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1 October 2025, Plenary

Welsh Conservatives Debate: The economy

… They've slapped on a tourism tax that will hammer rural communities. They've forced through a default 20 mph speed limit, costing our economy billions. This is not the agenda of a Government that wants people … country. And we would axe the tourism tax before it decimates rural jobs. And we would scrap that 20 mph default limit to get Wales moving again. And we will always stand up for our farmers and our …

1 October 2025, Plenary

Welsh Conservatives Debate: The economy

… that risks damaging a vital industry; the most punishing business rates in the United Kingdom; and a blanket 20 mph speed limit—some may call it 'not a blanket'—costing tens of millions to implement, estimated to drain … direct tax on jobs that makes it more expensive to employ people. And finally, we would replace the 20 mph limit with a common-sense approach, keeping lower limits where they are needed, but letting the rest …

24 September 2025, Plenary

Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales

… lack of care in our continent, our country and our communities. I think what's important with the 20 mph policy is that it's not just about making people safer, it's also about ensuring that people … that steering board. I would like, for completion, people or organisations that have previously been opposed to the 20 mph default to have a role on that steering board, because I think it's essential that …

24 September 2025, Plenary

Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales

… and further afield. During that conference, we had very strong evidence as to the benefit of the default 20 mph speed limit, as you've already referred to this afternoon, in terms of the prevention of deaths, accidents … many families and children tell me that they now feel safer walking to school because of the default 20 mph policy, and, indeed, community life, I think, in general, is encouraged through those quieter and friendlier neighbourhoods …

23 June 2025, Equality and Social Justice Committee

Post-legislative scrutiny of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015: Evidence session 1—academic panel

… cover. So, I think that, if I'm honest, it's difficult to imagine Lee Waters and the 20 mph without imagining the Act first. That's in part because, obviously, Lee was in civic society before … having the Act at his back even though it wasn't part of his direct decision on the 20 mph. So, I think that's absolutely true, that the Act gives coverage for some decisions to be made …

4 June 2025, Plenary

Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales

… talk about the right speeds on the right roads, we have heard today the pledge to reverse the 20 mph default speed limit, which, as I said, based on last year's figures, could lead to 17.3 per … point where we can agree that the right speeds are being introduced on the right roads. But the 20 mph limit in built-up areas where you have children playing and high streets is the right speed limit …

4 June 2025, Plenary

Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales

… for his question? It's the first that I've heard formally that the Conservatives would ditch the 20 mph default limit. [Interruption.] You've been saying it for months? Well, let me just outline what you risk … else, where it's built up, with the presence of children or vulnerable people, it should remain at 20 mph. Yes, there is inconsistency across Wales, I acknowledge that, but ultimately, I believe in local democracy and …

1 April 2025, Plenary

& 9. The general principles of the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill and the financial resolution in respect of the Visitor Accommodation (Register and Levy) Etc. (Wales) Bill

… with you, you're quite brave standing up and challenging me. You were the man who brought in 20 mph. It is a fact that, when people, visitors are asked why would they come to Wales or why … would they not, your 20 mph policy is actually detracting—[Interruption.] Yes, of course it is. I mean, you couldn't be more anti-business and anti-tourism if you tried. So, as you put it, Jenny, about …

4 March 2025, Plenary

Debate: The Final Budget 2025-26

… drive the best policies possible out of this Government, and that is what we continue to do. On 20 mph, local government need to have enough resources to put that back right and I know that … question at the moment. And I want to reiterate the Conservative position: we are not against 20 mph zones. We will work with councils to put it right, but what we would do is revert the default back …

4 February 2025, Plenary

Debate: The Draft Budget 2025-26

… that. And instead of money for schools, this Labour Government decided to spend money on imposing the default 20 mph speed limit in Wales, which garnered 0.5 million signatures in opposition—the largest ever in the history … the Senedd. Think of all that money spent on 20 mph, which could be used to train and recruit the school workforce, to make Welsh education robust for the coming decades. Instead, we are at the bottom …

