Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:03 pm on 21 March 2023.
Thank you for your answer, First Minister. To provide a little bit of history and background, North Wales Hospital was a former mental health asylum in Denbigh, which closed way, way back in 1995 after the implementation of the care in the community Act, which came into place in the 1980s. Since its closure, it has been subject to a lot of things like arson attacks, vandalism and urban exploration. You only need to do a quick search on YouTube or any social media to see evidence of that. But there is a silver lining in the fact that the North Wales Hospital site has secured £7 million worth of funding from the north Wales growth deal, which, of course, as you know, is a joint venture between the UK and Welsh Governments. In terms of the long-term future of the site, which is now owned by Jones Bros from Ruthin, could I ask you, First Minister, this afternoon, what the Welsh Government can do more to maximise this fund and make sure that consequential investment can be attracted to ensure the long-term viability of the site, so that people in Denbigh and the Vale of Clwyd have a site to be proud of, and to maintain the building's rich history in the town?