2. Will the Minister provide an update on empty buildings owned by the Welsh Government in Caernarfon? OQ59634

Yes. The former Welsh Government office building in North Penrallt is the only empty building owned by the Welsh Government in Caernarfon. The Minister for Climate Change has already written to Gwynedd county council on this matter, and officials are in active discussions with the council to ensure that the building is put back into beneficial use at the earliest opportunity.

Thank you very much. The Government offices in Penrallt have been empty for two years, and the council and a local housing association are eager to use the building to provide temporary accommodation to people who present themselves as homeless. In May, 107 people presented as homeless in Gwynedd. The county spends £6 million on unsuitable accommodation, because there are insufficient temporary places. There would be room for more than 30 people in Penrallt, a site that is in the middle of the town of Caernarfon. Doesn't it make sense, in terms of making effective use of public resources—which is part of your portfolio, to ensure that efficient use of public resources—as well as a whole host of other reasons, to move forward with this scheme? Will you commit today to doing everything within your power to accelerate this scheme?

I'm very grateful for this question this afternoon as well, and I just want to reassure Siân Gwenllian that we are very much seeking to ensure that any redevelopment of the site does deliver new and affordable housing to alleviate the current housing pressures in the area. We are very aware of the significant negative impacts that empty buildings do have on the local environment, and especially so in our town centres. 

I can say that there is a meeting now scheduled between senior Welsh Government officials and the chief executive of Gwynedd county council, and his officers, on Monday of next week. I hope that's an opportunity for us to make some progress and agree a way forward. We've been unable to receive any recommendations from officials at this point in respect of disposal of the building to Gwynedd county council because we do need a more detailed proposal than that which has been forthcoming so far, and that's because I think that any proposals will require some significant grant support. So, any applications for such funding have to undergo a very rigorous process, and very much so to determine value for money. 

But we are, I think, in the same space in terms of wanting the building to be used as soon as possible, and recognising that residential use is a really good use for that site, and there's very much a need for it. So, I do hope that the meeting, now, on Monday of next week will be productive.