7 October 2026, Economy, Energy and Connectivity Committee

General Ministerial Scrutiny: Transport

… should be that suit the communities that we are. I'm going to take you on on the 20 mph. We had a debate on 20 miles an hour the other day. I think that, when we talk …

25 September 2024, Plenary

Welsh Conservatives Debate: 20mph speed limits

… road that is outside riding for the disabled, there's a blind summit—they would like to have 20 mph there, but it doesn't hit the criteria, because they don't have street lights or the density … houses. So, there are some roads that need to actually be included in the 20 mph, so that needs to be looked at as part of the guidelines going forward, and flexibility. It's the same in Tywyn …

25 September 2024, Plenary

Welsh Conservatives Debate: 20mph speed limits

… road safety policies, the Welsh Government ignored all inconvenient evidence to the contrary. It dismissed the authoritative independent 20 mph research study published by the UK Department for Transport in November 2018, which found that the speed … University Belfast, Edinburgh University and the University of Cambridge that found that reducing speed limits from 30 to 20 mph had little impact on road safety. They claimed in September …

25 September 2024, Plenary

Debate on the Standards of Conduct Committee Report—Fourteenth report to the Sixth Senedd under Standing Order 22.9

… and the standards committee have said that the use of the term 'blanket' in the context of the 20 mph policy is imprecise and inaccurate, and that Members should think very carefully about using imprecise and inaccurate words … commissioner and the standards committee had ruled that it was an imprecise and inaccurate way of describing the 20 mph policy, I have changed my view and it is not correct to use it in that context …

25 September 2024, Plenary

Debate on the Standards of Conduct Committee Report—Fourteenth report to the Sixth Senedd under Standing Order 22.9

… for standing up for my constituents and residents across Wales when it comes to the Welsh Government's 20 mph speed limit policy. As I have said before, with 97 per cent of former 30 mph roads dropping … 20 mph as a result of this policy, it remains my opinion that this is a blanket approach. And that's just it, Presiding Officer: it's my opinion. That's what I'm trying to get across …

17 September 2024, Plenary

Statement by the First Minister: Government priorities

… concerned about and what they are asking for. Your listening exercise, in your words, has highlighted concerns about 20 mph, which was introduced a year ago today and people still have strong feelings about. We are not seeing … the desired exemptions being made. Despite Welsh Government leading people to believe it has rowed back on 20 mph, there has been no substantive change in policy, and people are still angry about the fallout from this policy …

17 September 2024, Plenary

Statement by the First Minister: Government priorities

… Because, as the First Minister touched on in her statement, she said that people were telling her about 20 mph, they were telling her about fixing the roads. Well, it was the previous Labour Government that changed policy … that's a perfect policy position to take, but it's your party that made that decision. And 20 mph, obviously, was your Government's, or the previous Government's, decision to implement that on a nationwide basis …

17 September 2024, Plenary

Statement by the First Minister: Government priorities

… economy over the next 18 months. There is also still real concern around the roll-out of the 20 mph speed limits and a desire to see changes on specific roads. Across the whole of Wales, including … deliver a better bus network. We'll fix our roads and empower local communities to make choices on 20 mph. I'm proud to announce these priorities today, alongside a brilliant Cabinet team, who will be responsible for …

16 September 2024, Petitions Committee

New Petitions

… Hold a Wales-wide Public Poll to establish the true level of public support for the 20mph limit'. As Members know, public opinion throughout this has been mixed, and I'm going to go on to read the … mainstream media now shows that the vast majority of the people of Wales are strongly against the new 20mph limit. Yet despite this, the Welsh Government insists it has the support of the majority. Official surveys to date …

16 July 2024, Plenary

Statement by the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport: Transport update

… thank Carolyn Thomas for the enormous amount of work that she's undertaken personally in regard to 20 mph. Her help and assistance has been valued, not just by myself, but also my officials, and also, I know … authorities, giving them the Welsh Government's support for the decisions that they make regarding the reversion of 20 mph routes back to 30 mph, to help them make the right decisions and to give them the confidence …