8. What resources has the Minister allocated to the health and social care portfolio to implement the 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' policy? OAQ53518

Our 2019-20 budget included an additional allocation of £192 million to implement 'A Healthier Wales', our long-term plan for health and social care in Wales. Decisions on the allocation of funding to deliver policies are a matter for the Minister for Health and Social Services.

One hundred and ninety-two million pounds sounds a lot of money, but the size of the problem is enormous. We have nearly 7,000 people under the age of 25 with type 2 diabetes and 1,500 of them are under the age of 19. That is a very, very serious statistic. So, it seems to me that we are going to need to roll out across Wales, proper weaning advice for all new parents, as well as cookery classes in all our schools to ensure that people aren't eating things that are literally killing them. So, I appreciate that the consultation hasn't yet closed, but presumably—is there any possibility that, were the health Minister to identify additional needs over and above that £192 million, that that might be a conversation you'd be prepared to contemplate?

Thank you for raising the consultation. As you say, it hasn't yet closed, but I know that your views will be very keenly received by that consultation. There have been some immediate measures that have been agreed by Cabinet, because, like you, we recognise that this is one of the issues that can't wait. So, proposed initial actions that we would take would be, for example, to increase daily activities through schools' environments. So, we currently have 303 schools now signed up to undertake the daily mile across Wales, and if we see this is effective, and I understand that it is, then we will be looking to double the number of participating schools by 2021.

We also, as you know, want to support more active travel and remove the barriers to walking and cycling. We've also committed to reviewing the delivery of the national exercise referral scheme and to work with partners to expand opportunities for social prescribing and delivery of initiatives to engage with people who currently have multiple barriers to engaging in activity. Another one of the initial, immediate actions that we wanted to take forward was to create new loans and grants for small physical activity-related businesses and clubs, and Business Wales and the Development Bank of Wales are exploring this at the moment. Another area that we want to take forward is for Sport Wales to provide more proactive planning advice. So, we want to strengthen and enhance their capacity to engage proactively with developers and local authorities on their local development plans, and also with developers, universities, schools and colleges in order to plan in physical activity at the start of that planning process in a much more strategic way. So, although the consultation is ongoing at the moment, there are some initial plans that we have put in train.

Finally, question 9—Suzy Davies.