, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
I think the integration needs to be seamless for people. We've got the same thing, or a similar issue, where you've got the unintended consequence of doing a good thing. So, I think tap-on, tap-off makes a lot of sense for people. But one of the things that…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
I'm not sure that redrawing the maps is something that is in my responsibility, yet.
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
I don't know what to say other than an emphatic, 'Yes, please'. As a committee, you're cross-party, which makes a big difference. You've also got the support of the services to help you research these matters as well, to help you get behind these things. But…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
I'll ask Duncan to come in, if I may, in terms of any specifics there. He might be better equipped. But I think there's another question ahead of that, and that's about whether we learnt from what happened this summer. It feels very much as though we're in a…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
It's a good line.
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
I'll go for 'pretty optimistic'. We'll take that. That's the line we'll go for.
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
It's really important that we get this money. It's important to the statement I made yesterday. The delivery of the Burns stations is dependent on the money coming through and some of that money being directed directly to Transport for Wales to do the work…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
Let's deal with the first question, about the Railways Bill. We are still in negotiations with the Department for Transport over the Railways Bill and how that best suits the interests of Wales. I think those negotiations can be characterised as being…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
Okay. So, finance isn't my—. I'm responsible for transport, but I used to be a local authority councillor, so I understand the point you're making. I think that when you talk about the fourth or fifth biggest line, it's behind the other lines, which take up…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
Okay. I'll be very brief. I think some of the answers are going to be about delivery. We talked about—. Bus franchising is a really important part of that. It's making sure that we as the—. Instead of the market providing inadequately for bus services, we can…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
Can I just say I don't get a chance to go to the pub?
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
I think it's really important. When people open their curtains, the things they see are the things that they then reflect on. If they have a bad start to the day, whatever it is, whether it's bins not being collected or potholes, that's what they reflect on…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
I'll take it as a comment. So, I'll tell you what—. I'll answer that question how I've answered it currently, because I get asked the question a lot. I think that what we need is a transport system that actually works. So, one of the basic tenets of us doing…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
I'd like that, Elwyn. I want that, because I think this is something that this committee can get into detail on that you can't do in the Siambr.
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
This is probably another question that keeps me up at night. And it's because we, I think, have collectively failed to take decent enough care over the term of this Government—and, frankly, before that—of our strategic road network. And that's about—. This is…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
Diolch, Tom.
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
That's exactly it. And if I can just take you to task on what—. One per cent of the traffic that goes through the M4 in 2042 is a huge figure, so we should be really careful. So, we're talking about a 10 per cent improvement with this five-year plan. And to…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
I'm not adding to it now, don't worry. [Laughter.]
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
It's a really important question, and it's probably the reason that we've only put 1 per cent in there as the target at the moment, because there will be some traffic that the current route is where they need to do it. So, we're looking at traffic that's…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
But the M4 would require this—. So, if there was a decision made on the M4 based on the options, then there would be a further time period that goes after that before you get to the point where you get something starting to be built.
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
Can I jump in? Sorry. So, the thinking time, this isn't about thinking time for the Menai—the thinking has been done. This is about the process to deliver the bridge, and that does take time, because part of that—and we've already had the question about where…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
I'll ask Alison, maybe, to help in a second, just in terms of the broader time, but just as a start, we've highlighted that from start to finish will take somewhere between eight and 10 years, and the process that we're going through is now building that…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
Absolutely.
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
All of those. So, there's a process. And I think one of the things yesterday—. I hope Members and the general public realise that this was done in the full light of day. We intended this to be transparent. We published the Arup report, which is the thing…
, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee
General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport
So, it's really important that the work on the M4 is split into probably the—. We split it into parts as well, which I think is worth us just touching on, if I may. The first part is this 18-month programme to make sure that we reflect what needs to happen…
