Ken Skates fails to carry out the promised “”High-Level”” review of the Trawscymru route from Aberystwyth to Wrexham (FOI CCC)

copies Welsh Assembly Members,Ceredigion Council, Aberystwyth Council

Ken Skates fails to carry out the promised “”High-Level”” review of the  Trawscymru  route from Aberystwyth to Wrexham

Dear Alun Williams,

On 24/10/2017 the other Alun Williams (Responsible for Transport at Ceredigion Council) wrote to Ken Skates (Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport) at my request. The letter from Alun Williams was regarding Trawscymru T2/T1 connectivity in Aberystwyth and was also regarding the Bevan Foundation Review of Trawscymru which had recommended a feasibility study to use a Trawscymru T3 from Wrexham to Aberystwyth instead of to Barmouth.

On 14/11/2017 Ken Skates (Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Transport) wrote to the other Alun Williams to say he had commissioned a “”High-Level”” review  to “”identify the benefits and the operational feasibility of introducing additional Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham linking in with existing bus services and the rail network. “”.Ken Skates also said “” We expect the review to be completed by the Spring and I will ask my officials to ensure  that Ceredigion Council is consulted on this work.”” (see enclosed letter kskates14112017 which was sent to me by Alun Williams on 19/11/2017 ) .

On 23/03/2018 I asked Ceredigion Council to provide me with copies of the 2 letters written by Alun Williams.to Ken Skates (ie the initial letter from Alun Williams to Ken Skates and the reply from Alun Williams.to Ken Skates following the offer of the “”High-Level”” review ) .  On 31/07/2018 (90 working days after the request was made I was provided with a copy of the initial letter written on 24/10/2017 by  Alun Williams to Ken Skates.    I have still not received a copy of Alun Williams.reply to the letter from Ken Skates in which Ken Skates offered  a “”High-Level”” review to introduce additional Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham.  On 18/08/2018 I requested that a copy of this letter be supplied by you as a matter of urgency in view of the fact that it is now 100 working days since the request was made. Ceredigion Council have been completely obstructive in their efforts to avoid  providing  copies of the 2 letters from Alun Williams to Ken Skates.

I have also repeatedly asked Ceredigion Council to contact the Welsh Government regarding progress on the “”High-Level”” review  and have been met by obstructive responses from Ceredigion Council.

On 10/08/2018 you sent a communication to me titled “”Re Matters outside the Freedom of Infprmation Act”” in which you stated that the Trawscymru Strategic Management Board are in direct contact with me to answer my concerns and queries regarding service provision.. You went on to say that there are no outstanding matters to be addressed by Ceredigion Council.   Both these statements are incorrect.    I am not in direct contact with.the Trawscymru Strategic Management Board .   On 09/07/2018 the Trawscymru Network Manager wrote to me enclosing a one page document (see attached file scoleT3review09072018) which the Trawscymru Network Manager said was “”a ‘High Level’ strategic review of the TrawsCymru T3 service which links Wrexham to Barmouth.””.  The one page document by  Professor Stuart Cole is titled “”Suggested Action Plan”” and does not mention a “”High-Level”” review to introduce additional Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham. On 13/07/2018 (27 working days ago) I made a request to the Welsh government regarding the contents of the one page document and regarding the letter that I had received from the Trawscymru Network Manager.    The Welsh Government have refused to reply.   There has been no direct contact with.the Trawscymru Strategic Management Board.    There is also no evidence that a “”High-Level”” review  “”to identify the benefits and the operational feasibility of introducing additional Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham linking in with existing bus services and the rail network. ”  has been carried out.

In relation to the “”High-Level”” review  “”to identify the benefits and the operational feasibility of introducing additional Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham””,  which was commissioned by Ken Skates on 14/11/2017 in a letter to Alun Williams ,   I wish to make the following request for information from Ceredigion Council.:-

(1) Could you please provide me with the name and job title of the person within the Welsh Government who provided the information to Ceredigion Council that  “”the Trawscymru Strategic Management Board are in direct contact with me to answer my concerns and queries regarding service provision””

(2) Could you please provide me with the name and job title of the person who  informed Ceredigion Council of  the  “assurances by the Minister that improvements will be made to the T2 service”

(3) Was the information in (1) and (2) provided to Ceredigion Council by letter, email or by phone and could you please provide me with the name and job title of the person within Ceredigion Council who received the information

(4) Could you please provide me with the copy of Alun Williams.reply to the letter from Ken Skates, in which Ken Skates offered  a “”High-Level”” review to introduce additional Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham. (already requested from Ceredigion Council 100 working days ago)

(5) Could you please provide me with the name and job title of the person within Ceredigion Council.who was “consulted” (as stated in Ken Skates letter of 14/11/2017) regarding a “”High-Level”” review to introduce additional Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham.

