Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Transport Connectivity

Wednesday 5 July 2023 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 1 Partly answered 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Kevin Foster inquired about the UK Government's provision of 2.7 million for addressing M4 congestion and improving rail infrastructure between south Wales and south-west England.
  • The Minister stated that the Welsh Labour Government's policy of ending new road-building projects and implementing speed limits and road user charging hinders vital upgrades on the M4 route.
  • The Minister mentioned that the Government is working on a project to improve freight lines on the south Wales main line to enable passenger services, with announcements expected soon through the rail network enhancements pipeline programme.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Kevin Foster Con
Transport
Context

There are ongoing issues with M4 congestion and rail infrastructure needs improvements.

Question

I am concerned about the recent discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on improving transport connectivity between south Wales and south-west England, particularly regarding the £2.7 million provided for M4 congestion solutions and rail infrastructure improvements.

Answer from David Davies

I have regular discussions with Cabinet colleagues to discuss transport links between Wales and the rest of the United Kingdom. The UK Government have recently provided £2.7 million to develop solutions to M4 congestion and deliver improvements to rail infrastructure.

Answered
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Q2 Kevin Foster Con
Economy Transport
Context

The A303 has been upgraded, but the M4 route faces delays and congestion.

Question

Routes such as the A303 from the south-west to London have been upgraded to ease congestion and boost the economy, but for those travelling to Cardiff along the M4, delays and congestion persist. What are the barriers to getting the vital upgrades that that route needs?

Answer from David Davies

I am afraid to say that the barrier is the Welsh Labour Government, who have decided that they will, as a matter of policy, end all new road-building projects in Wales, and, on top of that, bring in speed limits and road user charging. That is bad for jobs, bad for commuters and bad for the economy of Wales.

Not addressed: specific barriers to M4 upgrades

How: Blaming Welsh Labour Government

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Q3 Jessica Morden Lab Newport East
Transport
Context

Multiple reports recommend upgrading the south Wales main line and building new stations.

Question

The Government have woefully underinvested in Welsh rail. The Burns commission and the union connectivity review all point to what the Government should do: upgrade the south Wales main line and build new stations, such as in Magor. When will the Government invest?

Answer from David Davies

There is a project going through the business case process to improve the freight lines on the south Wales line to enable passenger services to run on it. I believe that there will be announcements about this shortly, when the new rail network enhancements pipeline programme comes out.

Partly answered

Not addressed: specific investment commitment and timeline

How: Project Is Under Review

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Q4 Gerald Jones Lab Merthyr Tydfil and Aberdare
Transport Wales
Context

HS2 will not reach Wales, and current services are unreliable and expensive.

Question

Not a single mile of High Speed 2 track will reach Wales, and current services between Wales and England are woefully unreliable and expensive. What steps will the Secretary of State and the Government take to improve that and ensure that those living in Wales actually benefit from HS2?

Answer from David Davies

The HS2 project, proposed by the last Labour Government and supported by the Opposition, will benefit passengers in north Wales. The Government are committed to passengers across the whole of Wales, with £390 million spent on a range of improvements and the south Wales metro system part of the Cardiff capital region growth deal.

Partly answered

Not addressed: specific steps for improving rail services in Wales

How: Hs2 Benefits Mentioned But No Specific Improvements

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