North Wales Assembly Member Mark Isherwood has called for an opportunity to question the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport, Ken Sates AM, on his ‘Transport Vision for North Wales’.
Last month, the Cabinet Secretary provided a Written Statement on the matter, but Mr Isherwood said there are still a number of areas which it needs to address.
Raising the matter in yesterday’s Business Statement, he said:
“At the beginning of the Christmas recess, Members received a Written Statement on ‘Transport Vision for North Wales’, and I call for an oral statement so that we may further question the Cabinet Secretary to fill out some of the gaps that, clearly, a written statement alone cannot address.
“Particularly, it refers to the north-east, and says there'll be further announcements in the new year regarding north-west Wales. It refers to cross-border issues, Northern Powerhouse links and so on. The Growth Deal bid for North Wales was submitted a matter of days later and we know that negotiations with both the Governments will be commencing early this year, focused, to a large extent, on transport issues in North Wales. So, it would be helpful, in that context and the context of the Rail Franchise as it moves forward, and its impact on Wrexham-Bidston and other links referred to in the Statement, if we could have an opportunity to question the Minister on an Oral Statement accordingly.”
The Leader of the House, Julie James AM, replied: “The Member will have plenty of opportunity to question the Cabinet Secretary during his oral Assembly questions, which will be occurring later this month. But I understand that he's also making an oral statement generally on transport later this month, which will afford an opportunity for the Member to closely question him on the matters contained therein.”
Mr Isherwood added: ““This written statement by Ken Skates, Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport, claims to be shifting focus from planning and development into delivery, whilst apparently dodging the key issues needed to drive change, and I will therefore be seeking to scrutinise him further over this.”