3. What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Health and Social Services regarding funding local authorities to promote public health? OQ58963

The resource for core public health promotion sits with local health boards. Local authorities have responsibility for other areas of public health, such as health protection and environmental public health. Local authorities work closely with partners, including local health boards, on some areas of health promotion, such as the national exercise referral scheme.

Yes, thank you very much for that response. Of course, the Minister for health pointed her finger a little at the public with regard to the public's responsibility to be more careful of their health and to do more to exercise and to eat more healthily and so on. I felt that pointing the finger at the public with regard to the NHS's difficulties was rather harsh, but I understand the point she was making. But, of course, the Government itself isn't helping in this regard, because we've talked about the cuts that local authorities are facing, of course—leisure centres are closing, public health programmes are being cut. So, do you agree with me that there is a contradiction—a major contradiction—here where, on the one hand, the Government is saying, 'Well, do more to live more healthily', and on the other hand there is a lack of funding from the Government that means that the leisure centres and the public health programmes and the support available to help people to live more healthily are being cut?

Well, first of all, I would just reassure you that we are acutely aware of and equally concerned about the pressures that the current energy crisis and the cost-of-living crisis are having on the sport and leisure sector. Of course, the provisional local government settlement means that some local authorities have now reversed their plans to close some of their facilities, which I think is really important, demonstrating that they're prioritising those facilities with the additional funding that we've been able to provide. I know, for example, that there are areas such as swimming pools, where authorities and their swimming pool operators are concerned because they haven't been offered protection under the UK Government's new energy bills discount scheme, so we're supporting those efforts for those kinds of facilities to be categorised as intensive energy users. It's also worth recognising as well that as part of their capital funding investments, Sport Wales is looking into ways in which they can support the sector regarding green energy, and they've made links with the Welsh Government's energy service to discuss the practicalities there. So, there is obviously a financial outlook that is very challenging at the moment, but I know that authorities are trying to prioritise these non-statutory services and we've got several questions on those this afternoon as well, as part of their response to the cost-of-living crisis, and to support people.

Given that the over-65 population is likely to significantly increase over the next five years, it is essential that our local authorities receive adequate funding to support our older population, and we know that our social care in Wales is in a mess. We've heard the concerns about the hypothecation and how money is afforded to local authorities. We've heard our colleague Llyr Gruffydd outline the responsibilities that have fallen on local authorities as a result of some bad legislation going from here, and then being picked up by local authorities.

The World Health Organization describes age-friendly communities as being places in which older people, communities, policies, services, settings and structures work together in partnership to support and enable us all to age well. In April 2022, the Welsh Government announced that £1.1 million was being made available to local authorities to support their work to become age friendly, and to ensure older people are involved in the design and planning of local services. This is something I've worked on with the Older People's Commissioner for Wales, and she has emphasised the need for such investment to continue. Minister, what progress has the £1.1 million investment achieved during the current financial year, and is it your intention, and indeed that of the Deputy Minister for Social Services, to continue to invest in creating age-friendly communities in 2023-24? Diolch.

I'm grateful for that question and I've also had a really good meeting with the older people's commissioner, who talked very passionately about the potential for age-friendly communities. I can confirm that, for 2023-24, the Welsh Government via the social care reform fund will provide a grant of £50,000 to each local authority, so that they are able to appoint a lead officer to support their working towards becoming part of the WHO network of age-friendly communities and cities. I know that the Deputy Minister would be more than happy to provide more detailed information about the activities that are taking place on a local basis.