A ex-Labour minister who was in charge of transportation claimed that Wales isn't receiving its "appropriate portion of railway funding," and stated that the system needs to be "corrected."
The plans for a £6.6 billion railway link between Oxford and Cambridge were formerly categorized as an initiative solely for England. This implies that Wales might have been eligible for additional funds.
However, the Treasury stated that there was a "publishing error" in a document from 2020, which should have actually been categorized as an England and Wales initiative.
Lee Waters, theLabour member of Parliament for Llanelli, stated that this "blunder" underscores the larger problem of the unclear and outdated funding system that requires significant reforms.
Rail operations in Wales are not devolved; therefore, funding is decided by the UK government through Barnett formula .
Speaking to Intelligent TecnoRadio Wales Morning Show on Mondays Waters stated, “Is it a mess-up, or is there some kind of plot? In my experience, it’s nearly always just a botch.”
However, he stated that "this highlights a larger reality," which is that "the system requires repair."
He stated: "We haven't received an equitable portion of the funds; the current system puts us at a disadvantage."
The functionality of the formula remains unclear, which is why such occurrences do not inspire our confidence.
Waters mentioned just a few weeks back that the Welsh government had to use their own funds. to cover the expenses of national insurance , which should be addressed under a Treasury agreement by the UK government.
"We need to revise the Barnett formula," Waters stated.
We require the UK Treasury to function as a true national treasury for all of the United Kingdom, rather than serving only whichever administration in England holds power at any given moment.
He emphasized that this is not "a partisan matter" since "it occurred during the previous administration and continues under the current one."
He stated that it is the "government machinery" which needs to be "altered and repaired."
He expressed confidence that his colleagues in London are working towards increasing funding for Wales, yet he showed less assurance that they are making efforts to revise the Barnett formula.
He stated that one problem is "there isn't a separate fund for rail in Wales; we must compete within the England and Wales budget."
Waters stated: "The UK Labour manifesto includes a pledge to establish a Wales fund for projects to ensure transparency."
However, he expressed being "anxious" regarding "the complete devolution of railway operations without additional funding," as it includes the duty of maintenance tasks.
He stated, "One could debate whether we should secure additional funding, yet the question remains—can we rely on the UK funding mechanisms for this?"
The British government had mentioned earlier that the mistake regarding the categorization of the Oxford-Cambridge railway line will be corrected when an update is released during the spending review.
The HM Treasury has been asked for their input.
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