HS2: Wales must get cash if scheme scaled back, says Mark Drakeford

Wales should get cash from spending on HS2 in England if the Manchester to Birmingham high speed rail link is not built, the first minister has said.

The BBC understands that the prime minister will ditch that section of the line, due to spiralling costs.

Mark Drakeford said the "flimsy case" for Wales not receiving extra funding from the project "collapses completely" if the reports prove correct.

The route is officially categorised as an England and Wales project.

Despite the fact that it does not cross the border, the UK government has argued that HS2 will boost reliability, connectivity and capacity on routes across the UK, including services into Wales.

In March it was announced the section from Birmingham to Crewe station, a hub for connections to north Wales, would be delayed by two years to cut costs.

Another part of the route, between the East Midlands and Leeds, has already been cancelled.

When UK ministers spend money on things in England that are devolved to Wales, such as health and education, it usually triggers extra funding for Wales.

But most rail infrastructure is not devolved and HS2's classification as an England-and-Wales project means there is no extra funding for the Welsh government.

All political parties on the Senedd, including the Welsh Conservatives, have called on the UK government to give Wales extra funding as a consequence of HS2.

During First Minister's Questions on Tuesday, Mr Drakeford said: "If there is to be no link beyond Birmingham then the flimsy case for regarding this as an England and Wales development collapses completely.

"And at that point, the case for making sure of a consequential for Wales will be stronger still.

"Wales has already missed out on £270m as a result of HS2 misclassification in the current spending review period, that will only grow beyond that unless and until this misclassification is put right."

The first minister was responding to Plaid Cymru leader Rhun ap Iorwerth who said HS2 was "never a project to benefit Wales".

"It's beyond any doubt that this is an England-only project improving England's railways at our expense.

"The billions of HS2 consequentials being withheld from Wales could have a transformative impact on our country, including transport system," he said.

HS2 was meant to connect London with Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds, with connections from Crewe north Wales.

Mr Sunak has said he will not be "forced into a premature decision" on the future of HS2.

He told the BBC an "enormous amount" of money was being spent on the high speed train line and it was important to make the right long-term decision.

But he is now expected to announce the scrapping of the line between the West Midlands and Manchester in favour of a range of alternative projects in the north of England and Wales.

In Cardiff Bay, Plaid Cymru's leader criticised Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer saying that he was "also refusing to commit to giving us the consequentials" if he became the next prime minister.

Mr Drakeford defended Sir Keir: "The leader of the Labour Party, if Labour is successful at the next general election, will be weighing up a whole range of different priorities that people from across the United Kingdom will be putting to Labour's Treasury team.

"And I think it entirely understandably he is not in a position to be agreeing piecemeal to one sort of possibility after another."