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Wales Online
a day ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Billions, millions or nothing at all? What will Rachel Reeves provide for rail in Wales at the spending review?
Billions, millions or nothing at all? What will Rachel Reeves provide for rail in Wales at the spending review? More pain than gain is expected for most departments from this year's spending review. But there are hopes of extra cash for rail projects in Wales It is now expected funding will come to Wales in the spending review for rail (Image: Matthew Horwood ) On June 11, Chancellor Rachel Reeves will stand in the House of Commons and spell out the UK Government's spending plans for the coming years. While we are told the final details are still being worked out, there is now chatter within Welsh Labour ranks a sizeable amount of money will be allocated to spend in Wales on rail projects. Rail isn't fully devolved to the Welsh Government. Managing the Wales and Borders franchise is devolved to ministers in Cardiff Bay, and the Core Valleys Lines are now owned and operated here. But rail infrastructure planning and funding is still managed by Network Rail from Westminster and funding is not divided up fairly between England and Wales. WalesOnline had campaigned for that to change and some kind of fair funding mechanism, whether through devolution or another means, put in place. However that looks unlikely to happen. Instead of action to address the fundamental problem, there is now a growing expectation that Rachel Reeves will announce some extra money to spend on rail projects in Wales over the period of this spending review. This has been brewing for some time. There was an orchestrated release of letters in January, with an admission from the UK Government that rail in Wales had been historically underfunded. You can read that here. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here The Welsh Government's transport minister then set out plans for developing services in north Wales, including for electrification of the mainline - the most ambitious of which need UK Government investment. Article continues below Then a report in Politico last week quoted "government figures" saying that Wales would receive "billions" of capital investment for rail in the spending review. However, Labour sources in both governments have dampened expectations, saying the sum is unlikely to be as much as "billions" but there is an acceptance that something is coming, and it will be sizeable. Politically, the Welsh Government need a big gift from UK Labour given the Senedd election is less than a year away, and polls show Labour is in for a tough time here. The most recent poll showed Labour slipping to third, way behind Plaid Cymru and Reform UK, you can see that here. UK Labour is also aware that Eluned Morgan, Wales' First Minister, has been openly criticising her counterparts in London and something is needed to unite the camp. A big cheque for something she can explain to voters in a pithy way on the back of a leaflet would be most welcome. She told plenary on June 3 that she was "hopeful" of "movement" on rail funding in the spending review. "I've made the case very clearly," she said. Wales' transport Ken Skates has made no secret of the fact he wants to see investment in rail and it is expected the investment would be for stations in south Wales. As a solution to congestion on the M4, and the abandoned relief road, proposals were made by the South East Wales Transport Commission report for increased rail services between Cardiff and the River Severn. What are known as the Burns proposals - the report's architect was Lord Burns - include upgrading the relief lines between Cardiff and the Severn Tunnel, and the development of five 'Burns stations' in Cardiff East, Newport West, Somerton, Llanwern and Magor and Undy. Mr Skates has previously said these stations would be "absolutely transformational" for Newport and the surrounding areas, and it is these stations that spending review money is widely expected to cover. But it isn't quite that simple. Whatever figure may be pledged next week, it is a matter for voters whether they think a pledge for funding - given serious physical progress is impossible before polling day - is enough to persuade them to cross in the box for Labour rather than someone else. However, the bigger question is whether any funding which comes on June 11 is enough to right the decades-long underfunding of Welsh railways and whether there are any longer-term commitments about ensuring Wales does not miss out when there are major spending commitments on rail in England. The latest row about railways which is gaining traction thanks to opposition Lib Dem MP David Chadwick and Plaid Cymru's leader Rhun ap Iorwerth is over a new rail line planned between Oxford and Cambridge. The £6.6bn line will see no tracks laid in Wales but, because it will be funded from the England and Wales pot, there are fears that it will suck up a significant part of Network Rail's budget and leave less to spend in Wales. This is all because the Barnett formula - the system where the devolved nations a fair share of the cash being spend in England - does not apply to rail in Wales. It does for Scotland and Northern Ireland but not Wales. This issue has been most acutely felt because of the HS2 scheme, which is taking up such an enormous part of that England and Wales transport pot that there were calls for it to be funded separately and Wales given a share. There was precedent for this, as it happened with the Crossrail scheme, but despite the route being entirely in England and evidence showing the scheme will have a net negative impact on the Welsh economy, UK governments led by by Labour and the Tories have consistently refused. Both Mr Chadwick and Mr ap Iorwerth have said the Oxford to Cambridge line is "worse than HS2" because the argument used for Wales not gaining any financial consequential payment from HS2 was that it