1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Cabinet Office – in the Senedd at on 17 April 2024.
Siân Gwenllian
Plaid Cymru
7. Will the Cabinet Secretary provide an update on the future of the Welsh Government offices in Arfon? OQ60905
Rebecca Evans
Labour
2:12,
17 April 2024
The Welsh Government office in Caernarfon is at Doc Fictoria, where we have a leased occupation until 2028. The sale of our vacant site at North Penrallt to Cyngor Gwynedd was completed on 28 March 2024. The Welsh Government remains committed to a presence in north-west Wales.
Siân Gwenllian
Plaid Cymru
2:13,
17 April 2024
The work on the next steps of the project to convert the Penrallt building into temporary accommodation for those who are homeless is making progress, and I'm pleased to hear that the purchase has been confirmed recently on this project. I am pleased that there will be a multi-agency support hub in the building, as well as accommodation for those who do find themselves homeless. Tackling the homelessness crisis is a priority for Gwynedd Council as a result of the huge increase, and concerning increase indeed, across the area. Over the past 12 months alone, 885 people have presented themselves as being homeless in Gwynedd, and there are 250 households at present in emergency accommodation that is unsuitable for them. What can your Government do to sustain and maintain the momentum with the Penrallt project, and co-ordinate the efforts to achieve the plan as soon as possible?
Rebecca Evans
Labour
2:14,
17 April 2024
I'm very grateful for the question. I know the next steps will be in relation to planning, so the necessary planning will be required. I know Gwynedd aims to tender and start on site as soon as possible, to reduce the numbers in temporary accommodation, and they have been awarded grant funding of £763,000 from our transitional accommodation capital programme, and that will then hopefully transform the site into 46 flats, which will provide much-needed accommodation for people living locally. And I was able to visit Caernarfon fairly recently, where I was able to talk to the leader of the council about the plans, and I know that they're very keen to work in partnership with Welsh Government, but also with the very vibrant third sector that they have in the area as well.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
