2. What assessment has the First Minister made of the safety of buildings owned by Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board? OQ59098

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board is responsible for the condition of its own estate. Business cases can be submitted to Welsh Government for capital funding for the health board's assessed priorities, which have to be considered against the backdrop of significant capital pressures across NHS Wales.

Thank you, Trefnydd. Now, shockingly, some 74 per cent of the buildings owned by this board comply with statutory health and safety requirements, only 64 per cent comply with relevant statutory fire safety requirements, and only 62 per cent are operationally safe. And that's a very worrying concern for my constituents and also patients across north Wales. At Ysbyty Gwynedd, the design and layout actually presents infection prevention and control risks. The hospital that you're directly supporting, Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, now has a maintenance backlog of £37 million. And Bryn y Neuadd, in Llanfairfechan, has a backlog of £27.7 million, and 70 per cent of its occupied floor area recorded as 'not functionally suitable'. And that particular hospital has some very, very vulnerable patients there. They deserve better.

Now, the health board's estate strategy states that,

'physical condition and statutory compliance of the estate has got worse since the 2019 Estate Strategy'.

Now, whilst I'd like clarity as to what financial assistance you will be providing, this is simply not a good state of affairs for a health board that swings from one crisis, or one scandal or story, week by week. Now, at some stage, when are you going to actually look at the management of this health board? And, actually, in something like this, if I was responsible for the maintenance and the upkeep of buildings in a managerial position, I would be expecting some kind of repercussion to come from such a poor report. So, what steps are you taking, Trefnydd, to make sure that my constituents, and other patients across north Wales—

I have been extremely generous, Janet Finch-Saunders, so just ask the question now.

Okay. So, what steps are you taking to ensure that my constituents, and patients across north Wales, can actually receive their medical treatment in safe facilities? Diolch.

Well, I know what steps you could take, and you could put some pressure on your Government in Westminster to increase our capital budgets. Our capital budgets have not been increased by the UK Government. However, we have committed more than £335 million towards important NHS and social care capital projects this financial year, and a further £375 million next year to support those organisations, because it's right across Wales. We know we have a lot of our buildings, across all hospitals and health boards in Wales—. Some of them are over 30 years old. So, we know that there has been an increase in backlog figures, for instance, and I know that the Minister for Health and Social Services has met with the chair of the health board and the interim chief executive of Betsi to discuss what prioritisation the health board has, because, as I said in my opening answer to you, it's up to them to identify the priorities that they have, and then put in the bids to the Welsh Government. But you must appreciate the pressures on our capital budget.