, Plenary
Questions to the Senedd Commission
1. How does the Commission encourage visitors to the Senedd? OQ61326
, Plenary
Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
I was going to ask you a question about that same thing. I've been in regular contact with local authorities and councillors, and they have that local expertise. And, at present, funding—grant funding—can be too prescriptive, and applications time consuming…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
And Deeside. Two green hydrogen places, yes.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
And I think we need to have that realisation going forward that we can't just be polarised into one: electric buses or hydrogen buses. We need to—. That Euro 6 technology of capturing the emissions in the tailpipe is also needed in some places if we're going…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
So, bus operators—and if you come back to when I was a postie as well—you need that downtime to recharge your vehicle. And so, electric buses for an operator to use, we just don't have enough downtime or enough spaces for the buses to charge their vehicles as…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Okay. So, how are you assessing the cost of the policies and the financial implications that they might bring, just to ensure that the Bill is affordable? There have been lots of calls, haven't there, I think, as well, for this.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
You've said that the Bill will bring huge opportunities for fairer fares.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Can I come in on that?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Yes. Thank you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
And cyclists. You can't put designated active travel routes on a lot of the roads, but they are used by cyclists and motorbikes, and I know many people are scared of going on their bikes at the moment, because of the state of the locally maintained roads…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
That'd be really valued. If you're looking at, proportionately, what can be done if they had even that £20 million added to that £70 million for highway maintenance and pavements—
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
It's the walking as well. The pavements are getting so behind, but active travel should include walking, not just cycling.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
—and the pavement. So, given that flexibility, it sounds like you are looking at doing that, and that will be really valued, because £70 million is a lot of money, when they only had £20 million for one year's maintenance. It would be so valued. And it's not…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
On local authority maintained roads, that's 95 per cent of traffic, and it's two thirds, according to the report, of vehicle movements. They had that £20 million each year, which was so beneficial. It worked out as an average of £1 million per authority. They…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
The last County Surveyors Society report, which I looked up, said it's a £1.6 billion backlog. That's for roads, pavements and structures under the local authorities such as small bridges. And they have asked if the county surveyors could do another report…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
I'd like to ask some questions regarding maintenance of the existing network. The Welsh Government provided additional funding, over £60 million over three years. I remember asking you about it when you were Minister. What's your current estimate of the…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
We did it in Flintshire, but it was challenged by a highway officer, and it was fine. I was just wondering if that would save time. Thank you. Just regarding the roads policy statement, you were critical of the road review report when it was published. What's…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Yes. So, when all the local authorities have got the roads they want to be made up, are you hoping they can do it under one TRO, under one traffic regulation order, to save cost and time?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Can I just ask a little one, just very small?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
So, how do we capture those as well, when we have a lot of the ribbon development—the inter-urban connectivity? Will that be captured, do you think, under this new having flexibility and pragmatic—?
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Earlier you outlined that the approach to reviewing 20 mph exceptions includes specific changes. So, how many roads do you think might be made up, approximately, in each local authority? We've got 22 local authorities, and I know some have done more…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
Okay. Thank you.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for North Wales and Transport
I welcome the fact that you're looking at introducing an element of pragmatism and discretion. From my experience, some highway authorities like to have black-and-white legislation, like planners, so that if you do not make a road up in a certain area and…
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Hedges.
, Climate Change, Environment, and Infrastructure Committee
General scrutiny of the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs
Great. Thank you.
