Ken Skates and Breach of the Ministerial Code by refusing to supply information on Trawscymru T1/T2/T3 services

copies   Welsh MPs at Westminster,  Welsh Assembly Members and

Ceredigion Council members Dear Ken Skates,

I AM PROVIDING THIS EMAIL TO THE OFFICE OF JAMES HAMILTON AS AN ILLUSTRATION THAT THE MINISTERIAL CODE IS NOT BEING APPLIED BY THE WELSH GOVERNMENT.

ON 22/01/2018 I SENT A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS TO YOU REGARDING:-

(1) THE RECOMMENDATION TO ROUTE THE T3 FROM WREXHAM TO ABERYSTWYTH INSTEAD OF TO BARMOUTH,

(2) A “HIGH LEVEL” REVIEW INTO THE T3 ROUTE (MENTIONED IN YOUR CORRESPONDENCE KS/03829/17 OF 17/11/2017) .

(3) THE TRAWSCYMRU T2 TIMETABLE CHANGES OF 15TH JANUARY 2018.

You chose to give the questions to the Trawscymru Network Manager (David

Hall) to treat as a Freedom of Information Request (ATISN 12006). This he did on 05/02/2018 ignoring 18 of the questions and amending the remaining 6 questions

ON 06/02/2018 I WROTE TO YOU AGAIN SAYING “”WOULD YOU ARRANGE FOR A REPLY TO ALL 24 OF MY QUESTIONS , USING THE SAME TEXT AS IN MY EMAIL OF

22/01/2018.    IF YOU DECIDE TO NOT ANSWER A QUESTION,  COULD YOU NOTE

THE REASON THAT NO ANSWER IS GIVEN AGAINST EACH INDIVIDUAL QUESTION.

COULD YOU ALSO QUOTE A DATE ON WHICH YOU PROPOSE TO REPLY . ””

I have not received an acknowledgement for those 24 questions or a date on which you propose to reply.  It is now 17 working days since I sent the 24 questions and the Welsh Government publicity states Ministers will aim to respond within 17 working days.

The 24 questions relate to the Welsh Government not following the published Welsh Government Transport Strategy (page 49 paragraph 4.5 ) , which states a key action is to improve the T1/T2 Carmarthen to Bangor route reliability and journey times and also relate to the Welsh Government not following the conclusion and recommendation of the Bevan Foundation Review into the Trawscymru network (Page 10 paragraph 2.12) to route the T3 from Wrexham to Aberystwyth .

The questions were sent specifically to you because your “”reassuring”” official the Trawscymru Network Manager (David

Hall) ignores questions, amends questions and lies in answer to questions.  I would therefore ask that you give the 24 questions serious consideration , and scrutinise the answers that are provided to you by

David Hall and reply to the questions  yourself.    It is your

responsibility (under the Ministerial Code)  to address the behaviour of David Hall .  It is also your responsibility to ensure that the Welsh Government Transport Strategy is adhered to, ( with respect to the T1/T2 Carmarthen to Bangor route) .  It is also your responsibility to ensure that the recommendation of the Bevan Foundation Review into the Trawscymru network (to examine routing the T3 from Wrexham to Aberystwyth instead of Barmouth) is carried out.

This is hugely important. Today is TimetoTalk Day – a chance for everyone to be more open. Talking and listening can change lives. I would ask that you reply to the 24 questions as soon as possible .  The following aspects of the Ministerial Code apply:-

(1) “”Ministers should require civil servants to be as helpful as possible in providing accurate, truthful and full information on their behalf””

_(2) “”Ministers should be as open as possible with the public, refusing to provide information only when disclosure would not be in the public interest_ “”

(3) “”Holders of public office should be willing to challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs_.””_

Yours Sincerely

Dr John McTighe