Crossing the Border: Road and Rail Links Between England and Wales, Third Report of Session 2012-13, Vol. 1: Report, Together...

Crossing the Border: Road and Rail Links Between England and Wales, Third Report of Session 2012-13, Vol. 1: Report, Together...
ISBN-10
021505461X
ISBN-13
9780215054616
Series
Crossing the Border
Category
Business & Economics
Pages
130
Language
English
Published
2013-03-06
Publisher
The Stationery Office
Author
Great Britain: Parliament: House of Commons: Welsh Affairs Committee

Description

Problems with key M4 transport route continue to risk damage to Welsh economy. The route has suffered from under-investment and congestion for too long. The UK and Welsh Governments must work together to find attainable, funded solutions to these problems. The Committee also says the high toll on the Severn Crossing is still hampering the development of businesses in Wales and deterring inward investment to Wales and the UK Government should bring forward proposals for reducing it. The Committee also welcomes the new investment in cross-border rail links into Wales but the exclusion of South Wales from the HS2 proposals means businesses and people may relocate eastwards across the border. The development of a high speed rail link from Wales to England would be an important boost to the Welsh economy and help to achieve the aim of successive Governments of rebalancing the UK economy. There are good examples of joint working between the two governments to secure improvements to strategic cross-border routes, and especially welcome is the almost £2 billion of rail investment on the electrification of the Great Western Main Line and a proposed new rail link to Heathrow Airport. But the Committee says it is unclear why the Welsh Government should be entitled to a "Barnett" consequential payment in respect of the Crossrail project but not HS2. It also notes that rail connectivity between North and Mid Wales and England has been overlooked for too long and calls for more frequent rail connections from Mid Wales to England.

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