of the strategy. I know that, in the last Senedd term, there was a shift to corporate joint committees creating those regional…
30 Medi 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Menter, Cysylltedd ac Ynni
Certainly. Thank you, Minister.
30 Medi 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Menter, Cysylltedd ac Ynni
Thanks, Minister. I appreciate it's still in its formative stages, but I just wanted to ask the question. But moving on to employment, in my previous role, I worked in the third sector, and I worked for a small third sector charity in north Wales. One of the…
30 Medi 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Menter, Cysylltedd ac Ynni
Employment, did you say, Chair, we're moving onto? That's fine. Just a couple of quick ones, then. I'm jumping about slightly. Just on the business support one, just a quick question. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said that he is wanting to explore a…
30 Medi 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Menter, Cysylltedd ac Ynni
Thank you. Can I ask another question? One of the criticisms of the WDA was that it chased inward investment rather than supporting indigenous firms. How are you going to stop the new agency from doing the same thing?
30 Medi 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Menter, Cysylltedd ac Ynni
Thanks, Minister.
30 Medi 2026 , Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
Craffu cyffredinol ar waith y Gweinidog: Menter, Cysylltedd ac Ynni
Thank you, Minister. One more, and I'm just shifting subjects slightly to Port Talbot. I've been made aware in the last week or so that there's been a lot of investment in preparing the grid infrastructure to bring the arc furnace online. The number that was…
