Ken Skates: Can I thank Janet Finch-Saunders for her question, and say that, whilst I am incredibly sympathetic to those communities who were disrupted as a result of the flooding, I'm also sincerely thankful for their patience? And I'd like to extend my thanks also to staff across the entire transport network who have worked so tirelessly since the flooding began to support the travelling public. I'd...
Ken Skates: I can assure the Member that I am supportive of the application for St Clears station. It's one of four shortlisted across Wales for further assessment and potential nomination as a priority for UK Government investment. I think that it would assist in the UK Government showing that it is willing to invest more heavily in rail infrastructure in Wales, and, so, the project is being progressed...
Ken Skates: Llywydd, can I say that I sympathise greatly with those communities affected in Janet Finch-Saunders's constituency? Given the extent of the rainfall, disruption on the trunk road network in Conwy was, thankfully, kept to a minimum, with just two closures on the A470. However, Conwy Valley railway line does remain closed, with a replacement bus service operating between Llandudno Junction and...
Ken Skates: Working with Transport for Wales and with local authorities, we are investing in improving rail, bus and community transport services, and in developing our proposals for the metro in the south-west region.
Ken Skates: Through our new tourism action plan, we are committed to growing tourism and investing in key projects across Wales. The South Wales West region will receive £125.4 million from the Welsh Government for the Swansea bay city deal, which aims to boost the local economy, including the tourism sector, by £1.8 billion and generate almost 10,000 jobs.
Ken Skates: Our economic priorities for the whole of Wales, including Aberavon, are set out in the economic action plan. These include investing in people, places and business through skills, infrastructure and business support.
Ken Skates: In our draft budget for 2020-1, an area of investment that will be made available to local authorities includes £219 million for sustainable travel, which contains an additional capital allocation of £25 million in 2020-1 to invest in making travel, especially by public transport, more resilient against extreme weather conditions.
Ken Skates: Our national transport finance plan, which was updated in May last year, sets out our transport investment proposals in Wales. Our investment in mid Wales is across all modes.
Ken Skates: Can I thank Mick Antoniw for his questions? He makes a very powerful case for the reopening of lines in his constituency, in the region and across Wales. It can lead to regeneration and to the creation of opportunities for people to get into sustained, decent jobs. The reverse Beeching fund, amounting to £500 million, will not deliver the sort of new infrastructure, it will not deliver the...
Ken Skates: We've delivered.
Ken Skates: Can I first of all pick up on the point of HS2 again? If my interpretation of Plaid's position is correct, Plaid are opposing, under all circumstances, HS2; that includes if HS2 were to be extended to north Wales. That is Plaid Cymru's position. I think it's absolutely right that people in north Wales know that Plaid Cymru would oppose high-speed rail services to north Wales. It's absolutely...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Mark Isherwood for his questions? With regard to the charging scheme that we have at Deeside industrial park, we expect the market, first and foremost, to invest in these schemes, and then, when there's market failure, we will use taxpayers' valuable investment to invest in these schemes. But all of the indications are that, in places such as Deeside industrial park and in our...
Ken Skates: Absolutely. Can I thank Jack Sargeant for his questions and the points that he's made? HS2 could have the potential to transform north Wales. It is absolutely vital, therefore, that we get the right solution, as I've said to many Members now, both at Crewe and for north Wales, the electrification of the main line. If that happens, it could be hugely, hugely beneficial for north Wales. That, I...
Ken Skates: Can I thank David Rowlands for his contribution and again recognise the clear support that is forthcoming from his party for our position on rail devolution? I'd like to thank David Rowlands as well for recognising the importance of the private sector to our prosperity in Wales, and that is vitally important, particularly at this moment in time when we do face uncertainty over Brexit still....
Ken Skates: Can I thank Helen Mary Jones for her questions and assure her that that focus is equally on rural and distinct communities as it is on urban communities? It's why we've invested so heavily in services through the TrawsCymru network. It's why we believe that the reforms to local bus services through legislation that's going to be brought to this Chamber is so vitally important, and we are...
Ken Skates: Can I thank Russell George for his questions, and also for the support he has demonstrated for our ambitions for the metro systems across Wales? Can I just deal with the very first point that Russell George made concerning investment in rail infrastructure in Wales in control period 6? All of that investment during control period 6 will be for maintenance of the rail network—maintenance. No...
Ken Skates: As we know, our railway infrastructure in Wales has been continuously and systematically starved of investment. Unsurprisingly, as a consequence, Wales has some of the UK’s slowest inter-city rail speeds, the lowest level of rail ridership, and the highest percentage of car journeys. This is simply not sustainable. Our metro programmes in the south east, in the south west, and the north...
Ken Skates: Diolch, Dirprwy Llywydd. This Government’s ambition to see a more prosperous, greener and equal Wales is one I hope we all aspire to in this Senedd. I'd also expect everyone to share our ambition for a modern transport system in Wales, a transport system that plays its part in contributing to three ambitions: delivering economic growth in rural and urban areas; encouraging people to use...
Ken Skates: Can I thank the Member for his question? I'm aware of the case, and I believe that apologies have been relayed to the constituent in question. Clearly, on that occasion, it was a signal failure. That is a responsibility that is out of the hands of TfW; it's with Network Rail. But the Member is right that bus replacement services are not always what passengers should expect—not up to the...
Ken Skates: Yes. Transport for Wales responds to disruptions depending on a number of factors, such as the time, the location and the resource availability at the point of an incident. TfW will always endeavour to run services where possible, utilising cancellations if necessary to recover the service and to avoid further disruption later in the day.
