6. What steps will be taken to widen access to the great Welsh outdoors? OAQ(5)0049(ERA)

The Welsh Government is keen to secure improvements in the opportunities available for people to access the outdoors. Full consideration of the range of issues raised by the earlier review is taking place but more work is needed before taking any decisions on potential new measures to increase access.

I wondered, Minister, if you could provide the Chamber with a greater degree of detail on the timelines, because I know that there is a great deal of frustration in terms of taking this work forward, which has been debated and considered for quite some time. Later on, we’ll be talking about how we get Wales more physically active and healthy, and I think a major part of that is opening up the great Welsh outdoors to a greater extent than is currently the case.

Thank you. You’ll be aware we had a significant number of responses to the Green Paper—I think it was approaching 6,000, if I remember rightly—so it’s taking some time to have a look at all of them. But I did recently provide national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty with an additional just over £0.5 million so that they could look at their priority outdoor recreations. I think people do absolutely appreciate the outdoors, and it’s great to see. I know in my own constituency, I was in Maes y Pant quarry in Gresford, where you see these outdoor gyms coming up, and I’ve seen a few all over Wales. So, it’s really good to see things like that being done. I think we need to consider very carefully the way forward, and I would hope that I will be bringing something forward early next year.

Further to that response, and on the same path as John Griffiths, I would like to press you further, because this is vitally important in terms of health. I know we’re talking about environmental issues here, but obviously there is an overlap here and there will be far-reaching benefit to the health service, because, as doctors, we’re always recommending people to go out walking. Well, it makes much easier if the paths are already there.

Yes, absolutely. Dr Lloyd makes a very important point there, I think. You’ll be aware that we had an assessment of the health benefits of walking on the Wales coastal path back in 2014, and that concluded the economic value associated with improved health through walking on the coastal path was £18.3 million back then. So, absolutely, we can fully appreciate that is the case. And, again, we are doing significant work and putting significant funding into this issue.

Increasing access to the countryside could deliver significant benefits in improving the health and well-being of the public. However, concerns have been expressed that unrestricted access to the countryside could cause environmental and economic damage. Does the Cabinet Secretary recognise these concerns, and how will she ensure widening access will take into account the need to maintain a viable working countryside in Wales?

Yes, absolutely, I recognise those concerns and you won’t be surprised that, in my portfolio, I get it from both sides. I think that is the absolute point: it’s about a balance between widening access and ensuring that we protect the environment also.

Thanks, Minister, for your earlier answers, and I was pleased that you mentioned the Wales coastal path, which we’ve had since 2012, and that’s a great step forward. But, of course, many of the near 900 miles are blighted by coastal erosion, which was also mentioned in an earlier debate today—or question. I wondered what measures you could take to maintain access to the paths in light of the erosion, which particularly affects the path between Penarth and Barry in my area.

Well, that is obviously a very important piece of work and, at the moment, we are drawing together with local authorities the £150 million coastal-risk-management programme for that purpose.

Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her response previously on this? The active travel plan, which I referred to yesterday, in fact, in relation to road safety around schools, also places an expectation on local authorities in Wales to start drawing up maps of proposed new networks for walking and cycling routes. In Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney, as you probably know, there are already excellent facilities such as the Taff, Bargoed and BikePark Wales encouraging walking and cycling in that area. But can I ask the Cabinet Secretary: does she believe that the active travel plan requirements provide a golden opportunity for local authorities to look at potentially widening access to the great Welsh outdoors, in consultation with those already providing such activities?

Yes, absolutely I do. The Act doesn’t sit within my portfolio—it sits within Rebecca Evans’s—but I’d be very happy to do some further work with Rebecca on that issue.