Question to the Department for Transport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what recent assessment he has made of the potential impact of Northern Powerhouse Rail on (a) North Wales and (b) Anglesey.

The Government published the Integrated Rail Plan (IRP) for the North and Midlands in November 2021 of which Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) forms one component. As NPR is a programme designed to improve connectivity in the North of England, specific impacts on North Wales and Anglesey from the scheme have not been assessed.

The IRP will improve onward connectivity to Wales via a new high-speed line from Birmingham to Manchester. Much of North Wales will be brought within two and a quarter hours of London, via interchange with HS2 at Crewe.