Proposed Investment in Welsh Infrastructure

Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:38 pm on 5 March 2019.

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Photo of Huw Irranca-Davies Huw Irranca-Davies Labour 1:38, 5 March 2019

The impact of a series, a catalogue now, of failures of investment in Wales are many—the large projects that have been mentioned by my colleagues, but they also have local impacts. Within the Bridgend and Ogmore constituencies, the investment that we need in the mainline rail, but also in signalling, and so on, is a measure of, year after year, underinvestment by UK Network Rail. Now, we need the UK Government and the Department for Transport to step up to the mark on those projects as well, and put the money in that will free up capacity on our mainline rail, that will allow more passengers and freight to be carried, that will shift people off those roads. So, it's not only the big projects. And I would suggest to the Minister, in her discussions with the First Minister, perhaps in discussions with the Prime Minister, Theresa May, an appeal could be made to her—the old-fashioned title of the Conservative and Unionist Party—if they want to maintain it as the union of the United Kingdom, then actually invest in the union.