Prosperity is an important word. We all want a prosperous Wales—prospering economically and socially. We can talk about prosperity in public services, in health and education. I want a Wales that is prospering as a real nation to take its place among the nations of the world. Certainly, we can't take that word 'prosperity' for granted and underplay its importance. But I’m afraid I don’t see that the 'Prosperity for All' programme put forward by the Government faces the scale of the challenges facing Wales, and it certainly doesn’t show the ambition to respond to those challenges.

Let's be honest, progress has been limited in the almost 20 years since the inception of devolution. I can give you numerous examples: Welsh gross value added is down, lower than it was at the beginning of devolution; we are losing our young people, their skills and knowledge. In the summer of 2017, a report by the Resolution Foundation showed that Wales had seen a net loss of over 20,000 graduates between 2013 and 2016. On the environment, the Welsh Government will not reach its target to reduce carbon emissions by 40 per cent by 2020. The latest figures show that emissions in Wales three years ago were only 19 per cent lower than they were in 1990. Across the UK, emissions have reduced by 27 per cent over the same period.

If we look at the First Minister’s legislative statement in July of last year, it’s more notable for what isn't included than what is: no clean air Act for Wales to tackle the public health crisis of air pollution, which is causing 2,000 early deaths every year in Wales, and no legislation to establish an energy company that could push renewable projects and even the Swansea bay tidal lagoon.

The legislative programme made reference to the First Minister’s legacy, talking about the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the active travel legislation. What’s the purpose of legislation if it doesn’t lead to a change in the way that things are done and to improvements in people’s lives? Almost five years since the passing of the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013, active travel rates are still the same and fewer children are walking or cycling to school. Expenditure of some £10 per head per year is far less than the £17 to £20 per head that was recommended by the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee.

Where's the progress in terms of tackling climate change, air pollution and plastic waste? Rather than waiting for the Conservative Government of the UK to take this issue seriously, Plaid Cymru would take the reins ourselves and introduce a clean air Act for Wales. We would aim to scrap the sale of petrol- and diesel-only cars by 2030, as a number of other nations are doing, which is a far more ambitious target than has been set by the UK Government. We would introduce a deposit-return scheme and a levy on single-use plastics to deal with excessive plastic waste. In the words of the Marine Conservation Society: