Welsh Conservative leader Paul Davies AM has urged the First Minister to stop ‘dithering’ over the M4 relief road, as the Welsh Labour leader admits he is yet to read inquiry findings.
Mr Davies has shone a light over the Welsh Government’s inability to make a decision over the future of the M4 relief road, despite having access to the findings of a £44million inquiry for months.
His question to the First Minister today (5th February), came in the week after 90 Welsh businesses wrote to Mark Drakeford AM, seeking urgent clarification on the issue of the relief road.
Businesses and commuters across Wales will be shocked to hear that the Welsh Labour Leader has yet to address the findings of the 18-month report, the details of which were released at the end of last year.
Mr Davies said: “All we’ve had from successful Labour Governments is dither, dither, dither.”
He challenged the First Minister: “It is quite clear that despite £44million of taxpayers’ money being spent on the inquiry into solutions for the M4 relief road, the details have been gathering dust on your desk First Minister, given that it has been months since the report was published.
“Your Government is continuing to drag its heels on finding a viable solution. The uncertainty that this is creating is hurting Welsh businesses and is damaging investment.
“So can you be clear here today, if the findings of the inquiry recommend the black route, will your government then accept the outcome and actually deliver on the black route?”
But the First Minister was forced to admit that he hadn’t taken the time to read the findings of the report yet. He said: “The member cannot possibly imagine that I am going to give him an answer to that question on the floor of the Assembly when I have neither seen the report, nor seen any of the accompanying advice.”
News of the First Minister’s neglect of the report will come as dismal reading for businesses and drivers, as it seems the Government is no closer to making a decision on the future of the relief road.
Speaking outside the chamber, Paul Davies added: “Successive Labour and Labour-led governments have had 15 years to make a decision on this road, and they have repeatedly let down Welsh businesses and Welsh people because of their inability to resolve this matter.”
