Thank you very much, acting Deputy Presiding Officer, and I thank the committee for its work and the Members who've contributed to this debate here today. This report makes a number of considered and constructive recommendations on how we can better support creative industries as a Government, particularly high-end television and film production. That is why we have accepted, or accepted in principle, the 14 recommendations directed at the Welsh Government. That’s out of 17 recommendations in total. One recommendation is directed to S4C, and I'm sure they will respond to that. There are two remaining recommendations that have been rejected relating to film festivals, because mechanisms already exist within Government in this area.

As a result of Welsh Government support for the creative industries and the activity that has been engendered by the companies active in Wales, this, as we've heard in this debate, is one of the economic sectors that has grown fastest, with an annual turnover of over £2 billion, employing 58,000 people—50 per cent more than 10 years ago. Cardiff is now recognised as a centre of excellence for high-end television drama and film, and Wales has become a competitive and reliable location for creative industries and an alternative to London and the south-east of England.

Our support as a Government has played a vital role in attracting high-quality inward productions that have contributed to the local economy through spending locally. Thanks to the financial and practical assistance provided by Government, the spend in the film and tv sector in Wales has increased from over £35 million in 2016-17 to £55 million in 2018-19.

We have provided financial assistance to over 20 indigenous production projects, which are not only essential to the sustainable growth of the sector in Wales, but have also contributed enormously in helping to promote the Welsh language—as we heard from David Melding earlier—internationally over the last few years. Since 2011, the Welsh Government, along with S4C, has actively supported 15 Welsh language productions, providing more than £2.4 million associated funding. We've already heard about the international productions by S4C, such as Un Bore Mercher, Y Gwyll and Bang, which have been successfully sold worldwide.

I now want to turn to Creative Wales. Creative Wales will be charged with developing and delivering a robust strategy to support and maintain growth for the screen industry in Wales, as well as other sectors, particularly music, within the creative industries sectors. In line with recommendation 1, which we have accepted, Creative Wales will continue to promote Wales as an excellent location for film and television production, but it will also look to focus on how to develop our skills and the supply chain to an even higher standard than they are at the moment, in order to provide our creative businesses with the ability to create, which will retain and exploit the intellectual property in the Welsh economy.

Creative Wales will develop a skills strategy that will meet demand within the market. There will be timely and responsive training provision through expert providers, as well as ensuring that talents are developed by working in partnership with the relevant organisations and with specialists within the industry.

In terms of recommendation 12, my Welsh Government officials will work closely with colleagues from across Government, particularly with the Skills, Higher Education and Lifelong Learning Division, in order to support the skills agenda and to consider in detail how the screen industry can take full advantage of apprenticeship programmes provided by the Welsh Government.

As detailed in recommendation 2, there have been a number of engagement sessions held across Wales to ask the industry for its opinion on how Creative Wales can best serve the industry’s needs. Input from indigenous companies has been crucial in helping us to understand how to improve our support for the industry and to develop the highest quality creative sector here in Wales.

In looking in detail at the way that funding mechanisms for Creative Wales would work, Government officials have given particular consideration to this process. We will endeavour—and this is a commitment—we will endeavour to simplify the application process for businesses in the creative industries sector, as well as maximising Welsh spend and associated benefits for the Welsh economy and Welsh-based companies. [Interruption.] Yes.