Part of 1. Questions to the Minister for Finance and Trefnydd – in the Senedd at 2:05 pm on 8 January 2020.
Clearly, managing resources to ensure value for money and effectiveness includes play, which is key to children's health and well-being. The recent review of play sufficiency assessments carried out for the Welsh Government by Play Wales reported that the all-Wales play opportunities grant funding from Welsh Government has resulted in increased activity to secure play opportunities across Wales, and that the Welsh Government should be clear on how anti-poverty and other focused investments should be used to support play sufficiency. How do you therefore respond to concerns raised with me by play sector representatives this week who've been informed that the all-Wales play opportunities grant is not going ahead again in the next financial year; that the only thing that's been keeping the last remaining bits of play and play work infrastructure going across Wales has been this grant; and that, as a sector, they're haemorrhaging excellent staff who have jumped ship to pastures new, and whilst there is excellent work going on in some areas, there are still huge gaps in the infrastructure and provision is dwindling?