Diolch yn fawr iawn, Gadeirydd. Like so much in Wales, railways have massive potential, but—again, like so much in Wales—we need the infrastructure boost that can be provided only by a central Government equipped to put the best interests of Wales first.
We have some of the oldest railway infrastructure in the UK, which requires a high level of additional spending—frankly, it is safe to say, almost all the additional spending that we get for Wales—just to maintain its current poor quality and stay where we are. High-quality and reliable public transport is essential for boosting the economy and connecting our communities. As has already been mentioned, it is also a vital plank for the greening of our society, as investing in public transport is one of the most effective ways of reducing carbon emissions. That investment is not happening in Wales, as we are being starved of funding by the Treasury. Its current position is that billions spent on railway projects in England somehow benefit Wales. That is, of course, a fantasy of convenience for the Treasury.
It is important to reiterate, as many hon. Members have already said, that Wales is being robbed of billions of pounds of funding—£5 billion from HS2 and £1 billion from Northern Powerhouse Rail alone. We have heard that the Welsh Affairs Committee recommended in 2021 that HS2 should be reclassified as an England-only project. That would ensure that Welsh rail passengers received the same advantage for investment in HS2 as those in Scotland and Northern Ireland, who are already receiving Barnett consequentials from the project. It is a matter of equity, and we have heard convincing arguments.
The Government’s own economic analysis of HS2 shows that it will produce an economic disbenefit for Wales. In other words, it will cause an economic hit, not an economic boost. We know that Wales is losing out
when it comes to HS2, yet the Labour party has still yet to commit to bringing that funding to Wales if it enters government. I hope that the shadow Minister, the hon. Member for Slough (Mr Dhesi), will make the party’s position clear and guarantee that funding will make its way to Wales in the future, which many Labour party members have already expressed desire for.
That money, which is owed to Wales, would be transformational. It could be used to improve connectivity in rural areas such as my constituency of Dwyfor Meirionnydd, where we are dependent on the Cambrian coast line and the Conwy valley line. Many of my constituents suffer from unreliable services, too often in the form of buses. I am delighted that Network Rail has undertaken structural work at Barmouth viaduct and, previously, at Pont Briwet. Those bridges recently celebrated their 150th birthdays—their century and a half. But all that work does is maintain what is already there; it does nothing to enhance it.
The Welsh Affairs Committee report also noted:
“Improving transport infrastructure within Wales must be a priority and should focus on how infrastructure initiatives can remedy deprivation, boost the Welsh economy and contribute to meeting decarbonisation targets.”
Interestingly, the Committee noted:
“Enhancements should include a focus on improving connectivity within Wales, such as more efficient rail links between North and South Wales”.
Transport for Wales figures suggest that completing the north-to-south-Wales rail route along the western seaboard from Bangor to Swansea would cost around £2 billion. Interestingly, that is a third of the £6 billion owed to Wales from what I will call the Barnett inconsequentials.
For too long, transport policy has mainly focused on improving connectivity with England, rather than within Wales itself. We could use the money that Wales is owed by the Department for Transport to begin to rectify that policy decision. As I alluded to earlier, underinvestment in railways in Wales means that our maintenance costs are higher. Wales’s share of maintenance and renewal spending is higher because much of it is necessitated by the fact that Wales’s railway infrastructure is older and in poorer condition than elsewhere. The Wales Audit Office calculated that between 2011 and 2016, the Welsh Government spent £226 million on infrastructure enhancements over and above Network Rail’s spending of £1.4 billion, most of which—I reiterate—was spent on maintenance rather than on enhancements.
Opponents of the type of high subsidies that we are requesting would use those figures to say that there is no reason to invest more in rail infrastructure in Wales.