Item 4 on the agenda are the 90-second statements. We have two this week. The first one—Helen Mary Jones. 

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. This year sees the tenth anniversary of the Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel, a coalition of 35 organisations across Wales who work with the sub-Saharan and African diaspora communities. The organisations do a wide range of work. Some of them support new citizens who've arrived here in Wales. Some of them work raising funds and resources and providing support to communities in the countries from which their family has come.

We welcome today their Welsh-African Diaspora Development Day to our National Assembly, to our Senedd, and I've been delighted to be asked to host this event. Ten of the organisations will have stalls here and will have an opportunity to show their work to their representatives. There'll performances, guest speakers, and I'm particularly grateful that the Minister for overseas matters has agreed to speak at what will be a very important event.

The Sub-Sahara Advisory Panel will be launching their report today of their work over the last 10 years and looking forward and looking ahead to the next 10 years of their important work here in Wales. I'm delighted that they're able to do so here in the home of our democracy, and it's a great opportunity for us, here in our Senedd, to reconfirm to the over 17,000 citizens of Wales with African roots who live in our nation how much we value their contribution to the vibrant, inclusive, outward-looking nation that we are working together to build.

As we approach Christmas, the busiest time of year for shopping, I want to salute the Welsh high street. There are fantastic examples out there of how a town centre can draw people in and lock money into a local economy. Treorchy high street is a great example. Its vibrancy and attractiveness has been recognised in a competition to find the best high street in the UK. The shortlisters for this competition were impressed by the fact that 80 per cent of its businesses in Treorchy are independent boutique stores and that 10 new businesses have opened on the high street over the past two years, and people want to support them. Voting has now closed and the winner will be announced in the new year. I wish the Treorchy bid all the very best, and if we win, it'll be richly deserved. In the future, I would like to have help given to all of our high streets in the Rhondda so that they can follow the successful model that has been laid out by Treorchy.

Will people give pause for thought about where they buy their Christmas food and presents this year? Now, I know that there are some things that can't be bought in a small town, but there is plenty that can. Many small businesses live and die by their performance over Christmas, so please, everyone, consider this year how much you can think global and shop local.

Thank you.