The Grange University Hospital

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Health and Social Services – in the Senedd at 2:56 pm on 3 July 2019.

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Photo of Nick Ramsay Nick Ramsay Conservative 2:56, 3 July 2019

A very to-the-point answer there, Minister. Thank you for that. I've had a couple of visits to the hospital, one with you. It's an impressive building, and I'm pleased to hear that it's on track. A couple of questions: since the building was commissioned, the Welsh Government has declared the climate emergency. There is an obligation on all public buildings to keep their carbon footprints down as low as possible, so I wonder if you could tell us a little bit about the renewables side of the building and how it is meeting those obligations. Secondly, one feature of the hospital that makes it stand out amongst other similar buildings is its extensive and stunning landscaped grounds, which date back to the time of the Llanfrechfa Grange House. Those grounds are seen as integral to part of the rehabilitation of people who have been suffering from illnesses and operations at the hospital. Can you tell us how you plan to—I was going to say 'to build upon', but that's the wrong expression, isn't it? [Laughter.] How do you plan to make the most of those landscaped grounds in terms of keeping the building as renewable as possible? I think that there is an opportunity here for tree planting and to really make a statement with those grounds to make sure that the whole site operates not just as a rehabilitation centre for people but also as a carbon sink?