Thank you, Presiding Officer. I hope that this debate will be a little bit less controversial than the last, but I will be mentioning Europe a number of times in this debate. I’m pleased to introduce this debate on the effects of the European football championships on Wales, as well as the longer term health repercussions of the event, and to move the motion in the name of Paul Davies. I’m also pleased to indicate support for the amendment to our motion in the name of Simon Thomas.

I wanted to start today’s debate by congratulating the Welsh national football team. I’m sure that, like everyone else in the Assembly today, we are immensely proud of the achievements of our team in reaching their first international football tournament since the 1958 World Cup in Sweden, and the pride is only intensified following their victory, of course—their 2-1 victory over Slovakia on Saturday—and we’re only, of course, one result away from the knockout stage of the tournament, and wouldn’t it be so sweet if that result came against our English neighbours tomorrow?

Wales has got a proud history of sporting success in hosting major sporting events that far exceeds the norm for a country of our size. We hosted the 1999 Rugby World Cup, the FA Cup finals between 2001 and 2005, two Ashes test matches, an annual stage in the world rally championships, as well as the 2010 Ryder Cup, and we’ve also secured the rights to host the 2017 championship league final. I hope I haven’t missed anything out. If I have, please intervene. But many Welsh sportsmen, from Gareth Bale and Geraint Thomas to gold medallist Jade Jones, have risen to the top of their fields and have represented our country with distinction around the world. Now, despite these successes, sports participation rates across Wales are worryingly low. A previous Welsh Government, when it announced the ‘Climbing Higher’ strategy in 2005, stated their desire to place sport and physical activity at the heart of Welsh life. Now, recent surveys show that the proportion of adults undertaking more than 150 minutes of sport per week has only marginally increased, and, though these findings are of course welcome, I believe that they also highlight numerous areas where Government needs to concentrate on.

One of the main issues that desperately need to be addressed is the clear link between sports participation and socioeconomic background. People with lower earnings are far less likely to exercise on a regular basis, and, of course, I think we can all agree that that must be rectified. At a junior level, sports participation at primary schools across Wales has notably decreased. Physical education is, of course, essential to the upbringing of children all around Wales, and it’s encouraging that a healthy lifestyle keeps children fit and well-motivated to continue exercise, of course, in their adult life. At a time when all eyes are of course glued to the exploits of our boys in France, it should be asked where the future Gareth Bales will come from if the time dedicated to junior physical education continues to decrease.

Now, in regards to the impact of Welsh sport and exercise uptake, I’m particularly concerned that in the recent budget the previous Government cut funding to physical activity across Wales. Additionally, community funding for sporting and leisure clubs across Wales has also continued to decline, so at the same time fees are going up for our football and rugby pitches—I know in Cardiff it costs £55 now a football pitch, and £75 a rugby field. These increases are of course barriers to participation in sport. Now, with increased sports participation linked to good health, it naturally follows that low participation rates are detrimental to public health. In 2015, 24 per cent of the Welsh population was classified as obese, and 59 per cent of the population overweight. Weight problems, of course, bring with them additional health issues such as diabetes and higher blood pressure, both of which have increased dramatically in Wales over the past decade.

Now, economically, our success at the Euros also creates a fantastic opportunity to advertise Wales as a tourist destination, not only to Europeans, but also around the world. I was glad to see that the Welsh Government has taken steps to showcase our nation’s tourist destinations at the European Village, and has invested in advertisements in several languages to market this great country, and I hope that they’re successful in attracting visitors. Now, domestically of course, the Euros are also a good boon to our local clubs and bars and pubs, and I know that I’ll be doing my bit to help Montgomeryshire’s local economy at 2 p.m. tomorrow.

So, with many eyes watching the team across lounge rooms and pubs and fanzones across Wales, but also in France, the Euros present a brilliant opportunity to encourage participation in sport across Wales now and in the future, and I sincerely hope that the Welsh Government, working of course in partnership with other Government bodies, local authorities and key partners, builds upon the success of our football team to increase sporting participation, particularly among the most vulnerable of our society, and that steps are taken to improve the public health of Welsh men and Welsh women.

Finally, events like this bring a huge sense of national pride, and I want to take this opportunity to wish our football team the very best of luck tomorrow and for the rest of the tournament. [Assembly Members: ‘Hear, hear.’]