Latest news with #England-only
South Wales Guardian
11 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Call from Senedd for legal action over rail and NI funding
The former Plaid Cymru leader warned that a decision to reclassify an Oxford-to-Cambridge railway line as an 'England-and-Wales' project cost Wales £360m in consequential funding. Mr Price asked Welsh ministers: 'If the change was made – as it ostensibly was – without consultation or adequate reasoning, what legal hurdles would the Welsh Government face in bringing a case and what remedies might be available?' Julie James, who is counsel general, the Welsh Government's chief legal adviser, replied: 'I don't think that's something we want to particularly take to court.' Ms James pointed to an extra £445m for rail in Wales in last week's UK Government spending review, welcoming a 'step change' in the level of investment in the past year. But Mr Price suggested the decision to reclassify East West Rail after four years as an England-only project created a legitimate expectation in legal terms for budget planning. During counsel general questions in the Senedd on June 17, he criticised the 'completely unexplained reversal' on the project which has 'no direct nor indirect benefit to Wales'. The shadow justice secretary said: 'That seems to me to amount to a breach of procedural fairness, or potentially even cross the Wednesbury threshold of irrationality because it's a perverse decision – and that's why no real explanation has been proffered.' He urged Welsh ministers to issue a pre-legal action letter compelling the UK Government to disclose the reasoning behind the reclassification. Ms James, who could not explain the four-year delay, replied: 'I don't think that that would be a good use of the government's resources at all.' The Labour politician told the Senedd national planning on heavy rail is done on a England-and-Wales basis, so any scheme in England would proceed as such. Mr Price also suggested legal action over a £72m shortfall in funding from UK ministers to cover the increased cost of national insurance contributions in the Welsh public sector. He told Senedd members the UK Government's statement of funding policy states devolved administrations should suffer no detriment from UK policy decisions.
South Wales Argus
12 hours ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Call from Senedd for legal action over rail and NI funding
The former Plaid Cymru leader warned that a decision to reclassify an Oxford-to-Cambridge railway line as an 'England-and-Wales' project cost Wales £360m in consequential funding. Mr Price asked Welsh ministers: 'If the change was made – as it ostensibly was – without consultation or adequate reasoning, what legal hurdles would the Welsh Government face in bringing a case and what remedies might be available?' Julie James, who is counsel general, the Welsh Government's chief legal adviser, replied: 'I don't think that's something we want to particularly take to court.' Ms James pointed to an extra £445m for rail in Wales in last week's UK Government spending review, welcoming a 'step change' in the level of investment in the past year. But Mr Price suggested the decision to reclassify East West Rail after four years as an England-only project created a legitimate expectation in legal terms for budget planning. During counsel general questions in the Senedd on June 17, he criticised the 'completely unexplained reversal' on the project which has 'no direct nor indirect benefit to Wales'. The shadow justice secretary said: 'That seems to me to amount to a breach of procedural fairness, or potentially even cross the Wednesbury threshold of irrationality because it's a perverse decision – and that's why no real explanation has been proffered.' He urged Welsh ministers to issue a pre-legal action letter compelling the UK Government to disclose the reasoning behind the reclassification. Ms James, who could not explain the four-year delay, replied: 'I don't think that that would be a good use of the government's resources at all.' The Labour politician told the Senedd national planning on heavy rail is done on a England-and-Wales basis, so any scheme in England would proceed as such. Mr Price also suggested legal action over a £72m shortfall in funding from UK ministers to cover the increased cost of national insurance contributions in the Welsh public sector. He told Senedd members the UK Government's statement of funding policy states devolved administrations should suffer no detriment from UK policy decisions.
South Wales Argus
6 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Argus
Senedd hears incoming NRW chair embroiled in rail funding row
Nilesh Sachdev, the Welsh Government's preferred candidate to take the helm at Natural Resources Wales (NRW), appeared before the Senedd's climate committee on June 11. On his CV, Mr Sachdev boasts of securing £6bn of UK Government investment as chair of East West Rail (ERW) which is leading on a new railway between Oxford and Cambridge. The railway was controversially reclassified as a Wales-and-England project by the UK Treasury, denying Wales any consequential funding through the Barnett formula. Llŷr Gruffydd, who chairs the committee, asked: 'I was just wondering whether you have any qualms about… how does it look that potentially the chair of one of the biggest public bodies in Wales is actually spending Welsh money on England-only projects?' During the pre-appointment hearing, Mr Sachdev replied: 'A very fair and reasonable ask, I guess, I think I'll turn it around the other way: what a great opportunity. 'I managed to persuade, through my board and chief executive, to get the government in England to give all that money to East West Rail, I wonder what we could do here. 'So, I think there's an opportunity of saying: how can we, in Wales, put a case forward that makes sure the money that Welsh taxpayers are paying stays here?' Mr Gruffydd pressed concerns about his involvement with ERW, saying: 'I know you don't decide where the money comes from – but you're the guy signing the cheques.' Asked about his motivation for wanting to be chair of NRW, Mr Sachdev pointed to his passion on climate change and a recent move to Bristol. 'In fact, it's quicker to get here than it would be from Abergavenny in the traffic,' he said. He told the committee: 'I want to play a part in a community I dearly respect and have an affection for in an area I deeply care about.' Pressed about his local links, the father of three confirmed he has never lived in Wales but said his wife's grandparents were born in Gower and his son attended Cardiff University."
