Thank you, Llywydd. Yesterday I laid the National Health Service (Indemnities) (Wales) Bill, together with the explanatory memorandum and regulatory impact assessment, before the National Assembly for Wales. I'm pleased to have this opportunity to make a brief statement about the Bill.

The Bill builds on the general medical practice indemnity scheme that introduced state-backed clinical negligence indemnity cover for providers of general practitioner services in Wales on 1 April this year. This scheme, known as the future liability scheme, covers clinical negligence claims arising from 1 April. The future liability scheme has embedded successfully since its introduction and is supported strongly by GPs across Wales. I made a commitment in November 2018 to expand the state-backed indemnity arrangements to cover the liabilities of GPs for clinical negligence claims that have been reported, or incurred but not reported, before 1 April 2019, subject to the completion of legal and financial due diligence and satisfactory negotiations with the medical defence organisations.