Extracts from proceedings in the Wales Assembly - June 6
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Extracts from Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and
the Economy Russell George AM: Diolch, Presiding Officer.
Cabinet Secretary, the coming new wave of technological advances in
electric vehicles will potentially present Wales with a raft
of new economic opportunities. You have previously said that
the Welsh Government's new economic action plan is not going to
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Extracts from Questions to
the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and the
Economy
Russell George AM: Diolch, Presiding Officer. Cabinet Secretary, the coming new wave of technological advances in electric vehicles will potentially present Wales with a raft of new economic opportunities. You have previously said that the Welsh Government's new economic action plan is not going to be prescriptive, but do you agree with me that it would be wrong if it wasn't prescriptive in some sectors in order to maximise the potential positive impact of new technologies, including electric vehicles, on Welsh jobs and on growth?
Ken Skates AM (Cabinet
Secretary for Transport and the
Economy): The Member raises a
crucially important point, in that automation is
probably the biggest challenge for many, many sectors of
the Welsh economy, and will continue to be so for many
years, if not decades to come. Business would not wish us
to be overly prescriptive in the way that we support
their future development, but what we have done is
created a calls to action, essentially five points
in the criteria that we have set for businesses to draw
down our direct support, which are matched to the five
factors that will drive productivity—and, of course, one
of those key enablers is the embracing of automation
and artificial intelligence.
I think it's absolutely vital that we recognise that many small, micro and medium-sized businesses are actually nimble enough to be able to adapt to the age of automation, whereas larger companies can take longer to steer, even though they're able to future scan, in some respects, better. What I'm keen to do is to ensure that the calls to action apply equally to SMEs and to our anchor and regionally important companies as well. It's vital that all companies of all sizes, right across Wales, embrace automation rather than try to resist it.
Russell George
AM: Thank you for your answer,
Cabinet Secretary, but on my previous criticism, I do
think the economic action plan does need to have tangible
targets that can be met. But, I understand what
you say with regard to not being too
prescriptive in terms of what business would want,
but that doesn't mean to say that it's not a piece of
work that Government can do here. So, what I would like
to ask you, Cabinet Secretary, is: what assessment have
you made of Wales's existing electricity generating
capacity and its existing road network in relation to the
ability of that infrastructure to support the
introduction of a large number of electric vehicles in the future
in Wales?
Ken Skates
AM: I have met with National
Grid and it's quite clear that significant investment is
required to strengthen the grid if we are to see the
development of electric vehicles as we would
wish, and certainly as we would wish in order to cut
carbon emissions. That investment should be provided
centrally and it should be provided speedily. For our
part, we are looking at developing more electric
charging points, but the grid, if we are to see the
targets met that the Cabinet Secretary for
environment has outlined, then we will have to see a
strengthening of the grid.
In terms of transport and the road network, I'm also on record as saying that I would like to see, in the future, trunk road development linked to the potential testing of autonomous and electric vehicles and connected vehicles as well. I'd like to see Wales leapfrog other countries that are keen to embrace this technology, but which are yet to show an absolute desire to do so.
Russell George
AM: Thank you for your answer,
Cabinet Secretary. We as Welsh Conservatives
recently launched our 'Livable Cities' programme,
where we outlined a number of policy commitments in
relation to electric vehicles. In particular, we
outlined proposals to create a road to prosperity
fund that would enable the formation of 10,000 electric
car charging points across Wales by 2030 and ensure the
creation of a new centre for excellence to support the
creation of new electric vehicle technology. So, can I
ask you Cabinet Secretary, will you offer your support to
these proposals and commit to bringing forward policies
to support this ambition?
Ken Skates
AM: I'd be more than willing to
meet—. I should say I'd be happy to meet with the Member
to discuss the proposals, because I think they align
quite neatly with our proposals for the Tech Valleys
initiative and for the automotive sector as a whole.
And indeed, for that matter, they align perfectly with
the work that's going on at the moment by Professor Brown
concerning automation and digitisation. So, I'd be
more than happy to meet with the Member to discuss the
exact proposals contained within the report, and to see
where we can ensure, together, on a cross-party basis,
that we can work together to advance the economy in the
way that it has to be advanced in the age of
automation, which is to embrace digital technology.
Extracts
from debate on urban renewal
David Melding
AM:...So, anyway, our policies cover the
short, medium and long term and address four key
themes of lifestyle, transport, housing and design. I
should say that that detail on our housing policy will
be fleshed out in a separate strategy document that
we'll publish in the autumn. But, anyway, the areas that
we've look at include parks and green spaces, internet
connectivity, cycling and walking, electric vehicles, energy efficiency in
housing, and increased tree coverage and green roofs. I was
delighted that, in Cardiff University's
sustainability strategy, they emphasise the need for
greater biodiversity across their estate, not just in
the green areas and their gardens but in green roofs. So,
that's something that we want to see our
universities leading in many respects...
Rebecca Evans AM (Minister
for Housing and Regeneration):...Liveable urban
spaces that promote good health and well-being should
also be easier to walk and cycle in, and also to use
other forms of sustainable transport. We recently
announced an additional £60 million of funding to enhance
local walking and cycling networks and Vibrant and Viable
Places funding is also being used with active travel in
mind. As Simon Thomas said in his
contribution, we're investing £2 million in additional
electric charging points for electric vehicles with a focus on
rapid chargers, and we will seek sustainable private
investment for charging points to maximise and build on
this public investment, as part of our commitment to
reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air
quality. Improving air quality is a priority for the
Welsh Government. We're consulting on clean air zones,
are taking action to reduce emissions in the most
polluted locations and we've introduced a new £20 million
clean air fund to support improvements needed at a local
level. Our wider clean air plan for Wales, which will be
about more than road traffic pollution, is planned for
later this year...
To read the whole debate, CLICK HERE |