PRESS RELEASE : Prime Minister visits North Wales on Levelling Up tour [February 2024]

The press release issued by 10 Downing Street on 22 February 2024.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak is in North Wales today to see how the Levelling Up agenda is helping to spread opportunity, create jobs and revitalise local communities across North Wales.

He will today meet engineers in Anglesey to see the work that goes on behind the UK Government’s rollout of faster, more reliable broadband, as well as visit communities and businesses across the two-day tour of the region.

The visit comes just as the UK Government announces that more than one million homes, businesses and public buildings can now access the best internet speeds on the market as a result of UK Government investment.

Growth in gigabit coverage in Wales over the past year is among the fastest in the UK. Today nearly 70 per cent of Welsh premises have access to a gigabit capable connection. Before our rollout, only seven per cent of Welsh premises had access five years ago.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said:

Levelling Up is about providing people with better opportunities to work, travel and feel proud of where they live.

Upgrading one million premises with high-speed gigabit broadband is part of our long-term plan to deliver a brighter future by connecting people, businesses and regions across the entire United Kingdom.

We’re breathing new life into communities across North Wales through greater connectivity, a brand new freeport, more cash for high streets and a £1 billion investment into North Wales rail.

As part of our Levelling Up agenda, the Government has stepped in to upgrade places which have been left out of the commercial rollout.

Where previously many people would have struggled to stream TV shows or run small businesses, we are delivering greater connectivity – growing the rural economy, creating jobs and ensuring all communities across the country can reap the rewards of lightning-fast connectivity.

This follows the Government’s recent delivery of major projects to spread jobs, prosperity and investment right across North Wales:

• The new Anglesey Freeport, visited by the Prime Minister and First Minister last year, is expected to bring forward over a billion in private and public investment and create thousands of new, high-skilled jobs.
• A major upgrade and electrification of the North Wales Main Line – backed by an unprecedented £1 billion investment – will bring parts of North Wales within an hour of Manchester.
• A further £20m from the Levelling Up Fund will go to projects to develop and boost areas in Denbighshire, which will include regenerating Rhyl town centre, creating more community centres, improving cycle and footpaths, and improving routes between the town and coast.
• The investment in Denbighshire is one of seven projects across Wales which have been allocated a total of £111 million from round three of the Levelling Up Fund.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will visit North Wales today to see how the Levelling Up agenda is helping to spread opportunity, create jobs and revitalise local communities across North Wales.