Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:41 pm on 30 April 2019.
First Minister, leisure services across Wales have taken a hammering over recent years and, obviously, as you've said, while Tory UK Government austerity has driven much of this, over recent years a lack of Welsh Government funding to local government has compounded the issue. Now, these concerns over funding have been well made by council leaders of all political persuasions by the Welsh Local Government Association. Local leisure services clearly play a vital societal role in terms of tackling loneliness and isolation, physical fitness and social cohesion. Do you now recognise that your Government will need to commit to providing more money to local government in future years so that these vital services can be protected?