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Eluned Morgan admits doubts that UK Government will reclassify HS2 as England-only project

By Mark Mansfield
The construction site for the HS2 project at Curzon Street in Birmingham. Photo Jacob King/PA Wire

The First Minister says she is "not sure" if the UK Government would reclassify HS2 as an England-only project, despite it acknowledging last month that Wales hasn't received its fair share of rail funding.

In a letter to the Welsh Government in January, Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander admitted Wales has had “low levels of enhancement spending in recent years”.

HS2 has caused tensions in Wales since it was first announced, with the scheme having been designated an England and Wales project despite no track being laid outside England.

If it had been labelled an England-only project, Wales would benefit from additional funding, which Plaid Cymru estimates to be worth around £4 billion.

Due to this classification, the Welsh Government does not receive additional funding as a result of spending on the multi-billion-pound project, unlike Scotland and Northern Ireland.

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Welsh Affairs Committee

During a session of Westminster's Welsh Affairs Committee, Ceredigion Preseli MP Ben Lake asked  Eluned Morgan whether the UK Government would reclassify HS2 as an England-only project – a policy previously advocated by UK Labour while in opposition.

In response, she said that she was “not sure if they [the UK Government] would go as far as to say they’ll reclassify HS2, but we’ll keep on making the case.”

Quizzing the First Minister today (12 February) Mr Lake, Plaid Cymru's spokesman on the Treasury, Foreign and Commonwealth Office and Science, Innovation and Technology, said: “Looking to the future, are you hopeful that the Treasury also might reconsider their statement of funding policy when it comes to the Comprehensive Spending Review, particularly on the classification of HS2, because as you rightly said, First Minister, that will have an impact on the future as well the historic consequences of as lack of investment in Welsh railways?”

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'Softening'

The First Minister replied: “I think I detected today a softening. We’ve had a recognition of historic underfunding – an important first step.

"I’m not sure if they’ll go as far as to say they’ll reclassify HS2, but we’ll keep on making the case.

"The important thing for me is that we get the investment. So, we will keep pushing.”

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7 comments

Mab Meirion

Find somebody who can and is willing to fight our corner...

Reply
Ernie The Smallholder

If the UK doesn't give us the extra £4 billion of investment we need for our transport system then they don't value us as contributors to their taxation system. The real test for this Welsh Government is will they give the UK the FINAL ULTIMATION: IF you, the UK, don't value us as the nation of Wales by letting us have our fair distribution of our own taxation and wealth generated within Wales THEN We must serve our people's interest as an independent nation with our own institution, economy, central bank, currency, law, police, arm forces, domestic and foreign policies.

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Bob McIntyre

There is no money coming, get used to it. The Treasury can see that since the advent of TfW money has been wasted on bad decisions and fantasy projects. Just today the Welsh Government has published a report commissioned from WS Atkins at large cost on the re-opening of the Bangor to Afon Wen line which reads just like a fantasy novel. [Hint: Nation.Cymru, you might want to look into this and find out what it cost!] And it really doesn't matter who has the purse strings, nobody in the Senedd has the competence to tie their own shoe laces let alone run an independent country. As far as the railways go it has been shown time after time that nobody in charge, government or TfW, has the slightest idea how to make the trains run, and run on time. Get real!

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John

I’m sorry to say, but I’m not the slightest surprised. Having experience working with the treasury, I feel retrospectively awarding Barnett consequences in a non devolved area was very unlikely to happen. Especially as WG turned down rail infrastructure devolution when the terms were unfavorable to them pre HS2.

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Dewi

I don’t know this

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Dim gobaith

If leaving the uk is such a bad idea why isn't Ireland trying to rejoin? ... I am so glad things are better now that we have labour in charge both in Cardiff & westminster. I am thrilled we got the "change" we voted for. From the party of extreme constipation party (Sorry I meant The Conservatives) To the diaerhoea party ( again sorry I meant Labour). & we can carry on leaving the English monarchs extract wealth from Wales too.

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S Duggan

Why doesn't she just say it as it is - no reclassification so there will not be the correct money owed to Cymru, as a result. Cymru has no real leverage, what it wants will always be completely ignored. However, upon independence our neighbour will realise what it will lose. Coal may no longer be needed but the future will be dominated by renewable energy and drought in eastern England and both areas Cymru is able to resolve the issues involved.

Reply

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