1. Will the Deputy Minister make a statement on the delivery of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015? OAQ54288

Earlier today I published a report on Wales’s contribution to global efforts to transform the world for people, planet and prosperity. This reflected the importance of our well-being of future generations Act in driving this change in Wales and beyond.

Thank you for that answer, Minister. You will no doubt be aware that the number of pubs across Wales is falling. Very often, of course, the local pub acts as a community centre, a place for people to meet up and have a chat. The role of the local pub can often be central in terms of tackling loneliness and isolation and in terms of creating sustainable, cohesive communities in line with the well-being of future generations Act. Now, when pubs close and change their use, often for residential purposes, as seen with a current pub in Resolven, in the Neath valley, the community loses an asset. Will the Welsh Government now commit to looking at protecting pubs and restaurants, by giving local communities the opportunity of registering them as assets of community value, as happens in England, and give these communities the chance to keep these pubs open as community facilities?

Diolch yn fawr, Dai Lloyd. An interesting reflection on the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015. Of course, the loss of pubs has often been the loss of community facilities, and indeed many pubs have—I have a pub in my own constituency that has just managed, through a community effort, to stay open as a very important focus for community activities. But I think we will certainly look into the issue, in terms of the status of those pubs. I'm sure this depends on ownership, in terms of the building, and the brewery's involvement in it. But certainly, I think the point is that we need to look at all our community facilities, look at community asset transfer, which has been very successful, and look, for example, at opportunities from the communities facilities programme. And I hope that Members across the Chamber will have seen my written statement today, showing how we've invested in a number of community projects that can also help to reduce loneliness and ensure that there is well-being in our communities.

Janet Finch-Saunders.

Is this number one?

Yes, it is.

I'm just checking.

Are you ready, Janet Finch-Saunders?

I am ready, thank you, Llywydd.

You're lucky it's the last week of term.

The Act has an admirable aim of achieving seven well-being goals across Wales. These include, of course, a Wales of cohesive communities, meaning that we should have well-connected communities. Key to this, of course, is public transport. However, I have found myself fighting three major campaigns to save our bus services in Aberconwy. So it does seem that north Wales is actually stepping further away from having a cohesive community. The need for the Welsh Government to invest more in public transport has been highlighted by the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales. There are scathing facts in the report that she published last month, including that spend per capita on transport in Wales is lower than England and Scotland. Will you commit to making more money available, so that we reach the aim of the future generations Act, so that we achieve cohesive communities, and therefore, in the same time, we save our local bus networks, which are so badly needed, but very much valued by our local communities?

Well, I have no dispute at all with Janet Finch-Saunders about the importance of our public transport system. I regretted enormously the deregulation of bus services when I was a former councillor, and we can see the chaos that that has resulted in—no strategic direction, local authorities trying to play their role, particularly ensuring that some of our bus companies, like Cardiff and Newport, for example, have been able to keep their bus services. It is important that every time you engage in a campaign to save a service, you also have to recognise that this is about priorities. Every time a Welsh Conservative says, 'Can you put more money in this?', I would say, 'Well, what are you asking your Government in Westminster after 10 years of austerity?', and, 'From where would you take the money, Janet Finch-Saunders, in order to put more money into our bus services?' Now, I know the well-being of future generations commissioner has done some very useful work in terms of our transport system arrangements, and contributed, particularly, for example, to the WelTAG considerations, as well as planning policy. But it is important that we see that our bus services are part of cohesive communities, in providing access for our communities to work, to leisure, and to combat loneliness.