Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 2:01 pm on 25 November 2020.
The UK Government should be doing a huge amount more in this area. We're very aware that, for too long, Wales has been at the back of the queue when the UK Government has been investing in rail infrastructure, and the rolling stock that we're currently using, much of it is nearly 40 years old. Based on known commitments for the period from 2019 to 2029, we estimate shortfalls of up to £5.1 billion over this period.
I have to say I'm even more concerned than ever now about rail funding in Wales as a result of the spending review today. The Member will know that the Barnett formula works on what are compatibility factors between UK Government departments and Welsh Government, in terms of where the responsibilities lie, and my understanding is, although we've yet to look at the spreadsheets following the Chancellor's statements, that the factor for the Department for Transport is going to be slashed as a result of HS2. So, that is a real concern. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the spreadsheets that are always shared after the Chancellor makes his statement, because I've been here this afternoon, but as soon as we have the opportunity after answering questions, we'll have a better understanding of what the real implications for us will be.