Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:08 pm on 6 February 2018.
Thank you for those comments and points. I'll deal with your points about air pollution first, if I may. As you know, air pollution, the lead for this across Government is Hannah Blythyn, the environment Minister, but the points that you raise recognise that it's an issue that has an impact right across a range of departments. There is clearly a public health impact. If you're talking about monitoring in and around schools, then I'm sure that the education Secretary will want to be involved and engaged in that as well. So, I won't give you an off-the-cuff answer about a national strategy and about the work that's being done, and I will certainly talk to colleagues across Government, not just to answer your question but more broadly the continuing conversations that we are having across the Government about a Welsh Government strategy on improving air quality and recognising the significant benefits to all of us in doing so across a wide range of policy areas.
When we talk about gambling and the significant financial cost on health and care services that's recognised, the report does also recognise that, for lots of people, it's a mild and modest activity. Most people in this room have gambled and probably gamble regularly, if you think about it. The amount of times that we are invited to either take place in local lotteries or raffles at the different events that we attend, then actually, if you're the serving politician in the room, it's very hard for you not to buy raffle tickets when the jar goes around. So, we're really talking about problem gambling where people are betting more than they can afford.
Interestingly, in the report, it sets out the particular points that others have made about the difference in problem gambling between different income quartiles. It does show that the lowest income quartiles are most likely to have the largest problem with gambling itself. That's the concern that the chief medical officer, in particular, is highlighting for us. Interestingly, your point about the levy is mentioned in the report. It's the example in New Zealand, on page 21 in the report, which looks at the levy they've had there and the way they designed that. I'm open and interested in what we could do, both with our current powers and in that continuing conversation with the United Kingdom Government about a real clear and present challenge that will only get bigger, if we don't act now, in the future.