WITH the predicted cost of the M4 relief road project continuing to increase, first minister Carwyn Jones has refused to confirm if there is a maximum pricetag for the project.

Last week it was revealed the predicted cost of the so-called black route, which involves a new stretch of motorway running south of Newport, had increased to up to £1.4 billion, and will go up further once VAT is taken into account.

This follows the revelation in December that the pricetag had risen by about 10 per cent to £1.3 billion after a number of concessions to the Association of British Ports, which runs Newport Docks, pushed the cost up by £136 million.

And, speaking in the Senedd earlier today, leader of the Welsh Conservatives Andrew RT Davies asked the first minister to confirm if there is a maximum cost the Welsh Government is prepared to shell out for the scheme.

"Only two years ago, you were trying to convince people that this project was going to come in at £800 million," he said.

"I asked you to let us see that information so we could have confidence that you were building a project on sound finances.

"All this has been undone.

"Can you commit now today that there is an upper limit where this project is viable, and if there isn't that upper limit, will you be whipping your backbenchers and having cabinet responsibility to vote those project through, whatever the cost?"

But Mr Jones did not answer the question, calling instead on Mr Davies to put pressure on the UK Government to exempt the project from VAT.

Mr Davies branded the first minister's response "awful" and said negotiations around VAT are ongoing.

But Mr Jones replied: "It's one thing to say that negotiations are ongoing, but why isn't he standing up and saying to the Conservative party - a Conservative party that took funding away from electrification of the railways to spend outside of Wales, a Conservative party that is trying to increase the price of the M4 project, a Conservative party that claimed it was reducing the tolls on the Severn bridge when all it was doing was removing the VAT that wasn't legal to be charged in the first place.

"I mean, we talk about spinning, but what we have here is a whirling dervish.

"We will deliver transport projects for the people of Wales in the teeth of opposition from the Conservatives."

Speaking afterwards, Mr Davies said: “Despite the first minister’s claims, the cost of the Black Route has spiralled and we cannot write a blank cheque for this project.

"There has to be a tipping point at which the Welsh Government reconsiders its unconditional support for the black route."

He added: "Something needs to be done to tackle congestion on the M4, but it’s clear from the first minister’s comments today that he simply hasn’t grasped the huge increases in costs.

"Ultimately, it shouldn’t fall to taxpayers to pay the price for Labour’s dithering on a relief road.”

A public inquiry into the long-promised scheme will resume next week.