would have improved services to Crewe which would have made journeys between north Wales and London quicker. There is no suggestion from anyone the Oxford to Cambridge line would improve any services for people in Wales. However, the argument isn't quite that simple. Politicians can argue about specific projects like a new rail line in Oxford and Cambridge all they want, but the issue is that the devolution settlement isn't fair. It isn't clear and the way decisions are made about what funding - if any - will come to Wales isn't transparent. The system which determines rail funding isn't fair, even Wales' transport minister admits that. Ken Skates has said today: "The system used for paying for rail improvements puts Wales and Borders within a wider network which has historically disadvantaged us," he said. "Previous governments have failed to change that, but the current UK Government has acknowledged that it short changes Wales. Past Ministers could have delivered a fair funding settlement, but failed to. Instead, they backed HS2 with no fair funding for Wales," he continued. He says it is in "stark contrast" that Labour in London has admitted Wales has been underfunded. His critics will say that admission is nice, some millions to make some improvements are helpful but this UK Labour government has to take its chance to right the historic wrong on a wider scale. Labour's former deputy transport minister, Lee Waters, has today told the BBC: "The signs are encouraging that we'll get more rail funding from the imminent spending review but we need to fix the system so that this doesn't keep happening. It's no good recognising the problem in opposition and then not sorting it when you get a chance in government." Article continues below
Wales Online
a day ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Rail disruption to hit Wales across the summer
Rail disruption to hit Wales across the summer Passengers can expect longer journeys, reduced services and some bus replacements as a result of the works Great Western services to and from south Wales will be impacted by works (Image: Matthew Horwood ) Rail works will cause weeks of disruption to services to and from south Wales. Rail improvement works will affect trains via Bristol Parkway as well as train services between Bristol and south Wales will be impacted, operator Great Western Railway said. GWR say the works in Bristol will eventually mean more rail services but that track improvements and changes to signalling are needed. Great Western services in June and July will be impacted, as well as a week of services in October. For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Bristol to South Wales Monday, June 9 to Friday, June 20 and Sunday, June 29 There will be no direct trains between Bristol and south Wales on these dates due to track renewal and maintenance work. Services between Cardiff Central and Portsmouth Harbour start/terminate at Bristol Parkway Services between Cardiff Central and Taunton or Exeter St Davids start/terminate at Bristol Temple Meads Article continues below Monday, June 9 to Saturday, June 14 plus Monday, June 16 to Friday, June 20 Customers travelling between Bristol and south Wales should change at Gloucester or Cheltenham Spa, where trains will still be running to and from South Wales. Trains between London and south Wales will use an alternative route between Swindon and Newport – stopping at Gloucester instead of Bristol Parkway. A limited train service will still run between London Paddington and Bristol Parkway. Replacement buses are also planned between Bristol Parkway and Severn Tunnel Junction/Newport, but these will be limited services only. Sunday, June 15 Rail replacement services are planned to operate between Bristol Parkway and Newport or Cardiff Central on this date. Trains will still run between London Paddington and Bristol Parkway, plus between Newport and Swansea or Carmarthen. Trains between London Paddington and Bristol Temple Meads will also be reduced to hourly services. Sunday, June 29 Customers travelling between Bristol and south Wales can change at Gloucester or Cheltenham Spa, where trains will still be running to/from south Wales. Trains between London and south Wales will be diverted via Gloucester, not stopping at Bristol Parkway, until around 4pm. There will be a limited train service between London Paddington and Bristol Parkway. Replacement buses are also planned between Bristol Parkway and Newport until 3.30pm. Bristol Parkway to Swindon Monday, July 7 to Sunday, July 13 Trains between south Wales and London will have to use an alternative route between Bristol Parkway and Swindon due to tunnel drainage work between Bristol Parkway and Swindon. It means journey times will be around 30 minutes longer and most services for south Wales will be only run hourly rather than half-hourly. Bristol to south Wales Sunday, July 20 Track renewal and maintenance work will affect train services via the Severn Tunnel until midday, plus drainage work is also planned between Bristol Parkway and Swindon. It means trains between London and south Wales will use an alternative route between Swindon and Newport – stopping at Gloucester instead of Bristol Parkway until around 4pm. Some trains between Bristol Parkway and London Paddington will use an alternative route between Bristol Parkway and Swindon – meaning journeys will be 30 minutes longer. As an alternative, customers can still travel via Bristol Temple Meads during this period. Trains between Cardiff Central and Portsmouth Harbour or Exeter St Davids will start/terminate at Bristol Parkway instead of Cardiff Central until around 11.30am. Replacement buses are planned between Bristol Parkway and Newport. Bristol and Bath Spa Monday, October 27, to Thursday, October 30 Article continues below Rail improvement work will affect services between Bristol Temple Meads and Bath Spa. This week is half term in Wales. Part of the works are because Bristol Temple Meads is having a major transformation.
