Diolch yn fawr, Llywydd. I'm very pleased to take part in this debate and I welcome it. I'd like to thank those involved in producing these two reports. It's rigorous work and I think an excellent base for future options to be developed. I also think there'll be a lot of common ground on these matters, and I look forward to the development of specific proposals. We won't actually be supporting the Government motion, just because I don't think the recommendations are focused enough to be endorsed in that fashion. I don't think they're meant to be, really. They are pointing us in a certain direction. I'm very keen that we now engage in some extensive public engagement, because these areas really do demand it.

Contemporary art builds on a great tradition in the twentieth century, something I think the work of Peter Lord has demonstrated—that we have an outstanding record in the visual arts that is often overlooked. We also have, in the last 15 to 20 years, seen the incredible success of the Artes Mundi award, which internationally has put us on the map. But, we need to focus now on Welsh contemporary art, and similarly with sport. These are issues that do cry out for very extensive public engagement. So, can I just talk about the contemporary art gallery first?

I think the central issue to resolve here is whether a prestigious and high-profile new building is required, and I have to say I think it is. If so, should it be the first objective of any strategy or a possible conclusion of a spoke and then hub strategy, which is sort of what is the main thrust of that report that we're discussing this afternoon? I think Adam Price brought incredible energy to this debate when he challenged us to think in Guggenheim terms in Bilbao or New York—those incredible structures. We may or may not be able to match them, but our ambition perhaps should be in the first place to do so. Then, he mentioned somewhere like Port Talbot. This is great contemporary thinking and builds on some recent traditions in terms of artistic achievement. There may not be the answer, but I do think that's kind of where the thinking has to be.

As the report says, these matters carry high risks. We don't have a very happy recent record in terms of contemporary art provision facilities. I don't particularly want to pick over the failures of past projects, but this is a challenging area. It's also the lifeblood of creative artistic work in our current generation, so it should receive a very, very high priority. Above all, I think we do need to see something new, visible, and world leading. If we don't start off with that ambition, I'm not quite sure that we're going to get where we want to be. The report, in fairness, does use these terms, and we certainly want a dispersed, federal-type model as part of the strategy, but I think that prestigious building is something that we do need to consider and really bring some focus onto that.

In terms of sport, again, the report points to the risks, particularly around financial fragility. The Scottish experience is quite instructive here, I think. I myself think to look at sport in general rather than football in particular may be the way we need to go. I think everyone here believes that a prestigious national museum, or another one, needs to be located in north Wales. I can't think of a better place than Wrexham, so I like that aspect of what we are considering. That's why we will support Plaid Cymru's amendments 2 and 5. But again, I do think we need to consider this matter very thoroughly, though sport in its cultural dimension does not receive the prominence it should. I think it's a massive factor in our national life. And whilst we all enjoy it in terms of what's going on at any particular moment, the effect it has on society, I think, is really profound and needs to be examined, celebrated and reflected on in that manner as well. So, we do need to look at these things in a very ambitious way also.

Can I just finally say that I like the ideas of the panels and I look forward to their work? And that is the sort of engagement that we should have hard-wired into our system. I think we will find consensus on these matters, but we do need quite a vigorous debate to start it all off. Thank you.