Members of the Senedd have been asked to support calls for the UK Government to accelerate its commitment to rail infrastructure investment in Wales and give Welsh Ministers greater flexibility over funding from Westminster.
The cross-party motion, debated on Tuesday 6 October, sets out three measures for the Welsh and UK governments to pursue jointly.
Funding changes sought
It calls for restrictions on the Wales Reserve to be removed. The reserve allows the Welsh Government to manage funding between financial years, and the proposed change would give ministers more flexibility to respond to emerging and unforeseen pressures.
The motion also seeks improvements to the operation of the Barnett formula, the system used to determine funding allocations from the UK Government. Its supporters say changes are needed to improve fairness and transparency in how funding decisions are made and understood.
The third element is a reaffirmation of support for the UK Government’s £14bn rail infrastructure commitment for Wales, alongside sufficient funding for improvement projects during the current Spending Review period.
Welsh Government seeks delivery
Elin Jones, Cabinet Minister for Finance, said the motion provided a “constructive and practical agenda” for cooperation between the two governments.
“Removing restrictions on the Wales Reserve is a simple, practical step that would let us make better use of resources that already belong to Wales,” she said.
On rail, Jones added: “Commitments alone don’t improve connectivity, what matters now is delivery, and we want to see that delivery accelerated.”
She said a unified position from Wales would improve the chances of the proposals being heard by the UK Government.