Ken Skates: Can I thank Vikki Howells for her questions and say what a delight it was to be able to join her in her constituency at Pinkspiration, who provided a very clear idea of what it is to be a fair employer, an employer that values a diverse workforce, and values fair work and the principles of fair work? What the plan is designed to do is to drive behavioural and cultural change within business,...
Ken Skates: Yes. Transport for Wales will manage the Wales and borders rail services contract, putting the passenger at the heart of what they do to ensure a customer-focused service.
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his questions? I'm very pleased to inform the Member that, in the last 24 hours, I've spoken with a number of UK Government Ministers who've conveyed their very warm congratulations on what is seen as a huge success for the Welsh Government and for work between Governments in making sure that we can award the next franchise, which the Member, based on a report that...
Ken Skates: I'm pretty astonished by the Member's cheap opportunism today, given that the Member knows full well that the Railways Act 1993 prevents public sector bodies from coming forward to bid directly for a franchise. I'm astonished, because his own Members of Parliament, including his own MP, worked with Labour MPs to bring about an amendment in the Wales Bill, but sadly that amendment was voted...
Ken Skates: I'm very pleased to respond to the Member, and I recognise her keen interest in the procurement process and in ensuring that it delivers not just improved rail services but improved economic opportunities, particularly for small and micro-sized businesses in her constituency. I'm pleased that we are currently in the process of identifying opportunities for infrastructure development partners...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for her questions and her speech? I assure her that we have gone as far as possible in delivering on the manifesto pledge, ensuring that where we can operate concessions on a not-for-profit basis, we will do, but ensuring as well, through the competitive dialogue process, that we have an astonishing deal for Welsh passengers. And that's what's of most interest to the...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his question? The Member is absolutely right. We've worked closely with the RMT and ASLEF and perhaps I can offer some assurance to the Member, and to other Members on opposition benches, who have raised the question of whether the unions support our decision. Well, let me read what Mick Cash has said: 'RMT policy is for a national integrated railway under public...
Ken Skates: Diolch, Llywydd. I commend you to my written statement issued to Members yesterday. I am pleased to announce, following the completion of the statutory standstill period for the procurement of the operator and delivery partner for the Wales and borders rail service and south Wales metro, that Welsh Government has completed the formal contractual agreement and awarded the contract to...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his questions and for welcoming the announcement that took place yesterday, and the details of the new Wales and borders franchise? We made sure through the scoring process of the procurement exercise that everybody in all parts of Wales and, indeed, the borders area, benefited from the new franchise arrangements. The scoring system was such that it ensured that the...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his questions and his contribution? I think it's fair to say that his message was somewhat inconsistent with the message given earlier from the leader of his party, in terms of welcoming the franchise agreement. I should just point out that the new arrangements were described earlier this afternoon by the leader of Plaid Cymru as 'second rate'. It's clear that...
Ken Skates: No. We will be replacing the units that currently operate on the north-south main line. We're going to be moving to freshly refitted and refurbished Mark 4 trains. Why? Well, because during the consultation process—and 1,300 people and organisations participated in that process—we were told that that much-valued service needed to be enhanced in terms of journey times and in terms of the...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his contribution, for his questions and for warmly welcoming the announcement, and can I thank him for on previous occasions also welcoming the process by which we have procured the Wales and borders franchise operator, that being competitive dialogue? I think it's an interesting example of how, in carrying out an innovative and creative approach, we have been able...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Julie Morgan for her questions and again for warmly welcoming the announcement? I'm also delighted that the preferred bidder was able to bring forward very ambitious plans for reducing carbon emissions—a reduction of 25 per cent in the next five years—and, probably more importantly, the promise that 100 per cent of the electric to be used on the electrification of services...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Mike Antoniw for his observations and for his questions? I think he points to a very significant development in his own constituency, the establishment of Transport for Wales in Pontypridd. It could act as a perfect example of how we can use transport-related infrastructure, transport-related business, to drive economic growth across Wales. And I'm particularly keen to make sure...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Nick Ramsay for welcoming the announcement, and also thank Nick and every other Member who attended the breakfast briefing for taking part in that? Because I think it's important that we're able to share as much of the information as possible with Members, who I'm in no doubt will then pass on that information to constituents. Disabled access was a key consideration, not just in...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Simon Thomas for his questions? I think the use of hydrogen trains will be seen more widely in the years to come. They're still being tested in certain environments and on certain railways, but it's my view that we'll see far more examples of hydrogen trains on rail networks around the world in the next decade or so. They did not form any part of the bid from the franchise...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for her questions? The Member's absolutely right that new technology must be embraced by the operator. It is being embraced, and it's worth just sharing with Members more detail about the repayment system that will be operated. It will be automated, and so any passenger that's delayed by 15 minutes or more will get an automated reimbursement of the ticket fare....
Ken Skates: Absolutely; I couldn't agree more. It's a shocking fact that, in some parts of Wales, a fifth of young people can't even get to their job interview because they can't afford the public transport required to get them to their interview. So, the half-price fares scheme for 16 to 18-year-olds will certainly assist in driving inclusive growth across Wales and ensure that more young people are...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his questions and for welcoming the procurement arrangements, and for his continued interest in key services in north Wales, including the north Wales to Liverpool service that will operate via the Halton Curve. I'll come to that point in a moment, but, first, I should also say that we are looking at direct north Wales services into Liverpool Lime Street using the...
Ken Skates: My written statement on Monday, 4 June provides Members with an update of the benefits across Wales, including south-west Wales, that the new rail services contract will provide passengers.
