That doesn't conclude the meeting. We will now move to the short debate. And I will ask Members to leave the Chamber quietly.

If Members can leave the Chamber quietly, those leaving, I'll ask Sam Rowlands to propose the short debate. Sam Rowlands.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. This evening, I'm delighted to have the opportunity to bring forward my short debate. It's my first short debate, actually, on an extremely important issue, which is sport in north Wales, ensuring opportunity for all. And I've agreed—generously, of course—to give at least one minute of my time to Tom Giffard, Carolyn Thomas, Gareth Davies and Ken Skates, to whom I'm grateful. I'm going to approach this in three parts this evening. First of all, I'm going to talk more broadly about the importance of sport; secondly, I want to talk about the challenge in north Wales specifically; and then, thirdly, some of the opportunities that we could look at to see these challenges resolved.

The Deputy Presiding Officer took the Chair.

A key reason that I wanted to have a short debate on sport is due to the fact that sport is so important, as I'm sure we know, to our health, our well-being, our sense of place and our sense of community. It really has the power, as we see from time to time—more often than not, actually—to unite our local communities and the power to unite us as a country as well. As a relatively small country of just over 3 million people, we certainly punch above our weight on the world's sporting stage—and that wasn't an intentional pun, actually, but there was one there, and I promise it will be the last one.

But, despite our smaller population, we see some fantastic results. Our men's football team is currently ranked nineteenth best in the world and is going off to the world cup, as we know, next month; our rugby team is ranked at No. 7 in the world; we have the world's best darts player, who is Welsh—I know that James Evans will be very pleased about that; and at the recent 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, Wales won 28 gold medals, which is a fantastic haul for us and we should all be very proud. If we look at women's sport, we continue to see women's sport growing and thriving, along with audiences, with, most recently, 12,000 people attending a Wales women's football game against Slovenia last month. Of course, we're all very excited to see that the Wales women's football team is on the cusp of qualifying for the world cup.

I'm sure that Members from across the Chamber will enjoy a wide range of sports, whether it's the more mainstream sports of football and rugby, or, perhaps, some of the less mainstream sports of mud snorkelling or foot golf. But, in addition to this, these sports are a really important part of our community, with social clubs, bars and a genuine place for people to come together. They have fantastic mental health and well-being benefits. These are often much better, of course, when we are winning, which, for me, doesn't always happen, but it helps from time to time. Along with this, we know that sport also delivers clear physical benefits and is one of the best ways of staying fit and healthy, or at least trying to. Sport can be played by all ages or demographics and by all communities.

A second part, and the bit that I want to focus most of my time on this evening, and the main reason for my short debate, is to highlight that many people across north Wales simply don't have enough of these opportunities. We don't see the same access to sporting opportunities that other parts of the country enjoy, and we need to highlight this inadequacy and take urgent action to rectify it. Some examples of this: with a population of around 700,000 people in north Wales, we have just one professional sports team in Wrexham Association Football Club. In Wales, we have, of course, as we know, four professional rugby teams, but all of those are concentrated in the south. And in north Wales, we have no Olympic-sized swimming pool.

It's this lack of facilities and lack of opportunities for people that hampers people's ability to, first of all, take the next step to an elite or professional level, and it certainly diminishes the exposure of local heroes to inspire the next generation of sportsmen and women. It's extremely frustrating that the concentration of sport in Wales is often around four hours away from the residents I represent in north Wales. Despite having the fantastic and historical Racecourse ground in Wrexham and a growing stadium in Colwyn Bay, sports events are too often centralised in the south.

In addition to this, the people of north Wales don't even have the sufficient transport links to get back home after events if they are in the south. Just last week, Wales played Belgium at the Cardiff City Stadium, but north Walians who'd travelled down certainly struggled to travel back due to the lack of trains.

As I'm sure, Deputy Minister, you will outline in your response, sporting organisations and governing bodies, such as the Football Association of Wales and Welsh Rugby Union, are responsible for their relevant sports. Nevertheless, Deputy Minister, as I'm sure you are fully aware, your list of ministerial responsibilities does include elite sport, along with community sport, physical activity and active recreation in Wales, including sponsorship of the Sports Council for Wales. So, there is a clear role here for the Welsh Government to work with the relevant governing bodies to ensure that we have the opportunity for all when it comes to sport in north Wales. The Welsh Government has the power to enable our governing bodies to deliver successful sporting facilities across north Wales whilst setting the right tone and expectation around fairness and access for all.

Additionally, Deputy Minister, there are major spending departments that could make a significant difference to people accessing sport in north Wales. These of course include our health service, education, local government and even practical departments, such as land and estates—we could enable the development of facilities in north Wales.

