: 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.
(Deputy Minister for Arts
and Sport, and Chief Whip): 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.