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Business
- Wales Online
Single-use vapes banned in Wales from today
Single-use vapes banned in Wales from today You can now be fined hundreds of pounds or even face prison if you're found to be supplying or selling vapes The sale and supply of single use vapes are banned in Wales from June 1 (Image: Matthew Horwood ) Single-use vapes are banned across Wales and the UK from today. The move has been introduced to reduce the environmental harm caused by their production and incorrect disposal. Keep Wales Tidy estimates that over just one year, 360,000 single-use vapes are littered on the ground in Wales, while 120,000 are flushed down the toilet. The Welsh Government has worked closely with the UK Government to ensure the ban operates on the same timescale cross-border to maximise compliance and to allow around 2,000 small and medium sized retailers across Wales time to take action. First Minister Eluned Morgan said: 'Littering from single-use vapes spoils our communities and we have been working in partnership with the UK and devolved Governments to ensure there are no loopholes, with the ban running to the same timescales as the rest of the UK. 'Here is yet another example of governments working in partnership to tackle the priorities of the people of Wales.' The UK Government website states that local authorities in Wales lead on enforcing the ban, and encouraged people to contact their local authority or Trading Standards service if they suspect that someone is supplying single-use vapes, or have questions about following the ban's rules or how it is enforced. Enforcement authorities may apply civil sanctions such as a fixed fine of £200 or a variable fine of more than £200, an enforcement cost recovery notice , a non-compliance penalty, or a stop notice. You may be given an unlimited fine and prison sentence of up to six months if you're found guilty in a magistrates' court of stocking, selling or supplying single-use vapes or you fail to follow a stop notice. Single-use vapes are not designed or intended for reuse. A vape is single-use if it either has a battery you cannot recharge or is not refillable. To be reuseable, a vape must have a rechargeable battery, a refillable container that holds the vaping e-liquid (such as a chamber, capsule, cartridge, pod or tank) or removable and replaceable coil (if the vape contains a coil). Deputy First Minister with responsibility for climate change Huw Irranca-Davies said: 'Single-use vapes are a blight on our wildlife and environment, and this ban will massively reduce the litter and pollution they cause in Welsh communities. 'This weekend is another demonstration of your Welsh Labour Government's commitment to nature, addressing the climate emergency and contributes towards Wales's position as the second-best recycling nation in the world." Article continues below And minister for mental health and wellbeing, Sarah Murphy added: 'The positive health impact of this ban will help us protect children and young people from these products and the harms caused by nicotine addiction. 'One of the Welsh Government and First Minister's priorities is Iechyd Da – better health, and this is a significant step forward in limiting the health hazards and harms resulting from vape products.'
Scottish Sun
4 days ago
- Health
- Scottish Sun
UK landmarks glow orange to raise awareness of rare genetic condition
The condition causes an overwhelming and uncontrollable drive to eat that can be life-limiting GLOW UP UK landmarks glow orange to raise awareness of rare genetic condition Some of the UK's most iconic landmarks were glowing orange last night - to raise awareness of a rare complex genetic condition that affects approximately 2,000 people in the UK. London's Tower 42, Cardiff Castle, The Mersey Gateway Bridge and Green's Windmill in Nottingham were among the buildings to 'Glow Orange' to highlight Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS). 4 A number of buildings across the UK were lit up orange last night to raise awarness for those affected by Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), including Cardiff Castle pictured here Credit: Matthew Horwood/PinPep 4 The Mersey Gateway Bridge was also visibly orange last night to mark the end of PWS awareness month Credit: Phil Oldham/PinPep 4 Green's Windmill in Nottingham lit up in orange last night Credit: James Linsell-Clark/PinPep Southend Civic Centre, Worcester's Guild Hall and Edinburgh's Camera Obscura and World of Illusions were also illuminated in an orange. The glow up lasted from sundown until sunrise, across 17 different landmarks, to mark the end of Prader-Willi Awareness month in May. Nigel Birrell, CEO of which was behind the activation and a proud charity partner with a scratchcard dedicated to the cause said: 'The Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (PWSA UK) is a cause that's very personal to me, and I've been a long-time admirer of the incredible work they carry out. "It's been truly inspiring to witness so many landmarks across the country light up in support of PWS awareness - the level of engagement has really touched us.' PWSA UK and FPWR UK (Foundation for Prader-Willi Research UK) have come together for a second year to plan and organise several events, which included one at the House of Lords on May 14th. Hosted in the capital city, it included speeches from both