Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. May I begin by congratulating Wales on qualifying for 2016—the first major football tournament we have qualified for since the World Cup in Sweden in 1958? It has taken nearly half a century to achieve this goal and it’s a wonderful goal and I congratulate the team, the managers and everybody who made an effort to be there. I hope they’ll win tomorrow against England.

Each major sporting event increases the interest of people in taking part in sport. The Welsh Government has failed to build on the impetus of Welsh sporting success. Strategies such as ‘Climbing Higher’ and ‘Creating an Active Wales’ have good intentions, but inactivity rates remain high.

The uptake of exercise remains linked to socioeconomic factors, with vulnerable groups failing to enjoy increased participation in sport. This has had a detrimental effect on public health in Wales. The result of the Wales health survey in 2015 confirmed that health remains the greatest challenge faced by the Welsh Government. Wales faces a public health crisis with around 60 per cent of adults classed as overweight and about a quarter as obese. But there is some good news in the survey also, Deputy Presiding Officer. The number of adults who smoke has dropped to 19 per cent and binge drinking has also decreased. However the overall picture is a bleak one of the health of our nation. Soaring rates of obesity have led to an increase of diabetes class 2, and cancer and heart diseases have increased.

Since 1996, the number of people living with diabetes in Wales has more than doubled. Over 180,000 people in Wales now have diabetes and it’s increasing. If we don’t do anything, Minister, then in 2025, there’ll be nearly 300,000. What a staggering figure. You must encourage our people. In my young age, I was a long-distance runner, I did go for an Olympic torch run back home, and I can assure you, I am 70 years old and that is actually the fruit I am reaping now. I advise every individual and every family in this country to encourage their children to participate in sports—it is the best recipe for longevity. I can assure you this one piece of advice to every family is more than spending millions and billions of pounds on sports.

But, in sport, also very essential is safety for our children. It is very paramount. I can assure you, Minister, there are three areas that I will mention now, on which you must take steps. One is to make sure that our children have free access to playing fields. Sporting venues must have reduced charges. Local councils are doubling the charges for either cricket, football, rugby or whatever it is. I don’t want to go on figures, but I can assure you, in the last few years, the amounts charged for these fields has trebled and the children are actually leaving sports, because—especially ethnic minorities—they just can’t afford them.

No. 2, also, in Wales, we must make a law that all these fast-food chain stores must use the low number or low standard of the cholesterol in their oil. It is not good enough that burger vans are parked outside our primary and high schools. That should be stopped also.

Also, the third one, which is very important—in the last few months, I have had to go to hospital to see some constituents and some family members. What I saw there in the canteens, in the restaurant, in hospitals, NHS hospitals—the food quality was great, but the chocolate, ice cream, fried chips and everything were nicely given by the staff, but that’s not good enough. That is actually carrying to these people not a good healthy sign, but, actually, is giving the reverse effect to the people. I have known some people who go to these restaurants for food because that is one place where people can get very good food for a very reasonable price, but I would ask the Minister to make sure our hospitals’ procurement is healthy, buying local foods and produce.

Also, there are certain other areas, Minister, that—. The result of the health survey I was talking about from 2015—however, the overall picture is bleak on the health of our nation: soaring rates of obesity and ill health. Sporting events increased the interest of people taking part in sports. Welsh Government has failed to build on the impetus of Welsh sporting successes. Minister, I know there is no time, but this debate needs a much longer time to feed in that sport is one of the best for our national health. Thank you.