2. What steps is the Welsh Government taking to support the active recreation sector in north Wales? OQ57289

Our programme for government makes clear our commitments to promote equal access to sport and leisure activities and our aims for a safe and welcoming tourism and leisure sector across Wales. North Wales features prominently in Visit Wales’s promotional activities and in our capital investment programme for tourism.

Diolch, Deputy Minister. I recently visited Plas y Brenin, which is a great facility for adventure sport and training in the heart of Snowdonia, and it's run by a Welsh charity, the Mountain Training Trust. They are looking for funding to bring their building and outdoor facilities up to full disability access to widen inclusiveness and expand the offer. What is Welsh Government doing to support this industry that is so crucial to both the economic and social well-being of north Wales to recover from the pandemic and grow, and would it be possible for you, Deputy Minister, and officials to meet with me to explore what can be done to help this fantastic facility grow and adapt? Thank you. 

Can I thank the Member for that supplementary question? Yes, I did see that you recently visited Plas y Brenin; I do follow you on Twitter. It clearly is an excellent facility, and I'm very pleased that you had a positive experience there. And I do fully recognise, of course, the importance of active recreation across Wales and, in this context, the importance of our programme for government commitment to supporting disabled people and removing the barriers and obstacles that might prevent people from enjoying those kinds of visitor attractions. I certainly hope that I'll get the chance to visit there myself soon, and I would be more than happy to have further conversations with you about that. 

However, Plas y Brenin is owned and run by Sport England. So, I would anticipate that capital funding for the facility would be something that Sport England would need to review as an organisation. But, having said that, across north Wales, Welsh Government is currently supporting nine public amenity projects through the Brilliant Basics scheme to enhance the visitor experience, and several of these will allow better access to our environments, such as the beach access at Dwygyfylchi beach in Conwy. It will see improved conveniences incorporating cycle storage and so on. And, of course, we are committed within the programme for government to a new national park for north Wales, the first in more than half a century, centred on the breathtaking Clwydian range and the Dee valley, which I know is very close to your heart. 

The Welsh Government also continues to consider capital development opportunities that support key visitor and leisure destinations—for example, in Denbighshire, to support the expansion and upgrading of facilities at the coastal Beaches Hotel in Prestatyn, and two phases of an £8 million investment in Adventure Parc, Snowdonia, and another £380,000 going into Plas Weunydd Hotel in Llechwedd to create a hotel that will complement the Zip World development. I could go on, but I think the point that you get here is that the Welsh Government is very serious about supporting the outdoor recreation facilities and centres, and does absolutely recognise the importance of it to the wider economy of north Wales. 

As highlighted, active recreation is, of course, essential to the health and prosperity of many people across north Wales. Not only does active recreation benefit people physically, it also has immense benefits for mental health as well. As, Minister, you will be aware, north Wales is an exceptional area for active recreation, with fantastic nature and scenery for all types of exercise, and, indeed, back in May, I was delighted, as you just mentioned Adventure Park Snowdonia, to actually be at the opening of the Hilton hotel there, a hub of award-winning indoor and outdoor adventures in north Wales, with the world-first inland surfing. So, yes, a great example of a site enabling active recreation—a really important stakeholder in the region. But just going back to the benefits, in terms of both physical and, of course, mental health, I wonder, Deputy Minister, what work you're doing with the health Minister to understand the benefits further, and how the north Wales health board—Betsi Cadwaladr health board—can also ensure that they're supporting the active recreation sector? 

Can I thank the Member for that question? And I think he is absolutely right: this is not something that is the responsibility or within the confines of one single portfolio. I've had conversations with my colleague the Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being and with the Minister for health about how we can work across portfolio to deliver some of those health and well-being objectives, including some budgetary issues. Obviously, within my portfolio, we have lots of areas, whether it's arts, culture or sport, that can help deliver those kinds of activities. We don't necessarily have all the budget that goes with that, if it is specifically around a mental health and well-being objective, but we have a very clear objective within our programme for government about delivering social prescribing, and the areas within my portfolio really are there to enable that support to be given into the health sectors as well. So, it is absolutely something that we're considering on a regular basis.