Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what comparability factor is applied to Wales in order to calculate Barnett consequential funding for each element of the Integrated Rail Plan core pipeline including (a) Northern Powerhouse Rail, (b) Transpennine Route Upgrade and (c) other rail schemes in the North and Midlands.

The UK Government is responsible for much of the rail infrastructure in Wales, and therefore spends money on this infrastructure rather than funding the Welsh Government to do so.

In line with this responsibility, the UK Government is currently delivering an ambitious programme to upgrade Welsh railways, including through the electrification of the Severn Tunnel and building a new station at Bow Street.

However at Spending Reviews, Barnett is set at department level and the comparability factor used therefore reflects funding across the whole department. The comparability factors used at Spending Review 2021 are published in the Statement of Funding Policy.

At the recent 2021 Spending Review the UK Government provided the Welsh Government with more than £18 billion on average each year over the Spending Review period. The Welsh Government will determine how to spend this on its devolved responsibilities.