I’m going to focus on the recommendation relating to north Wales, as you would expect. During the last week of the last term, we had a short statement from the Welsh Government stating that it did not support the case for the creation of a medical school in Bangor because it is a long process and because it is a very costly one. Now, perhaps it is going to be a long process, but that, in itself, isn’t a reason for not doing something—because it’s going to take a long time. As far as I see it, that isn’t a reason.

I’m going to challenge the statement that it’s costly as well. At present, health boards spend very significant sums on agency staff, including locum doctors, to do important work, because of recruitment problems. In May 2017, 141 medical posts in Betsi Cadwaladr health board were empty or vacant. This represents 37 per cent of all posts empty in NHS Wales, and they’re the figures of the Welsh NHS Confederation. The lack of staff creates significant costs, significantly higher costs than the relatively low cost of establishing a medical school in the north. The initial investment would pay for itself very soon, and there’s no need for capital investment, even, in Bangor.

I’ve asked if I could see a copy of the business case for establishing a medical school in the north. I don’t know whether there is a business case or if there is an intention to publish a business case. That would be beneficial, so that everyone could see the logic behind the decision, because I am struggling to find that logic at present.

The Government’s statement states that we need more medical education in north Wales, following the recommendation of the committee, and that’s excellent and something to be welcomed. Now, there is a requirement for the universities and medical schools in Bangor, Swansea and Cardiff to work together. But what I would like to know is what the purpose of this collaboration is. What’s the end goal of that collaboration? What’s the aim and objective of it? We in Plaid Cymru suggest an objective of training 40 doctors in Bangor—that is, training from the very initial day when they start their training—and we see that as a very important step on the journey for a medical school in the north.