I’m pleased to participate in this very important debate, and I thank Lee Waters for opening the debate in a colourful manner, and explaining the principles underpinning the debate, particularly on the importance of the active travel Act and the need for us to think not only that the legislation is in place, but that we all should actually act upon that legislation, because it’s down to us as a society to adhere to those principles and to take action. Because, as I have said in the past here, keeping fit is crucially important—being fit is crucially important. Some of you, I’m sure, will remember these figures, because I’ve actually referred to them twice in the past month: if you are fit and healthy, then the level of sugar in your blood is 30 per cent lower, the cholesterol level is 30 per cent lower than if you weren’t fit, your blood pressure is 30 per cent lower than if you weren’t fit, and your weight in general is reduced by being physically fit. As I’ve already mentioned, there’s no tablet on earth that can bring those kinds of benefits.

Also, in responding to one of those issues relating to that we, as GPs, are far too willing to prescribe tablets, well, this is the solution. This is a way forward—keeping fit—that can replace tablets and is far more effective than a common tablet. We need to take 10,000 steps per day, and that is easily achievable, even in this place, by not using the lifts, for example.

Of course, it’s not just those who are physically fit that we’re talking about. There are also those who have long-term illnesses. Even when you have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or another lung condition, or a heart condition, if you get fit, even though you have those chronic conditions, it can also improve your quality of life. Your symptoms are reduced. You are not as short of breath, in becoming fit, although you do have those problems with your lungs or your heart. That’s the basis of those programmes that we have in our hospitals and GP surgeries—pulmonary rehabilitation and cardiac rehabilitation. They make people more confident and fitter in general so that they can cope with their long-term conditions.

Therefore, it is a challenge, and this agenda demands that we all tackle this in earnest now because we know about the obesity statistics and all of the other statistics that need to be tackled. We need to get to grips with this.

Also, to return to the active travel Act, we need to make it easier for people to travel on a bicycle or to walk, as Lee Waters has already mentioned. We need to invest. If we are going to cycle to work, then we need investment in showers and changing rooms in those workplaces. That requires investment, but it also needs the vision to create that in accordance with the active travel Act, which is more important. But we need to think in broader terms about this. If you’ve ever tried to walk around Cardiff Bay—going from here to the town centre, it’s quite difficult to do as a pedestrian. It is very difficult. It’s difficult often to find a pavement, never mind actually travelling by bicycle from Cardiff Bay to the city centre. So, the message is: this is a challenge for all of us, whether we are fit or not at the moment. It’s never too late. We can all improve our health just by walking everywhere. It’s down to authorities responsible for planning our roads and other ways of travelling. We need those developments in place, and they must take into account the need to make it easier for us to cycle or to walk. Walking for 30 minutes five times a week: that is the level of fitness that individuals require. Then, there will be less demand on our GPs and less need for tablets at the end of the day. Thank you.