The report outlines that overall life expectancy in Wales continues to rise, up to 78.4 for males and 82.3 years for women. Most adults report good general health, with over 72 per cent of over-16s reportedly in 'good' or 'very good' health. And our infant mortality rate, at 3.7 per 1,000, remains low in historical terms.

As we have rehearsed many times on the floor of this Chamber, there are many factors impacting on the health of the nation. High-quality healthcare is of course one of them, but there are a broad range of social determinants, such as housing, education, quality employment and the environment, that play an even bigger part. There are also a significant number of public health threats each year, and Dr Atherton's report highlights significant achievements in dealing with these. One of the examples it cites includes the impact of the introduction of the all-Wales hepatitis C treatment roll-out programme. The success of this programme has meant that, in Wales, we have now treated, or are giving treatment to, all of the patients that are known to, and have accepted referral to, hepatology services and are still accessing care, or, to put it more simply, we are ahead of every other UK nation in the treatment and the hopeful elimination of hepatitis C. That is a cause for recognition and thanks to that group of clinicians leading that work. 

It also refers to individuals infected with HIV benefitting from anti-retroviral therapies so that they lead the most healthy of lives. It notes the number of new diagnoses of HIV in any one year now being on a downward trend, and the number of individuals testing annually increasing. The importance of testing is crucial now that pre-exposure prophylaxis or PREP is available to all those for whom it is clinically indicated. I do look forward to the results of that PREP trial in due course as we roll through a genuinely nationwide trial.

The report also sets out priority actions for our seasonal flu and childhood immunisation programmes, which will be necessary to deliver to ensure that those programmes remain the envy of the world.

While communicable disease may be regarded a traditional public health threat, Dr Atherton also uses his report to shine a spotlight on the emerging public health risk of problem gambling. He focuses on the harm that can be caused by gambling, not just to individual gamblers but also family, friends and to society as a whole; harm that can include financial hardship, psychological distress, and the breakdown of personal relationships.   

The report sets out the prevalence of gambling. The UK has the tenth highest gambling spend per capita in the world. In Wales, 61 per cent of adults have gambled in the past 12 months: 63 per cent of men and 59 per cent of women. It is estimated that, each week across England and Wales, 450,000 children aged between 11 and 15 are involved in some form of gambling. That equates to 16 per cent of that age group; 1.1 per cent of our population self-report as having a problem with gambling and a further 3.8 per cent of people in Wales are estimated to be at risk of problem gambling. The report also highlights that the harm caused by gambling is unequal in its distribution. People who are economically inactive and live in deprived areas are more likely to suffer most harm.

Dr Atherton comments on the evolving nature of the gambling industry, its marketing and its products. Gambling is no longer solely taking place within traditional physical premises like arcades, bingo halls or racing tracks. The fastest growing method of gambling is of course online betting, with 24-hour availability, accessed through computers, mobiles or tablets. In the UK, nearly 9 million adults have gambled online in the last four weeks. In Wales, 9.2 per cent of online gamblers surveyed were identified as being problem gamblers. 

Dr Atherton sets out the case for a public health approach to deal with gambling—an approach that seeks to address the inequity of harm. He calls for a range of actions to reduce harm that do not just focus on individuals but also a wide range of measures, including advocacy, information, regulation and appropriate prohibition in a co-ordinated way. In doing so, Dr Atherton recognises that gambling is primarily regulated at a UK Government level, with a number of UK bodies having responsibility for different aspects of gambling. An effective response to the harms caused by gambling will require a co-ordinated response.

I know that a number of Members in this place have taken a very active interest in the issue of problem gambling and the need to both support problem gamblers, as well as to deal with the prevalence and the ease of gambling. You will no doubt join with me in welcoming this thoughtful report drawing attention to the risks and making recommendations for action. I'll certainly be joining Dr Atherton and relevant stakeholders to consider how we best take forward those recommendations, not only through our calls for effective action at a UK level; in addition, we will look to use any new powers in Wales in a sensible and proportionate way to reduce the harms caused by problem gambling. I look forward to answering Members' questions. Thank you.