, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
Yes, of course. The latest traffic data from 2023 shows that traffic flow is nearly back to pre-COVID levels, with an annual average daily flow, I believe, of just under 87,500 motor vehicles.
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
Can I thank Peredur for his question? I know that Members of Parliament have already raised in the House concerns over the disruption that will be caused by this particular work to Great Western trains travelling between south Wales and London. It's a matter…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
I'd like to, first of all, point out that Transport for Wales have seen a significant increase in the number of passengers using their services as a consequence of the £800 million investment in new trains—an £800 million investment that will give us one of…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
Well, can I thank Peredur for his questions? First of all, I have to say that this hasn’t been a ‘saga’. This a triumph to have delivered one of the most technically challenging projects anywhere in the United Kingdom and, indeed, further afield. It is a huge…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
I think the most important lesson to learn is to never give up, because this road project, yes, it has taken a significant length of time to deliver, but it is a huge, huge feat of engineering. And on numerous occasions we could have stopped it, but we…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
I thank Peter Fox for raising this, because it allows me to thank the many, many thousands, tens of thousands, of people who have endured disruption as a result of the latest works that have taken place. My view is that that work is worth it. It will better…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
Presiding Officer, if you'll indulge me for a moment, may I first of all pay tribute to Natasha Asghar, who I had the pleasure of being shadowed by in 2024, and who was always incredibly productive in her challenge and always respectful? I'm looking forward…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
Well, this is an excellent question, Presiding Officer, and it’s again a subject that was discussed at committee this morning. Now, the active travel Act is going to be reviewed this year, and Members in committee this morning shared Russell George’s view…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
The Welsh Government funds many active travel schemes in rural Wales, and it's obviously for local authorities to determine their priorities in terms of active travel. And our Safe Routes in Communities grant supports, specifically, local authorities to make…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
Well, can I thank Janet Finch-Saunders for her question? And for the benefit of other Members, we discussed this very point at length at committee this morning. I think it’s fair to say, if I may, that pretty much all members of the committee agreed that, if…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
Can I thank Jenny Rathbone for her question? I know that she’s very keen and passionate about this particular policy area. I too was recently out with Living Streets in my constituency. They do fantastic work and I was most impressed by their WOW travel…
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
The Welsh Government provides funding to local authorities to develop safer walking, wheeling and cycling routes to schools. We also provide funding for training and promotion activities to help children walk, wheel and cycle more safely to school.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 - Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
Diolch yn fawr iawn.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 - Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
I agree entirely with Joyce Watson. I think, Chair, an away day to the Global Centre for Rail Excellence might be in order, and I’d be happy to join committee members, because huge progress has been made there. This is a project that could create 1,100 jobs…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 - Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
I am going to deal with value for money second. I'll deal first of all with Swansea bay and west Wales and north Wales and the metro programmes for those parts of Wales. I know that I have talked about it fairly regularly, but I think that it has to be…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 - Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
Yes. Specifically, the capital side is being allocated for operations, maintenance and renewal of the CVL itself.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 - Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
It's within the general revenue and capital for TfW. Essentially, that £39 million, which is very welcome, I should say, relates to operations, maintenance and renewal of the core Valleys lines. But it is part of the general budget. As we see patronage…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 - Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
It is. These are really, really good questions, because it's such a complicated scene, and it relates to privatisation. But TfW are getting to grips with it; they've begun to implement what they call a fares simplification strategy right across the network…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 - Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
Again, I'll bring in Peter just to outline what we're doing to ensure that we have best value for money on the revenue that we provide.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 - Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
I'll bring in Peter again on this, but it is largely associated with that huge capital project that is the core Valleys lines.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 - Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
Peter, there's no reason why we couldn't do this. I know that it'll require a fair amount of work, but I think that we should provide the committee with it if we at all can.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 - Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
I must confess I didn't read the Welsh Government's response to your last draft budget report from last year, if that's where the reference to not being able to assess the impact of budgets on bus services is concerned. My understanding is that, actually, the…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 - Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
—about transport. But I'll bring in, if I may, Peter, on this point.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 - Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
Well, it's possible it's because of the numbers that we have in Wales. So, there was a heavy reliance by concessionary card carriers pre COVID. COVID has changed behaviours; it's made some people more anxious about—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
Scrutiny of the Welsh Government Draft Budget 2025-26 - Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales
It's the concessionary fare carriers, the concessionary card carriers, that have not returned. Now—
