Good afternoon,

Responses to certain additional questions noted below:

• What else could the Welsh Government do, beyond additional funding, to mitigate the impact of reduced funding on culture and sport?

1.      Collaborate to establish an additional Practice Referral Programme for non-chronic conditions. Several local authorities have piloted work that suggests that such an intervention can be financially self-sustaining if it receives input from the health sector in terms of referrals. This can be an extremely valuable preventive intervention and reduce demand on the health sector while making leisure facilities more self-sustaining.

2.      Revisit the Curriculum for Wales to place a clearer emphasis on ensuring that all children learn to swim as a necessary life skill. Also, the national transport framework should be looked at in order to consider school travel costs (especially in rural areas)

3.      Commit to medium-term funding arrangements for all grants in the area e.g. a minimum of 3 years in order to offer job security to the workforce, and to reduce turnover/loss of experience and waste of resources. And a reasonable process within the terms and conditions of the NERS scheme to review user fees - as a contribution towards provision costs.

4.      Review the Free Swimming Grant to set clearer expectations that better match the level of investment available and follow clear priorities. E.g. the ability to use it to target children and young people who cannot swim

• Swim Wales has called for statutory protection for swimming pools. What is your opinion on this?

Agree, if additional resources follow in order to support the statutory status. There is a need to consider what the basis of the statutory provision would be, especially with regard to rural areas and travel distance to a pool etc.

• What else could the Arts Council and Sport Wales do, beyond additional funding, to mitigate the impact of reduced funding on culture and sport?

- Medium-term funding arrangements - even if only indicative budgets.

- Review the Free Swimming Grant to set clearer expectations that better match the level of investment available and follow clear priorities. E.g. the ability to use it to target children and young people who cannot swim

Regards,

Amanda