Linked to this, facilities in north Wales are one of three key areas that I believe are important for us to focus on, the others being funding and exposure. It’s regrettable that many of our sporting clubs and organisations across north Wales continue to suffer from a lack of resource and there continues to be poor quality infrastructure. Many of our sporting clubs continue to struggle financially and suffer from a lack of resources, along with that poor infrastructure. Without investment in elite sporting facilities in north Wales, many of our future sportsmen and sportswomen will continue to see barriers in their way to competing, with many having to travel many hours to do something they love. There’s a clear trend of people giving up when they reach that elite level. So, the Welsh Government has a key role in working with the responsible organisations, along with local authorities and our communities, to ensure we have co-operation in ensuring sport doesn’t become too centralised in one part of Wales. This can be done by providing support and investment in both elite and grass-roots sport, where we can ensure greater opportunity for all.

When it comes to the exposure of sports and elite sports and the opportunities that presents, it still frustrates me regarding the fact that, even with that population of 700,000 people, and rugby being such an important sport in Wales, we don’t have that professional regional rugby team in north Wales. So, from today’s debate, I’d be grateful if the Deputy Minister could also outline what discussions she’s having with the WRU regarding work on having a professional regional rugby team in north Wales. It simply cannot be right that there are four professional regional teams in Wales and all of these are four hours away from the residents that I represent in north Wales. Perhaps, in the meantime, an interim method to bring this elite level of sport closer to residents in the north could be something similar to what Glamorgan cricket club do. We could see Wales’s four professional rugby teams come to play one of their games each season in north Wales, which would be a fantastic way to improve access to sport and access to that elite level of sport in north Wales, whilst making a huge difference to the local economy as well. You can imagine one of those professional teams down here in the south playing a game up north, perhaps against a team from Ireland, and the economic benefit that would bring to north Wales and the exposure that has to our younger people in particular to see that quality level of sport being played.

Minister, I understand you cannot insist on this, but certainly your support for these types of ideas would bring these opportunities much closer. Of course, in north Wales we have a great foundation for a professional rugby team to take place, with the Gogs playing in Colwyn Bay very regularly, and that academy that’s built into there is really good. That could be built on, and so, Minister, I’d urge you to look at that and how you can work with the WRU to see that come to fruition.

These kinds of actions around seeing more clubs play up in the north may seem tokenistic, but they would make a big difference in helping to engage and inspire people and, as I say, boost the economy by seeing more people involved in all aspects of sport. It really can never be underestimated how important sport is to all aspects of our lives. All efforts that are put into making sport even more of a success also ensure north Wales is not left behind.

So, in closing my contribution today, Deputy Presiding Officer, I look forward to hearing other Members’ valuable stories about their interactions with sport, along with their views about ensuring we have opportunity for all in Wales, and especially in the north. I also look forward to the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport’s response on how we can ensure the future sporting stars of north Wales gain the access and opportunity that they deserve. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Can I thank Sam for giving me some time to contribute to this debate, and for tabling it in the first place? I think what speaks in abundance, I think we can all agree, is that Sam Rowlands has a clear passion for north Wales and for the area that he represents. You’re a really strong advocate for it, and I really think that came through in your remarks on behalf of the people of Wales’s second best region [Laughter.] But I think the point he was making was true—the rest of Wales outside of Cardiff has so much to offer.

But I wanted to use this opportunity to mention the recent report, 'Levelling the playing field', which was released by the committee that I sit on with responsibility for sport. It looked into participation in sport and physical activity in disadvantaged areas. We know that the World Health Organization in 2020 said that, globally, one in four adults did not meet the global recommended levels of physical activity, and, before the pandemic, only 32 per cent of adults participated in sporting activities three times a week, whilst over 40 per cent did none at all.

During the inquiry, we heard from a range of stakeholders that there are a number of barriers facing those in disadvantaged areas from participating in sport and in physical activity. They range from the suitability of facilities, a lack of safe spaces for doing exercise, reductions in time allocated for sport, and stereotypes that frankly belong in the past. Therefore, I'm keen to hear from the Deputy Minister in her response how she intends to tackle those barriers across Wales by working with Sport Wales and other stakeholders to ensure that sport is something that's accessible to all, regardless of health, background or where you live.

Thank you to Sam Rowlands for giving me a minute of his time and bringing forward this debate today. Beautiful north Wales is the home of outdoor sport and recreation. Whether it's cycling in the Clwydian, scrambling up Snowdon or kayaking off Anglesey, there are so many opportunities to connect sport with nature. Sport often begins at grass-roots level, through school, a shared interest with a friend, or someone in the community who has a passion. We have fantastic venues, such as Rhyl rugby club and Shotton rugby club, which have had Welsh Government funding, and they embrace the community as well and do a wonderful job. Mold Magic Basketball also deserves a special mention. The club is now oversubscribed, thanks to great leadership and passion from James, who has helped to bring the national basketball finals to north Wales, in Wrexham, and also the 3x3 tournament to Flint in north Wales as well as to Swansea and Cardiff.

