Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. I think the challenges are abundantly clear, as we’ve heard from others, and have been apparent for some time, but no doubt will be coming ever more apparent because of the ageing society that we have, because of the pressure that brings on the health service. We’ve talked for quite some time, haven’t we, in terms of trying to be more preventative as far as the health service is concerned: looking at the wider determinants of health and ill health and trying to get on the front foot rather than being largely reactive. So, I think this debate is part of that dialogue, Dirprwy Lywydd, that’s been ongoing for some time and will inevitably strengthen because of the challenge we face. But I think it’s really important to have good, hopefully strong, local examples in Wales of what can be done in meeting those challenges. I’ve mentioned before, and I’m very pleased to mention again, that in Newport for some time we’ve been holding physical activity summits to bring together key partners: public health, Aneurin Bevan health board, Newport City Council, Newport Live, which is the leisure services trust, Newport City Homes as a housing association that took the transfer of local government housing stock, sport organisations like Newport Gwent Dragons, Newport County AFC, Natural Resources Wales—there’s a long list, Dirprwy Lywydd—and we’ve come together to look at these challenges and to try and make progress locally.

So, I’m pleased to say that we’ve now reached the stage where the organisations have all committed a day a month of staff time to take the agenda forward. We’ve built an increasingly strong and active partnership. We’re looking at all sorts of issues, including how the active travel Act is effectively taken forward in Newport. We’ve strengthened the parkrun. I did the parkrun in Tredegar House in Newport a couple of weeks ago, and the energy there is absolutely tremendous; several hundred people at 9 o’clock on a Saturday morning doing the parkrun, enjoying it, socialising afterwards, talking about what else they’re going to do to stay active, fit and healthy. There will now be—it’s not yet established—a city centre parkrun along the riverside in Newport to build on the interest that’s being created.

Throughout all of this, Dirprwy Lywydd, we’re also looking at other aspects such as healthy eating, linking with healthy eating networks in schools, and there will be particular projects as part of this coming together that address those issues in schools. I hope very much that we drive forward physical literacy in our schools, because one thing that I think virtually everybody is agreed on is that if you can establish and embed good habits in our young people as early as possible, it’s very likely that those good habits will stay with them throughout life to their benefit, and to the benefit of the health service and Wales generally. So, I very much hope that that report that Tanni Grey-Thompson did on physical literacy is taken forward in whatever shape or form through the curriculum reforms that we’re about to see, and is absolutely central to life in our schools.

What I would also ask, Dirprwy Lywydd, is that, where progress is being made locally, as it is in Newport, that’s recognised by Welsh Government, it’s looked at very closely, good practice is spread and also that there might be some support. In the past, there was some discussion around possible pilot schemes where local projects were addressing these challenges of getting more physically active and a more healthy local population, and then there might be some support from Welsh Government to strengthen it, structure it and take it forward more effectively. So, I hope that will be the case, but whatever happens, I think we’ve got to the stage in Newport where there’s sufficient buy-in and sufficient energy, ideas and commitment to make sure that we do something important and valuable for our local population.