Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:05 pm on 14 February 2023.
I think I said a couple of weeks ago to you that we obviously support the Cardiff Crossrail project that the UK Government did announce under its levelling-up fund, and we're matching that investment, but we weren't involved in the development of that levelling-up fund, so we've had no role in strategy or delivery.
I think the continued categorisation of HS2 by the UK Government as an England-Wales project, despite the recommendations by the Welsh Affairs Committee to reclassify as an England-only project, really scuppers our ability to be able to invest in rail in Wales. And I know that the Minister for Finance and Local Government continues to make that point to the Treasury, either to the Chancellor or to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and has asked the UK Government really to revisit the classification decision, and then provide Wales with a Barnett consequential, which would be around £5 billion. And, as I say, she did raise it again, I think, last week in her—she is nodding, so she did raise it again last week in her meeting with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury.