2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:41 pm on 25 September 2018.

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Photo of Steffan Lewis Steffan Lewis Plaid Cymru 2:41, 25 September 2018

I'd like to ask Welsh Government for a statement on the consultation currently under way in Caerphilly on the potential closure of up to seven leisure facilities in the county borough. I think a statement is appropriate for two primary reasons. Firstly, I know that a number of members of the public have tried to engage with the consultation process and they found it very rigid. They would have liked an opportunity to elaborate further on their views, and some of the multi-option questions being asked are not particularly broad in their range, and so that really raises questions about the confidence local people can have in the consultation and that their views are being taken seriously. Secondly, of course, as we approach a health ticking time bomb in terms of lack of physical activity and obesity, is it really appropriate that, at this point, we make it harder for citizens in Caerphilly to be physically active, especially given the provisions of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015? One of the leisure centres has a record attendance rate in the recent financial year—Pontllanfraith—and more than 80 clubs and groups rely on its facilities. So, I would really be grateful for a Welsh Government statement on the plight of leisure facilities in Caerphilly.