Welsh Secretary accused of ‘flip flopping’ on HS2 funding for Wales

Emily Price

The Welsh Secretary has been accused of “flip flopping” on the issue of HS2 funding for Wales after being challenged on comments she made claiming the project was no longer “in existence”.

During Wales Questions on Wednesday (December 11), Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts, quizzed Jo Stevens on why the UK Government hasn’t compensated Wales for spending on the high speed rail scheme.

HS2 had been classified as an England and Wales project by the previous Conservative UK government despite not an inch of track being laid in Wales.

The classification meant no extra funding was released to Wales by the Treasury – unlike Scotland and Northern Ireland which received additional funding.

Anger

It was previously calculated that Wales is owed £4bn from HS2, but the Welsh Government has recently estimated the amount at the far smaller figure of £350m.

Anger has also been expressed over how the building of London’s new flagship HS2 station will impact the people of Wales.

According to the Peninsula Rail Task Force, the construction of the station at Old Oak Common will have a detrimental impact on mainline inter-city services serving the M4 corridor, south Wales and the south west of England.

Construction of the station will continue up until 2030 and although most of the work will take place at weekends or overnight, multiple periods of disruption expected.

Impact

The Department for Transport says it will work with HS2, Great Western Railway and Network Rail to minimise the impact on passengers.

It follows 10 years of disturbances to rail services resulting from the electrification of the main line and the construction of the Elizabeth Line.

Ms Saville Roberts said it was “incredibly frustrating” that Jo Stevens had continued to “flip flop” on consequential funding for Wales despite the project causing seven years of disruption to the Carmarthen-London Paddington line.

Prior to Labour being in government, the Welsh Secretary had said it was “utterly illogical” to designate HS2 an England and Wales project.

Costs

But during a General Election campaign interview with S4C in July, Ms Stevens said, “HS2 is no longer in existence”.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Ms Saville Roberts said: “The budget confirmed that HS2 will run to Euston, this stretch alone will cost up to £9.4 billion.

“HS2 construction work also means that passengers from Wales will face disruption as trains will be diverted away from Paddington Station for seven years.

“She previously said that ‘HS2 no longer exists’. Does she stand by this statement given that Welsh passengers will be bearing the huge costs of the project?”

Jo Stevens said her “reference to HS2 was in relation to the second phase of HS2 which the Conservative government cancelled”.

She added that she was “working in partnership with Welsh Government to develop a long term and sustainably funded package of much needed rail infrastructure improvements.”

Speaking after the session, Ms Saville Roberts said: “A partnership between two Labour governments should have swiftly resolved this long-standing injustice for Wales.

“The people of Wales are rightly impatient, and it’s incredibly frustrating that the Secretary of State keeps flip-flopping on the issue.”