Jobs in Rural Areas

Part of 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport – in the Senedd at 1:35 pm on 24 October 2018.

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Photo of Ken Skates Ken Skates Labour 1:35, 24 October 2018

Well, the work by the local authority is progressing in terms of the development of the south-west Wales metro, and, for our part, we've also enrolled Professor Barry to ensure that projects that can be funded by the UK Government are brought forward with a compelling business case as soon as possible. 

The Member raises a number of interesting prospects that could attract funding from Network Rail and the UK Government. Historically, we've fared incredibly badly compared to other parts of the UK, and, of course, the cancellation of electrification to Swansea had a major impact in terms of not just the competitiveness of the area, but also, I think, the confidence of the area. Consequently, I believe that it's absolutely essential that we do identify rail schemes that could attract UK Government investment through Network Rail to improve the prospects of us sharing the fruits of economic growth more evenly across the country, and that includes those communities that the Member has identified in her region.