(6) Could you please provide me with the name and job title of the person who “consulted” with Ceredigion Council (as stated in Ken Skates letter of 14/11/2017) regarding a “”High-Level”” review to introduce additional Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham.

(7) Could you please provide me with the name and job title of the person within Ceredigion Council who carried out any tasks or any investigative work regarding introducing additional Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham.

(8) Could you please tell me whether any internal documentation was produced by Ceredigion Council regarding a Trawscymru service between Aberystwyth and Wrexham and if so when was it produced and in what form…

(9) Could you please provide me with the name and job title of persons that Ceredigion Council consulted regarding a “”High-Level”” review to introduce additional Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham (For example an Aberystwyth to Wrexham service would presumably be Contract Managed by Ceredigion Council and the bus service provided by Lloyds of Machynleth and any timetable would be decided by Ceredigion Council and Lloyds of Machynleth)

(10) Could you please tell me whether Ceredigion Council held any discussions or meetings with Lloyds of Machynleth or any other bus operator regarding Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham and if so on what dates.   If there is any documentation in existence regarding such discussions or meetings, on what dates was  the documentation produced.

(11) Could you please tell me the dates from 1^st January 2018 to now on which the T2/T3 Trawscymru Service Delivery Group met . If additional Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham was discussed in any such meeting could you please provide a copy of the minutes for the meeting.

(12) Could you please tell me whether any emails or documentation were provided by Ceredigion Council to the Welsh Government  regarding the “”High-Level”” review to introduce additional Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham and if so on what dates.

(13) Could you please tell me whether any meetings were attended  by Ceredigion Council officers/officials regarding the “”High-Level”” review to introduce additional Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham,.   If meetings were held Could you please give the dates and whether minutes of the meetings were produced.

(14) Have Ceredigion Council been provided with a copy of a report covering a “”High-Level”” review to introduce additional Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham . If a  report was provided to Ceredigion Council , could you please provide the date it was provided and the name and job title of the person who provided the report to Ceredigion Council.  Could you please provide a copy of the report.

(15) Have Ceredigion Council been provided with a copy of the one page document titled “Suggested Action Plan” (see attached file scoleT3review09072018) and if so on what date was this document provided to Ceredigion Council and could you please provide me with the name and job title of the person  who provided a copy.of the document to Ceredigion Council .   If Ceredigion Council have been provided with a copy of the one page document titled “Suggested Action Plan” is this the only documentation Ceredigion Council have received that is said to concern the “”High-Level”” review to introduce additional Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham

(16) Have Ceredigion Council been provided with a reason why the “”High-Level”” review  recommended that Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham should not be pursued.

(17) Have Ceredigion Council been provided with  any document or email covering the investigations carried out in the “”High-Level”” review and the reasons why the “”High-Level”” review recommended that Trawscymru services on the Aberystwyth to Wrexham route should not be provided..   If  there is a document or email covering the “”High-Level”” review investigations could you please provide the date the document or email was received by Ceredigion  Council , and the name and job title of the person within Ceredigion Council who received the document.   Could you also provide the name and job title of the person who sent any such document or email to Ceredigion Council.  Could Ceredigion Council  provide a copy of any such document or email covering the investigations carried out in the “”High-Level”” review

(18) Have Ceredigion Council written to or emailed the Welsh Government regarding the recommendation of the “”High-Level”” review that Trawscymru services on the Aberystwyth to Wrexham route should not be pursued .  If so could Ceredigion Council  provide a copy of any such letter or email.

(19) Have Ceredigion Council written to or emailed the Welsh Government regarding the fact that there is no evidence that a “”High-Level”” review of Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham route has been carried out.. If so could Ceredigion Council  provide a copy of any such letter or email.

(20) Have Ceredigion Council made any representations/communications to the Welsh Government at all following the completion of the “”High-Level”” review  of Trawscymru services between Aberystwyth and Wrexham route and could Ceredigion Council provide a copy of any such communication they have made to the Welsh Government.

Could I please stress that the above request is a Freedom of Information request.  It is not a Customer Complaint. The FOC guidelines state that FOI requests should be answered promptly and that the 20 day limit to reply should be considered by Public Authorities as a back stop.  I therefore request that the above request is dealt with promptly and that it is not split into an FOI request and a Customer Complaint  The Information Commissioner will be able to provide guidance to you how to deal with an FOI request.

Yours sincerely,

Dr John McTighe,