New Trawscymru route from Chirk to Bangor via Wrexham and Ken Skates breach of the Ministerial Code

copies   Mr James Hamilton, The Information Commissioner, Welsh MPs at

Westminster,  Welsh Assembly Members and Ceredigion Council members, Aberystwyth Council

Dear Carwyn Jones ,

Yesterday on 16/03/2018  I was  made aware by a North Wales Council of the route the Welsh Government are proposing for a new Traswscymru service between Chirk and Bangor.  When this route is adopted in May 2018, the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy and

Infrastructure (Ken Skates) will breach the Ministerial Code.   The

Ministerial Code will be breached by the authorising of an unexplainable and unnecessary 10 mile portion of the route between Chirk and Wrexham, across Ken Skates AM constituency , which is solely for the benefit of his own constituents .

On 18/02/2018 I wrote to Ken Skates asking for information on the

proposed new Trawscymru route in North Wales.   On the next day

(19/02/2018) I received a threatening letter from the Director for Transport, Simon Jones, refusing to answer questions in 3 different requests previously addressed to the Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Infrastructure (Ken Skates) . Those requests were regarding a “high level” review to route the T3 from Wrexham to Aberystwyth,  and regarding changes to the T2 Bangor to Aberystwyth service, implemented on 15/01/2018 , which were detrimental to the T2/T1 Bangor to Carmarthen route.,  You will recognise the name of Simon Jones, as he was the person who you, inappropriately, chose to format your reply of

21/12/2017 to my previous complaint of breach the Ministerial Code by Ken Skates.  Three days ago on 14/03/2018 Simon Jones wrote to me again refusing to provide information on the proposed new Trawscymru route in North Wales saying that my requests for information are “_vexatious_”.  Simon Jones used , (as his evidence for “vexatious” behaviour),  the details from the complaints that I had made previously to you as First Minister of breaches of the Ministerial

Code by Ken Skates.     The refusal to supply information requested from

Ken Skates is a breach of the Ministerial Code.    The use, by Simon

Jones,  of text from a Ministerial Code complaint, (addressed to the First Minister), to justify refusing requests for information is a breach of the Ministerial Code.  The use, by the First Minister, of Simon Jones, a Director within Ken Skates own department,  to format the First Minister’s reply of 21/12/2017 to my complaint of a breach of the Ministerial Code by Ken Skates is a breach the Ministerial Code by

the First Minister.   The Ministerial Code quotes “”the First

Minister may refer matters to an independent adviser on the Ministerial Code”” and Simon Jones is not ”independent”.

The information that I received on 16/03/2018  indicates that the Welsh Government are currently examining a new Traswscymru route between Chirk and Bangor (77 miles).  The investigation on this new route is being led by the Traswscymru Network Manager, who is based in Llandudno, which is on the new route.  A meeting was held on 20/11/2017 between the Welsh Government and Wrexham Borough Council , Denbighshire council ,Gwynedd Council and Conwy Council.  There are meeting notes of 20/11/2017,  but

these are said to be “_not available to the public_”.   The proposed

new route is a dog leg route running North East from Chirk to Wrexham for 10 miles through the AM constituency of South Clwyd, which is  held by the Welsh Government Minister responsible for Transport, Ken Skates.

The route then turns Westward across North Wales from Wrexham to Bangor via Llandudno.

The inclusion of the Chirk to Wrexham part of the proposed new route can be seen as a breach of the Ministerial Code,  since it is unnecessary

and benefits only the AM constituents of Ken Skates.   The Chirk to

Wrexham leg goes North-East and is in a completely different direction

to the main route, which runs East-West from Wrexham to Bangor.   Chirk

itself is not a strategic destination and  there is already an hourly train service from Chirk to Wrexham taking 13 minutes.  There is also adequate existing bus services between Wrexham and Bangor and a fast

rail service every hour.   The proposed new route from Chirk to Bangor

is another Trawscymru service,  like the T3 Wrexham to Barmouth service, which is being designed for the benefit of the AM constituents of Ken

Skates.   The T2 service changes of 15/01/2018 , which were detrimental

to the T2/T1 Bangor to Carmarthen route.,  were also carried out for one reason only – for the benefit of the constituents of Ken Skates on the

T3 service from Wrexham.    The recommendation of the independent review

to route the T3 from Wrexham to Aberystwyth rather than Barmouth is also being ignored for the benefit of the constituents of Ken Skates,  who want to retain the non strategic route through the constituency of South Clwyd to Barmouth

Three days before the meeting on 20/11/2017 to examine the new Traswscymru route between Chirk and Bangor , Ken Skates wrote on

17/11/2017 to Alun Williams, Ceredigion Councillor responsible for Transport saying he had “”_commissioned a “high level” review to route the T3 from Wrexham to Aberystwyth rather than Barmouth _“”.

The T3 route from Wrexham to Aberystwyth was recommended by an independent review by the Bevan Foundation in 2013 before the

introduction of the T3 service from Wrexham to Barmouth in 2014.   The

T3 route from Wrexham to Aberystwyth would probably follow the same route from Wrexham towards Chirk as the proposed new service . However the T3 route from Wrexham to Aberystwyth was not discussed in the meeting on 20/11/2017 . This promised “high level” review has not been carried out and, on 08/01/2018,  the detrimental changes to the T2 Bangor to Aberystwyth service were introduced to “”_provide better connections in Dolgellau with the T3 Service from Wrexham to Barmouth”_” , again for the benefit of the AM constituents of Ken Skates.  The recommended Wrexham to Aberystwyth route has been ignored as it is not beneficial to the AM constituents of Ken Skates

The strategic T2/T1 Bangor to Carmarthen route (133 miles with a change in Aberystwyth and no alternative travel option by rail) is now completely dysfunctional after the T2 service changes on 08/01/2018 .

The T2/T1 route now has no connectivity in Aberystwyth and has been ruined by the preferential treatment provided to the passengers on the

T3 Service from Wrexham/South Clwyd . This is contrary to the published Welsh Government Transport Strategy which states “”_The journey times will be improved on the T2/T1 Bangor to Carmarthen route_ “”.

The Ministerial Code quotes under “Responsibility” that “_Ministers must keep separate their roles as Minister and Assembly Member_” . The actions of Ken Skates in allowing preferential treatment of passengers from his AM constituency of South Clwyd,  as a result of decisions taken by the Welsh Government on Trawscymru routes and services,  contravenes this aspect of the Ministerial Code.  The

following cases are examples of this.    Allowing the T2/T1 route to be

ruined for the benefit of his own constituents on the T3 route from

Wrexham to Barmouth.    Ignoring the recommendation to route the T3 from

Wrexham to Aberystwyth .   Allowing inclusion of an unnexplicable,

unnecessary 10 mile diversion from Wrexham to Chirk for 10 miles through his own constituency on the proposed new route across North Wales.

Could the First Minister please add the above complaints of breach of the Ministerial Code to those that I have previously made to the First Minister and that still remain unanswered by the First Minister.

Yours Sincerely Dr John McTighe