7. Will the Minister make a statement on the opportunities that the Wales Bill could open up for integrating public transport systems in the south east Wales valleys? OAQ(5)0033(EI)

Yes. The Wales Bill, currently proceeding through Parliament, will confer new powers on the field of transport, which will complement the existing powers we already have, to deliver an integrated transport system across Wales.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, and we’re all acutely aware, clearly, of the benefits that the city deal and the south-east Wales metro would bring to the Valleys areas of Wales. The risks to that development following Brexit we’ve rehearsed ad infinitum in the Chamber, so I’m not going to dwell on those. However, we have welcomed in this Chamber the announcement of the formation of the ministerial Valleys taskforce, a key component of which is building stronger transport links. Despite the existence of local transport plans, which sometimes seem to be limited in vision to individual local authority areas, bus transport across the Valleys remains an issue. I was given an example the other day where to get to Aberdare from New Tredegar, the bus journey would take more than two hours and takes you via Pontypridd. Would the Cabinet Secretary agree with me that any opportunity to reregulate bus services in Wales arising from the Wales Bill would provide a golden opportunity to ensure that, as new employment opportunities are created in the south-east Wales Valleys, those who only have access to public transport are not excluded from seeking to take up such opportunities because of poor, slow and infrequent bus services?

Yes, I would, and I’d like to thank the Member for raising this important issue, and perhaps invite her to write to me formally regarding the bus service from Tredegar to Aberdare, which I’d like to take a closer look at, if I may, and perhaps make representations on behalf of her constituents. Further devolution in respect of the traffic commissioner’s functions over bus registration will give us the opportunity to consider changing how bus services are delivered right across the country for the future, and to ensure that services are designed to meet the needs of passengers in accessing employment opportunities in the key services. We’re also facilitating quality bus partnerships. We are growing our TrawsCymru service, and we are ensuring that our funding is directly linked to improving quality through the introduction of quality standards as of next year.