Diolch, Llywydd. Thank you very much. I'm very grateful to the Petitions Committee and, of course, to the petitioners for bringing the petition forward first and then obviously for the debate today. Although there are no circuses based in Wales, they of course do visit, and I think today's motion absolutely highlights the very strong public feeling surrounding the use of wild animals in circuses. So, the Welsh Government is very happy to support the motion today.

I want to put on record my commitment to exploring all opportunities to bring forward legislation to ban the use of wild animals in circuses in Wales. I just want to reassure Bethan Sayed that I certainly won't get lost. I don't think anybody should underestimate my personal commitment to doing this. So, there are two things: one is looking at the legislative programme to see where we could bring that legislation forward. As Simon Thomas, I think very pertinently, pointed out, it would be good to have a Welsh Parliament Act, but we do have, obviously, a very crowded legislative programme, but I'm continuing to explore those opportunities, and also section 12, which several Members have raised. When I first came into this portfolio, I did look at section 12 and took evidence on this. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs also did the same, and they were advised that imposing a ban on welfare grounds through regulations could be challenged in the High Court, but I think it is something that we are continuing to look at.

One of the strategic outcomes within the Wales animal health and welfare framework implementation plan is that animals in Wales have a good quality of life. Several Members referred to my intention to develop a licensing scheme for mobile animal exhibits in Wales, and I reassure Janet Finch-Saunders: of course I understand it's a separate issue, and it's really interesting to see that other parts of the UK are now following our approach. I announced that in my written statement in December 2017. That was following a public consultation on the matter. And whilst I was seeking views on that subject, I took the opportunity to ask the public's view on the use of wild animals in circuses. At the same time—it was about the same time, the winter of December 2016—I met with UK Government Ministers. I think it was Lord Gardiner; I've met with him a couple of times. Paul Davies asked whether I had been working with Ministers, so I was working with Ministers, and my officials were working alongside DEFRA officials. Because the UK Government previously announced that it was their intention to ban the use of wild animals in circuses, so I was very happy to have Wales included in that programme because I thought it would be quicker. However, progress has been incredibly slow, and that's why I then decided to take the approach that I have done, and that was to look at all the options.

Paul Davies also asked about the Scottish Government's recent Act that they brought forward. It gained Royal Assent—I think it was towards the end of January. So, we're absolutely looking at that model, and, of course, other models. The Scottish Government proposed a ban on a number of ethical grounds, which, again, received overwhelming support. So, I think that is a very good model for us to look at. So—