As I have said very often in this place, I am not a fan of what's described as a strategy. I'm more of a fan of what one would call 'action plans', and that's why this partnership is so very important, working on a number of priorities to improve data and to encourage behavioural change by developing what we are calling a 'physical activity observatory'. That will then develop communications and campaigning work, and will integrate our programmes in schools, Dragon Sports, the healthy schools network and eco-schools so that all of this can be a comprehensive offer of physical activity to support the new curriculum. I'm very grateful to the Assembly committee, the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. Following their inquiry into the physical activity of children and young people, we can make progress with the recommendations made by that committee, and these steps will become an integral part of the 'Healthy Weight, Healthy Wales' action plan, which will support the work of improving health across our population.

I was very pleased to hear Rhianon talk about the development of the daily mile, because I have had an opportunity to go to a number of schools to see the daily mile in action. I'm going to be slightly parochial and just mention a school in a wonderful area called Llansantffraid Glan Conwy at the bottom of the Conwy valley, where I live, and seeing the pupils there enjoying running along a school playing field that wasn't particularly flat—they could run up and they could run down, but they were really enjoying themselves, and they understood what they were doing and why they were doing it. Thirty-six per cent of our schools, that's 450 schools, take part in the daily mile, so there is some scope for improvement there, and I would encourage that.

We have already also committed to increasing the number of children who cycle, walk or scoot to school, and we are re-tendering for an active travel to school programme. I have to say, as a grandfather to four young children of school age, although the eldest has just gone to secondary school very recently, it is something that I find very concerning to see the dangers outside so many schools when people choose to use cars and to drive them as close as possible to schools. I won't name individual schools, but I've seen it happening in north and south Wales, and there have been accidents—serious accidents—in that situation. Therefore, we need to implement the aims of the Active Travel (Wales) Act 2013, including more safe routes to school, in order to encourage people to use those routes rather than using cars driven by parents or family to take children to school and to pick them up.

Our schools have a crucial role to play in encouraging children and young people to undertake more physical activity, and a great deal of work has been done, including provision within the new curriculum. One of the four purposes is that learners within the new curriculum develop as healthy, confident individuals, and that does mean taking part in more physical activity and being able to use knowledge on the impact of exercise and diet on physical and mental health, and all of the benefits that can be derived from that. Physical activity and sports create powerful opportunities to change communities, as Rhianon has said, bringing people together, and that is why we have, as a Government, already been investing in this area. In 2018-19, we provided over £21 million—£21.64 million—to Sport Wales, within their total budget of £43.24 million. Of that sum, £16 million is for community sport work. That's a very clear indication of the Government's priorities.

National sport governing bodies are also determined to support us as we create an active Wales through their work on community sport. May I particularly praise Welsh Athletics? In 2015, they launched their social running programme, Run Wales. I am happy to wear red waterproofs with ‘Run Wales’ writ large on them, following participation in the launch of that particular activity. The programme has had a huge impact since its inception. There are now 331,000 adults regularly running throughout Wales. There’s been an increase from 176,000 adults in 2009. So, that progress is still being made in terms of the numbers that do run, and the success of the Welsh Athletics programmes comes from supportive and inclusive running for individuals and groups who choose to run.

We want people to enjoy improved health and wellbeing through enhanced outdoor recreation and more active lifestyles. I particularly enjoyed Rhianon referring to Cwmcarn. It’s a very special place. I have been there a number of times and was there recently, and I look forward to all of that being reopened. I am sure that running in that area will form a part of that. But I also wish to praise people who perhaps don’t feel that they want to run but are walkers, and I have had an opportunity to walk with the Social Strollers in Treorchy and elsewhere during my time in this post.  

But, to summarise, all of the funding that we have invested—the announcement made by the Minister for Health and Social Services and I in June—has highlighted 17 projects in the healthy and active fund, worth £5.4 million. We’re also working with the health department on social prescribing, if I have the terminology right—and I do look at the GP across the Chamber. This links people with community assets, giving them power to manage their own health and well-being. The national exercise referral scheme has been a scheme that we certainly believe will contribute to ageing well in Wales. 

So, thank you very much to Rhianon for giving me an opportunity to come out as a runner, albeit an older runner who runs at a reasonable level. But may I also thank her for her description of the importance of running? Let us make it part of the duty of each and every one of us as Assembly Members and as members of the Government to run Wales always. Thank you.