Oral Answers to Questions

Fay Jones Excerpts

Wednesday 17th March 2021 Commons Chamber

[Simon Baynes (Clwyd South) (Con)]

What assessment he has made of the potential benefits of the levelling-up fund for Wales.

[Fay Jones (Brecon and Radnorshire) (Con)]

What assessment he has made of the potential benefits of the levelling up fund for Wales.

[Beth Winter (Cynon Valley) (Lab)]

What recent discussions he has had with the Chancellor of the Exchequer on the levelling up fund.

--- Later in debate ---

[David T. C. Davies]

I assure my hon. Friend that it is always a pleasure to meet him and hear about the enormous amount of hard work he is undertaking in his constituency. Unfortunately, I have been advised that it would not be appropriate for me to visit any specific project site, but I of course look forward to supporting him and other Members of Parliament who continue the work of using the funds being made available by the UK Government to drive forward regeneration in their constituencies.

[Fay Jones [V]]

I was delighted to see so much in the Budget for Brecon and Radnorshire. The levelling-up fund is extremely welcome, as is the commitment to the global centre for rail excellence in Coelbren in my constituency. However, parts of Brecon and Radnorshire are plagued by substandard broadband and mobile coverage. Could the Minister confirm that the levelling-up fund will make a genuine difference to structural problems like this that hold back rural areas such as mine?

[David T. C. Davies]

We expect that the levelling-up fund can be used to invest in community infrastructure right the way across the board. Of course, the UK gigabit programme will invest in broadband and the hardest-to-connect areas of the United Kingdom. I was also delighted, of course, with the news about the global centre for rail excellence—my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State pushed very hard for it—which is also going to be good news for the economy in that part of Wales.