Transport is essential in north Wales as the interest in sport grows. Playing in tournaments across the region, from Wrexham to Holyhead, is quite a distance to cover, and, once that interest grows further and you get to play for Wales, it means travelling to Cardiff every weekend and staying over with, hopefully, a supportive parent—just another reason why securing affordable, reliable and efficient public transport is essential for our region. Thank you.

I’d like to start by declaring an interest as a full member of Rhyl and District Rugby Football Club. I’d like to thank my colleague Sam Rowlands for tabling and discussing this important subject today. It’s quite right that we should be doing all we can to get people into exercise and sport, as it increases their physical and mental resilience, and is something we should all aspire to achieve.

I’d like to give one quick example, like Carolyn touched on, which is in Rhyl, which has a thriving rugby club on Tynewydd Road. Based right in the heart of the community, it offers girls, boys, men and women of all ages the opportunity to engage with the sport, and is proven to increase discipline and teamwork. And it’s not just a rugby club; it’s also a pub, function room, playground and community hub, which, combined together, has endless benefits for the people of Rhyl, of all ages, to socialise and engage with sport, which is a key component for increasing people’s self-esteem and mental health. But, sadly, there aren’t enough examples of this in north Wales, and anyone looking for inspiration can look to Rhyl rugby club to see an example of how it should be done.

I’d like to quickly just thank Rhyl and district rugby club for all the work they do in the community on a daily basis, and wish them the very best for the future, and encourage anyone who is interested in sport to contact their local club, group or association. Thank you.

I’m also very grateful to Sam Rowlands for tabling this important motion today. I’m going to make four quick points that I’ll elaborate on in correspondence, Minister: first of all, that it’s essential that elite performance funding follows the athlete and doesn’t go straight to governing bodies or national centres. That’s because north Wales sportspeople must be able to access training in the north-west of England, and, indeed, competitions, given that so much training and so many competitions in Wales are concentrated too far away, south of the M4. Secondly, and related to this, as Sam Rowlands has identified, we need decentralisation of sports governing bodies and national training centres from greater Cardiff. Thirdly, elite GB climbers in Wales currently can’t get Sport Wales funding, I believe, because we don’t, at this moment in time, have a Welsh governing body for climbing. This is completely unfair, especially if we want to get some climbers from north Wales entering into the Olympics. So, I’d be very grateful if Sport Wales could engage with GB Climbing and the British Mountaineering Council to resolve this problem.

And then, finally, Welsh curling, which is one governing body, one sport, that is headquartered in north Wales, faces the biggest challenge to its survival ever over the soaring cost of energy. I'd be incredibly grateful if Welsh Government or Sport Wales could engage with Welsh curling over their future presence at Deeside ice rink.

I call on the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport to reply to the debate. Dawn Bowden. 

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. And can I thank very much Sam Rowlands for introducing this short debate this afternoon? I'm grateful for all Members and their thoughtful contributions. As Sam has already said, we've got great sporting traditions in Wales. We're excelling in many sports, and we look forward to the women's Rugby World Cup in New Zealand starting next week, and, hopefully, the women's football taking us a step closer to qualifying for the world cup in Australia and New Zealand next year. 

What I would say is that north Wales—. We've talked about Wales as a whole, but north Wales in particular has a sporting tradition and a heritage to be proud of. It's produced many of our nation's finest and most successful sportspeople, such as Gary Speed, Tom Price, Sabrina Fortune, Ian Rush, and Jade Jones. I'm sure there are many more; the list could go on. But it's also home to some world-class facilities and iconic venues, which are of great significance to our nation. You've already mentioned the Racecourse in Wrexham, hosts of our first home international football match, and, as the excitement builds around the men's world cup next month—it's come around pretty quickly, hasn't it; it's less than 50 days now—I'm sure Wrexham and the whole of the north Wales will be playing a big part in providing a focus for supporters and helping to inspire the next generation. And I think that is something we do need to focus on—the world cup and its legacy and how that will inspire what we will be doing to encourage more people to get involved in football. 

