ICE response to the Union Connectivity Review

In the case of multi-nation transport connectivity, clarity is required on governance, responsibilities between the political executive, the national legislature, permanent officials and any expert independent infrastructure commissions.

There is potential here to co-ordinate action between the National Infrastructure Commission, the outputs of the Infrastructure Commission for Scotland, the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales, and any potential Commission arising in Northern Ireland, to jointly develop a credible needs assessment grounded in the current and future performance of the assets and networks making up the transport infrastructure system.

To support this response, polling was conducted on behalf of ICE by YouGov in England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to better understand how the public perceive transport connectivity between UK nations and to understand motivations for future travel patterns at a multi-nation level.

The evidence shows that most respondents do not find it difficult to travel between their nation of residence and other nations of the UK, however, improvements could be made in the transport system that would encourage more frequent travel.