Question
I thank my right hon. Friend, because my Cardiff East constituents were absolutely delighted with the announcement yesterday of £30 million for Cardiff Parkway station. Mine is the only constituency in the capital city without a train station, so this will be transformational for growth, jobs and travel. Before the Senedd election, the Welsh Labour Government agreed to a funding contribution, alongside private investors, to ensure that this project is delivered. Can she please confirm whether, in the five months since that election, the minority Plaid Government have said they will honour that intergovernmental agreement?
Answer
It is for the new Welsh Government to confirm their own contribution to this project, so that we can get on and deliver it as quickly as possible. To my knowledge, no such confirmation has been provided to date. I am really pleased that we confirmed our contribution in the Budget yesterday, and I congratulate my right hon. Friend on her campaigning on this issue for her constituents. She was an excellent Welsh Secretary, and it was an absolute delight to work alongside her and start to put right the historical wrongs of under-investment in the Welsh railways.17% point-scoring 17% vibes
Verdict: GREEN (78/100)
The reply directly addresses the one question asked: whether the previous Plaid-led Welsh Government confirmed it would honour its funding commitment. It states that, to the respondent's knowledge, no such confirmation has been given, and that the new Welsh Government is the one to provide it. The qualifier 'to my knowledge' adds slight uncertainty, but the answer is clear enough that the asker would have a definite position to act on.
How we got there
| Question item | Coverage | Specificity | Rationale |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whether the Welsh Government, now led by Plaid Cymru, has said it will honour the intergovernmental agreement to contribute funding towards Cardiff Parkway station. | Addressed | Direct | The item asks whether the Plaid-led Welsh Government has said it will honour its funding commitment, and statement 2 directly answers that no such confirmation has been given to date, while statement 1 makes clear the confirmation is for the new Welsh Government to provide. The 'to my knowledge' qualifier adds some hedging, but the answer is still a concrete position on the specific question asked. |