, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
But what about the cars that are on our roads now, the EVs?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
There's a theory, and it's a proven theory, actually, that electric cars are harder wearing on road surfaces. Have you taken that into account with any new—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
What volume of responses have you had?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Can you outline the engagement process that will be followed, particularly how you will ensure that the residents living in those areas subject to speed limits are fully engaged?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
I've just seen that there's been a lot of rah-rah about the reduced number of accidents, but, you know, the reality—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
So, how are we getting so many higher serious injuries? A question to you on—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Can you comment on the trend in road accident data overall, for all speed limits? For example, while total fatalities has decreased slightly in 2023 compared to 2022, the number of serious injuries has increased by 99 to 891. How do you rationalise this?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Yes. Two observations I have are—I'm having lots of people asking me now—there was the cost of implementing it; who's going to pick up the cost for putting it back, any roads that need to go back to 30 mph? And also, in terms of where there is this dispute…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Okay. Two observations I have—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Yes. So that we can have consistency across Wales. Now, that will end in July, the process of listening to the public, the public being able to make suggestions on specific routes, and the work that we've conducted with local authorities and the County…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
It is about confidence, yes.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Okay. You've just said the magic word there: ‘guidance’. Now, if you look across Wales, there's a very inconsistent approach. Right from day one, I said to the previous Deputy Minister, I said where I think this is all falling apart is that some local…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Diolch, Chair. Good morning—well, yes, we are still morning. Good morning, Cabinet Secretary and team. After your comments in Plenary on 17 April, it's fair to say media coverage reported the 20 mph policy was being reversed. Can you clarify for the record…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Sorry to interrupt you. I think we're all just keen to see that governance body in place. Why waste resources, in a way, setting up another thing, if we've got the interim assessor? Go straight in, get that legislation sorted. We've been calling for it…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Yes, it is.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you. The other UK environmental governance bodies, the Office for Environmental Protection and Environmental Standards Scotland, were initially set up as shadow bodies in preparation for their statutory powers. This committee recommended the same for…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
And for schools as well.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
So, if I was to ask you a question now—. In terms of our health boards, for instance, how are they looking to, like we've done here in the Senedd Commission, in terms of sourcing local produce and sustainable food rather than huge carbon, bringing in food—?…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
But how are they applying it in their everyday work, if you like?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
What about, say, like health? We need sustainability in our health boards and things.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Thank you. How are you working with the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and Social Justice, and other members of your Cabinet, to ensure that sustainable development is embedded across all portfolios?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Okay.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
And then the final one on this: can you provide an update on the governance arrangements for implementing a national forest? When will you achieve the connected network of high-quality woodlands running throughout Wales?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
How can we see evidence of that, then?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Is it published?
