5. What strategy will the Welsh Government follow to build on the success of hosting major events in Wales? OAQ53874

I thank John Griffiths for that. We're committed to building on Wales's recent success in hosting major events. We work with partners in Wales, the UK and internationally to identify events with the potential to grow, and to pursue new opportunities for attracting major sporting and cultural events to all parts of Wales.

First Minister, the Newport marathon on the first Sunday of this month was an outstanding success, building on the achievements of the previous year. There were some 6,000 runners in the marathon, the 10k and the family fun run, a carnival atmosphere in Newport, the women's marathon was won by a Newport woman, which was very pleasing for all the locals, and it really did encourage local people to think about running and getting more active. It works with other regular events like the two park runs in Newport, which see several hundred people every Saturday morning getting more fit and active and enjoying a very healthy start to the weekend. So, I'd be very pleased if you could recognise that success, First Minister, and also the importance in terms of the profile of Wales and Newport, the spend it brings into Wales and Newport, with hotels fully booked, restaurants, cafes and shops very busy, and also perhaps to look at how Welsh Government can continue to work with Newport City Council and key partners to build on the success of the first two Newport marathons for future years.

I thank John Griffiths for that. He's absolutely right that the second Newport Wales marathon was a terrific success, both in the numbers of people that it attracted to that mass participation event, but also in the way in which it was televised to other parts of the United Kingdom and beyond. The Welsh Government committed ourselves to investing in the Newport Wales marathon last year, this year, and we will do so again next year. We want to help develop the event's ambition to become the national marathon for Wales and, of course, John Griffiths is right that, beyond the event itself, such events adds to the profile of the area. It's not the only major event that Newport is involved in in a sporting sense. Glamorgan cricket club, Llywydd, are playing a county championship match in Spytty Park today for the first time in many decades—that's a major event in many of our diaries here. And, of course, Newport County embark on the latest of what has been such a fantastic run of success. We wished them well across this Chamber earlier in the season; I'm sure we do that again this afternoon.

I don't want people to feel that they are missing out, but there is one major event that can only be held in my constituency, and I'm talking about the Island Games. I'm very pleased to announce that, this very second, Ynys Môn county council has agreed to underwrite those games from 2025. I'm extremely grateful to the Welsh Government for already agreeing to give a substantial sum of money. The Isle of Anglesey Charitable Trust has also provided a sum of money, as has the international committee of the Island Games. I'm very confident that, through private sources and through local fundraising on Anglesey, we will ensure that we are able to stage very successful games in 2025, and I'm extremely grateful to the councillors for their support today. Does the First Minister agree with me that there is an opportunity through these games to leave a legacy for Anglesey in terms of physical activity and an interest in sport for decades to come?

Thank you to the Member for drawing our attention to the fact that the local council and ourselves, as a Government, have supported the bid that has been submitted to attract the games to Ynys Môn in 2025. The games have developed and grown over the years, and now it is a major event in the annual calendar. So, we look forward to working with the local people to bring the games to Ynys Môn and to use the games, as Rhun ap Iorwerth said, to assist and support the economy on the island, to do things in the health area, and also to celebrate the fact that the games have come to Ynys Môn and Wales.