Strength of the Union

12 Mar

Question

The session focused predominantly on the economic and infrastructural relationships between the devolved UK governments, notably highlighting the contentious subject of the High Speed 2 (HS2) rail project and its repercussions on the financial treatment of Wales. A key issue raised was the perceived disparity in funding allocation between England and Wales for major infrastructure projects. The session also emphasized collaborative efforts between UK and devolved administrations to stimulate economic growth across regions.

More than £1.5 billion

Amount of investment confirmed as flowing into Wales as part of integrated efforts between the UK and Welsh governments to stimulate job creation and sector development.

Outcome

Commitment from the UK Government towards rectifying past funding disparities across Welsh infrastructure and fostering collaboration with devolved administrations to improve economic conditions.
Promotion of future investments, particularly emphasizing investment in Wales as a demonstration of the Union's strength.

Key Contributions

Graham Leadbitter

SNP

Queried the UK Government to assess the perceived weaknesses in funding allocation, specifically around HS2 and its designation, leading to significant financial discrepancies for Wales.

Dame Nia Griffith

Acknowledged past neglect in rail investments directed towards Wales — a legacy of previous Conservative administrations.

Andrew Ranger

Labour

Celebrated the Labour Government’s neighbourhood investment plan, marked by a significant financial injection into Wrexham and bolstering essential community infrastructure.

Dame Nia Griffith

Reiterated the productive collaboration between UK and Welsh Governments, emphasizing job creation and sector strengthening through investment zones in various Welsh locales.

Original Transcript

Graham Leadbitter

Moray West, Nairn and Strathspey

SNP

Question

UIN: 903065

7. What recent assessment she has made of the strength of the Union.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales

Dame Nia Griffith

11:30

Our United Kingdom is going from strength to strength and is underpinned by a transformed relationship between the UK and devolved Governments.

In Wales, that means a partnership between our two Governments delivering on the issues that matter most to people: reforming the NHS and public services, and attracting investment and new jobs through freeports, investment zones and our industrial strategy.

Graham Leadbitter

11:30

Today the Senedd will vote on a motion to redesignate High Speed 2 as an England-only project. Previous calculations suggest that Wales missed out on around £4 billion from the project. Welsh Ministers have now claimed that the amount is £431 million—quite the difference.

With the Welsh Government abandoning their ambitions and the UK Government refusing to budge on full consequential funding, is the Labour party now waving the white flag on Wales’s missing billions?

Dame Nia Griffith

11:30

The Government absolutely acknowledge that the previous Conservative Government short-changed Wales for years on rail investment, including because of HS2. One of our top priorities is to reverse those years of historic underfunding in Wales’s infrastructure.

The Secretary of State met the Transport Secretary and the Welsh Government Transport Minister Ken Skates immediately before Christmas, when they agreed on a direction of travel that we hope will deliver new rail investment in Wales.

The UK and Welsh Governments have agreed a prioritisation of rail improvement projects developed by the Wales Rail Board. That would inform our respective Departments’ work in the run-up to the spring spending review.

Dame Nia Griffith

11:30

Indeed. With the UK and Welsh Governments working together, we have secured more than £1.5 billion in investment and hundreds of jobs in Wales.

Of course, we have established investment zones in Cardiff, Newport, Wrexham and Flintshire to provide a rocket-boost to sector strengths, such as advanced manufacturing.

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