But Members will know that investing in sporting facilities, both elite and grass-roots, is a significant element already in our programme for government, highlighting the important link between increasing participation and the health and well-being of our nation. It's vital that we make facilities for sport and physical activity accessible to everyone if we're going to unleash the benefits of sport for everyone in Wales, whether it's from grass roots, or right through to elite sportspeople. Modern, accessible and sustainable facilities are crucial to encourage people back into sport, or into sport in the first place, and I very much look forward to receiving any correspondence from Ken Skates around that particular area that he wished to have some further discussion with me about. But that is why we are committed to investing £24 million in capital funding over the next three years for Sport Wales to develop new and existing facilities across Wales. 

Through Sport Wales, we've provided significant amounts of funding, which has made a real difference to many people in Wales who want to take part in sport, whatever their age, ability and background. And for example, across north Wales, many projects involving different sports have already benefited from our investment. We always know we could spend more. If we had a bottomless pit of money, we could spend more money. But it is worth just acknowledging that there are a number of organisations that have benefited. St Asaph football club, for instance, has been able to form a new girls under 16 and a new boys under 16, thanks to funding for equipment and coach education. Bala Sailing Club has been able to purchase equipment to improve the transportation of boats to and from the water, which, in particular, will help those participants who are older or disabled. The Menai Bridge Bowling Club has been awarded funding to buy various items of equipment, including walking stick ferrules and bowls lifting aids to help older and disabled participants. Ynys Môn county council has been awarded funding to develop a new 3G facility in Amlwch. The two small-sided floodlit pitches will be ideal for training purposes for the mini and junior sections of their local football team. And I know that there are also exciting developments under way for an outdoor velodrome in the Ruthin area, which will be the only one in north Wales. And it's hoped that the outcomes of this exciting project, led by Welsh Cycling and Denbighshire Leisure Ltd, will be the development of a new sustainable club at the facility, and the establishment of an overall cycling hub, with an emphasis on female and youth cycling. And I'm sure that we'll all look forward to seeing that project developing over the coming months. And I was also pleased to learn that Deeside ice rink, which was also mentioned by Ken Skates, which was in use as a mass vaccination centre during the pandemic, will be reopening shortly as the Deeside ice arena. 

Now, Sam, you challenged us to take a cross-department approach, and I have to say that that is already happening in many areas. We're providing significant sums of money to increase community use of schools and their facilities, to support schools to operate and develop as community-focused schools. Our support will enable schools to reach out and engage with families, and work with the wider community, to support all pupils, particularly those disadvantaged by poverty. My colleague the Minister for Education and Welsh Language has announced funding of £24.5 million in this financial year to support this work, which includes £20 million of capital investment to allow schools to develop further as community assets.

We also need to ensure that opportunities to access these facilities are available to everyone, and I am very pleased that the Senedd's Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport and International Relations Committee has looked at the issue of sports participation, particularly in disadvantaged areas. We already have a very clear commitment in our programme for government on participation, and set out in the remit letter to Sport Wales, and this is incorporated in the Sport Wales strategy. However, the committee's report, 'Levelling the playing field', has made some thought-provoking recommendations, and I look forward to working with the committee, and other Members, of course, to deliver on them where we can.

Funding is only part of the picture, though. Partnership working will be key to the successful delivery of new facilities and increasing opportunities. To deal specifically with where we are on our strategy and how we work with partners to improve facilities and participation, you will be aware, I'm sure, Sam, that Sport Wales is leading a system change through the development of the sports partnerships, and a sport partnership brings together a collaboration of key stakeholders within a defined region, who understand the importance and have a focus on delivering the benefits of sport and physical activity. Led by insight, these partnerships are intended to be the catalyst to tackling two long-standing issues.

Firstly, ensuring that there is the right support and opportunities in place for those who are not regularly active, and with a clear focus on removing barriers for those who need the most help. Secondly, the partnership approach will take steps to meet the high talent demand from those who are active but want to do much more. And the recent establishment of Sport North Wales, the first of its type in Wales, will enable delivery of community sport and activity as set out by Sport Wales, who will collaborate locally to create a holistic approach, generating a wider cross-section of societal impacts.

In June 2022, Sport North Wales held its first stakeholder conference. This was an opportunity to engage with a broad range of partners and stakeholders, to begin to explore an emerging vision and purpose for their partnership. Work is ongoing with engagement and consultation across the region throughout the autumn, with an official launch of the partnership expected in early spring 2023.

In conclusion, Dirprwy Lywydd, I think it is an exciting time for sport in north Wales, and I think the region can look forward with a good degree of optimism. Positive engagement is already happening, with national and local partners, including the WRU, which you referred to, about delivering our shared objectives, and I know this collaborative spirit will continue as we make progress on unleashing sporting talent and delivering for all the people of Wales. Diolch yn fawr.

I thank the Deputy Minister.

Thank you all for your contributions this afternoon.

That brings today's proceedings to a close.

The meeting ended at 17:48.