Obviously, as Rhianon has outlined, we have a report being announced soon on music in education, so I would want to keep my powder dry on that, but I do know that it has been a productive piece of work and something that the public have been entirely engaged in because this is a really important topic. I don't need to tell AMs here my passion for this, being a viola player myself, my brother a cellist and my sister Niamh currently in the education system playing the cello in the Glamorgan valleys orchestra. I recognise as well what the Cabinet Secretary has done in relation to her role and her interventions, and I think that, while this has been a long time coming, we should give praise where it's due, and I hope that this is something that will emanate in future decisions from the Welsh Government.

I will say something negative now, though I don't want to. I've had communication from those in the music service over the last few days telling me that they're despairing of the situation across Wales. In fact, one of the messages I received was that he was fearful that this was a race to the bottom in relation to music services here in Wales. In Wrexham, for example, cuts are taking place as we speak, and they tell me that they're being forced into different models of delivery because of the fact that they are losing their jobs as we are having this debate here today. I'm also being told that some of the national ensembles are not actually taking place this year due to the lack of people auditioning. I really don't want to be negative because, as Rhianon said, we care passionately about the retention of music services, but if we don't support what is there now then we may not have them for the future. So, I think we need to be putting our heads together now and supporting this industry. I would like to see more investment again, and I would like to see a strategy that would ensure that it's at the core of what we do across Wales. I think that, in some areas, we have seen some local authorities doing amazing work, but others see it as an add-on and something that is not necessary for them to promote.

For me, I don't think I would be in politics if it wasn't for music teaching me life skills, getting involved in discipline, being able to work as a team, and I hope that that would reflect for younger people in Wales who now want to take up music and that it won't be for just the privileged or for those who can afford it but for everybody here in Wales, so that we can remain a nation of song and a country that can promote ourselves on an international footing, as a country of song and a country of culture.