Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, pursuant to the Answer of 3 February 2023 to Question 133961 on Railways: South Wales, when funding will be made available for the delivery of the South Wales relief line upgrades.
Answered by David T C Davies
The Government will publish an update to the Rail Network Enhancement Pipeline as soon as possible to provide clarity on funding for the delivery of rail upgrades in Wales.
We are fully committed to rail infrastructure improvement in Wales with recent investment totalling £390m. This is in addition to our recent announcement of £2.7m in funding to develop improvements along the South Wales Main Line in order to ease transport congestion along the South Wales corridor.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had recent discussions with the Secretary of State for Transport on (a) upgrades to the South Wales relief line and (b) the rail-related recommendations in the report by Lord Burns entitled South East Wales Transport Commission: final recommendations, published on 26 November 2020.
Answered by David T C Davies
I have regular discussions with the Transport Secretary on a range of transport issues, including infrastructure in Wales.
We have recently announced a further £2.7 million study with Welsh Government, funded by the UK Government, to develop options for new stations and services on the South Wales Main Line.
The study follows Lord Hendy’s recommendations from his review of transport connectivity across the UK, which put forward the need to relieve congestion on the M4. A series of options will be considered as part of this study, among which is the development of five brand new stations between Cardiff and Severn Tunnel.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what proportion of (a) ordinary and (b) named-day written questions their Department answered on time in 2022.
Answered by David T C Davies
From 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022, the Wales Office answered the following proportion of written parliamentary questions on time:
(a) Ordinary PQs – 99%
(b) Named Day PQs – 100%
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps he is taking to support the steel industry in Wales.
Answered by David T C Davies
We continue to work closely with the Steel industry to secure a sustainable and competitive future. Our support for Steel includes over £800m for energy costs, in addition to the Energy Bill Relief Scheme. I was disappointed to hear about Liberty Steel. I understand this will be a concerning time for those impacted. I have already spoken to Cabinet colleagues about this matter and we stand ready to support.
Asked by: Jessica Morden (Labour - Newport East)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps their Department is taking to reduce the time taken to respond to (a) written parliamentary questions and (b) correspondence from Members of Parliament.
Answered by David T C Davies
All Departments have access to regular training led by the Parliamentary Capability Team through the Government Campus.
The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales attaches great importance to the effective and timely handling of Parliamentary Questions (PQs) and correspondence, and officials remain committed to providing the highest level of service.
Between the period of May to July inclusive, the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales answered 100% of written parliamentary questions and 100% of correspondence from Members of Parliament on time.