charities and the PWS community who shared their experience of living with the condition. The event also provided information to help people understand the complexities of PWS – the hope being that a better understanding will lead to more effective support which will save money and lives. The aim of the various events was to generate awareness and understanding of this rare condition which causes an overwhelming and uncontrollable drive to eat that can be life-limiting, as well as learning and physical difficulties. Together the charities are using the condition's initials to help people recognise key issues associated with the disorder. P - Persistent hunger which can lead to life-threatening obesity. The full list of lit-up buildings Tower 42 Bradford City Hall Bridport Town Hall Clock St Edmundsbury Cathedral Gateshead Millennium Bridge The Mersey Gateway Bridge Green's Windmill Southend Civic Centre Camera Obscura and World of Illusions The Guild Hall Worcester Cardiff Castle Moorish Castle (Gibraltar) Ranfurly House Dungannon Burnavon Cookstown Bridewell Magherafelt Portsmouth Spinnaker Tower Titan Crane, Scotland W - Warning signs absent, typical health warning signs are absent for people with PWS. S – Specialist Care - people with the condition need specialist care, with round-the-clock supervision. Jackie Lodge of PWSA UK and Catherine Shaw of FPWR UK issued a joint statement. They said: 'We're delighted that PWSA UK and FPWR UK have come together again for PWS month to raise awareness for such an important cause. 'We want to generate as much awareness about PWS as possible and by these buildings and landmarks lighting up orange it is a fantastic way to do so, on top of the other events that have taken place this month. 'We're really grateful to these buildings for shining a light on this important cause.'
The Irish Sun
4 days ago
- Health
- The Irish Sun
UK landmarks glow orange to raise awareness of rare genetic condition
Some of the UK's most iconic landmarks were glowing orange last night - to raise awareness of a rare complex genetic condition that affects approximately 2,000 people in the UK. London's Tower 42, Cardiff Castle, The Mersey Gateway Bridge and Green's Windmill in Nottingham were among the buildings to 'Glow Orange' to highlight Advertisement 4 A number of buildings across the UK were lit up orange last night to raise awarness for those affected by Prader-Willi Syndrome (PWS), including Cardiff Castle pictured here Credit: Matthew Horwood/PinPep 4 The Mersey Gateway Bridge was also visibly orange last night to mark the end of PWS awareness month Credit: Phil Oldham/PinPep 4 Green's Windmill in Nottingham lit up in orange last night Credit: James Linsell-Clark/PinPep Southend Civic Centre, The glow up lasted from sundown until sunrise, across 17 different landmarks, to mark the end of Prader-Willi Awareness month in May. Nigel Birrell, CEO of which was behind the activation and a proud charity partner with a "It's been truly inspiring to witness so many landmarks across the country light up in support of PWS awareness - the level of engagement has really touched us.' Advertisement Read More on UK News PWSA UK and FPWR UK (Foundation for Prader-Willi Research UK) have come together for a second year to plan and organise several events, which included one at the House of Lords on May 14th. Hosted in the capital city, it included speeches from both charities and the PWS community who shared their experience of living with the condition. The event also provided information to help people understand the complexities of PWS – the hope being that a better understanding will lead to more effective support which will save money and lives. The aim of the various events was to generate awareness and understanding of this rare condition which causes an overwhelming and uncontrollable drive to eat that can be life-limiting, as well as learning and physical difficulties. Advertisement Most read in The Sun Breaking Exclusive Breaking Together the charities are using the condition's initials to help people recognise key issues associated with the disorder. P - Persistent hunger which can lead to life-threatening obesity. The full list of lit-up buildings Tower 42 Bradford City Hall Bridport Town Hall Clock St Edmundsbury Cathedral Gateshead Millennium Bridge The Mersey Gateway Bridge Green's Windmill Southend Civic Centre Camera Obscura and World of Illusions The Guild Hall Worcester Cardiff Castle Moorish Castle (Gibraltar) Ranfurly House Dungannon Burnavon Cookstown Bridewell Magherafelt Portsmouth Spinnaker Tower Titan Crane, Scotland W - Warning signs absent, typical health warning signs are absent for people with PWS. S – Specialist Care - people with the condition need specialist care, with round-the-clock supervision. Advertisement Jackie Lodge of PWSA UK and Catherine Shaw of FPWR UK issued a joint statement. They said: 'We're delighted that PWSA UK and FPWR UK have come together again for PWS month to raise awareness for such an important cause. 'We want to generate as much awareness about PWS as possible and by these buildings and landmarks lighting up orange it is a fantastic way to do so, on top of the other events that have taken place this month. 'We're really grateful to these buildings for shining a light on this important cause.' 4 Tower 42 (left) stood out orange on the London skyline last night Credit: Simon Jacobs/PinPep Advertisement
