It was Plaid Cymru’s first MP, Gwynfor Evans, who described Wales as “a community of communities” and as such I’m delighted that I have been asked to be Plaid Cymru’s spokesperson on Communities and Older People.

It is a brief I am looking forward to getting my teeth stuck into in the coming years.

Since being sworn in as a Member of the Senedd, I covered a number of issues that matter to the communities I represent.

In First Minister’s Questions, I raised the matter of speeding in Six Bells which was brought to my attention a few months back.

While researching this, I found that Gwent Police was the only force in Wales to record a rise in road traffic accidents over the last five years. A closer look at the figures shows that incidents where someone was ‘seriously injured’ has more than doubled; from 82 in 2015, to 179 in 2019.

I called on the First Minister to make it easier for residents to have a say on traffic calming measures in their communities. People have complained to me that efforts to install road safety measures are given the run-around by local authorities unless there has been a fatality or a serious accident.

I have called for the system to change so that we do not have to wait for someone to be killed or maimed before our roads are made safer. Until the Labour Government agrees, the fight will go on for residents like those in Six Bells.

Another issue that has affected communities throughout Wales is the housing crisis.

While much of the media focus has been on the astronomical rise of property prices in the coastal towns and villages in Welsh-speaking heartlands, it’s a problem throughout our country - the region of South Wales East is no exception.

During a recent debate, I called for government action to make it easier for our young people to buy a property in the communities they were raised.

As things stand, many are priced out of the market and have no choice but to rent or move away. As I said during the debate, affordable housing is different from houses we can afford. One is a term used by builders to get round planning regulations, the other is a core issue for our families, friends, neighbours and constituents.

This government has a duty to act – and act now – because they will be poorly judged if they fail to act in the face of a housing crisis?