Western Telegraph
6 days ago
- Business
- Western Telegraph
Senedd hears incoming NRW chair embroiled in rail funding row
Nilesh Sachdev, the Welsh Government's preferred candidate to take the helm at Natural Resources Wales (NRW), appeared before the Senedd's climate committee on June 11. On his CV, Mr Sachdev boasts of securing £6bn of UK Government investment as chair of East West Rail (ERW) which is leading on a new railway between Oxford and Cambridge. The railway was controversially reclassified as a Wales-and-England project by the UK Treasury, denying Wales any consequential funding through the Barnett formula. Llŷr Gruffydd, who chairs the committee, asked: 'I was just wondering whether you have any qualms about… how does it look that potentially the chair of one of the biggest public bodies in Wales is actually spending Welsh money on England-only projects?' During the pre-appointment hearing, Mr Sachdev replied: 'A very fair and reasonable ask, I guess, I think I'll turn it around the other way: what a great opportunity. 'I managed to persuade, through my board and chief executive, to get the government in England to give all that money to East West Rail, I wonder what we could do here. 'So, I think there's an opportunity of saying: how can we, in Wales, put a case forward that makes sure the money that Welsh taxpayers are paying stays here?' Mr Gruffydd pressed concerns about his involvement with ERW, saying: 'I know you don't decide where the money comes from – but you're the guy signing the cheques.' Asked about his motivation for wanting to be chair of NRW, Mr Sachdev pointed to his passion on climate change and a recent move to Bristol. 'In fact, it's quicker to get here than it would be from Abergavenny in the traffic,' he said. He told the committee: 'I want to play a part in a community I dearly respect and have an affection for in an area I deeply care about.' Pressed about his local links, the father of three confirmed he has never lived in Wales but said his wife's grandparents were born in Gower and his son attended Cardiff University."
South Wales Guardian
7 days ago
- Business
- South Wales Guardian
Senedd hears incoming NRW chair embroiled in rail funding row
Nilesh Sachdev, the Welsh Government's preferred candidate to take the helm at Natural Resources Wales (NRW), appeared before the Senedd's climate committee on June 11. On his CV, Mr Sachdev boasts of securing £6bn of UK Government investment as chair of East West Rail (ERW) which is leading on a new railway between Oxford and Cambridge. The railway was controversially reclassified as a Wales-and-England project by the UK Treasury, denying Wales any consequential funding through the Barnett formula. Llŷr Gruffydd, who chairs the committee, asked: 'I was just wondering whether you have any qualms about… how does it look that potentially the chair of one of the biggest public bodies in Wales is actually spending Welsh money on England-only projects?' During the pre-appointment hearing, Mr Sachdev replied: 'A very fair and reasonable ask, I guess, I think I'll turn it around the other way: what a great opportunity. 'I managed to persuade, through my board and chief executive, to get the government in England to give all that money to East West Rail, I wonder what we could do here. 'So, I think there's an opportunity of saying: how can we, in Wales, put a case forward that makes sure the money that Welsh taxpayers are paying stays here?' Mr Gruffydd pressed concerns about his involvement with ERW, saying: 'I know you don't decide where the money comes from – but you're the guy signing the cheques.' Asked about his motivation for wanting to be chair of NRW, Mr Sachdev pointed to his passion on climate change and a recent move to Bristol. 'In fact, it's quicker to get here than it would be from Abergavenny in the traffic,' he said. He told the committee: 'I want to play a part in a community I dearly respect and have an affection for in an area I deeply care about.' Pressed about his local links, the father of three confirmed he has never lived in Wales but said his wife's grandparents were born in Gower and his son attended Cardiff University."
