As a Government, we made a commitment to tackling loneliness and social isolation in 'Taking Wales Forward'. The importance of addressing these issues was also confirmed in December 2017 in the report by the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee. That report focused on the experiences of older people in Wales. However, it recognised that loneliness and social isolation can be experienced by many others too. The resulting Plenary debate on that report in February 2018 showed clear cross-party support for developing a strategy for Wales. I'm delighted to inform Members that 'Connected communities: a strategy for tackling loneliness and social isolation and building stronger social connections' was published earlier today.

This strategy is the first step in helping us to change how we think about loneliness and social isolation. It sets out our vision for a connected Wales—one where everyone has the opportunity to develop meaningful social relationships and where people are supported at those trigger points in life when they are most vulnerable, and also one where people feel able to say, 'I'm lonely', and not feel shame or stigma.

The consequences of loneliness and social isolation are stark. Research has shown that they can have an impact on our physical health, with links to an increased risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and high blood pressure. They can also affect our mental health, increasing the risk of depression, low self-esteem and stress. There are also economic consequences to consider. For example, the Eden Project estimates that disconnected communities could be costing us in Wales some £2.6 billion a year through increased demand on health services and policing, and a cost to employers due to stress and low self-esteem.

Recent figures have shown the extent of these issues. The 2017-18 National Survey for Wales showed 16 per cent of the population aged over 16 years reported feeling lonely, with those aged 16 to 24 more likely to report being lonely than those aged 75 or over. However, we know that loneliness and social isolation can be experienced by anyone of any age and from any background, from the young person moving away from home to start university to someone with a long-term health condition, or an older person caring for a loved one. In fact, we've probably all experienced these feelings at some point in our lives. It's when they become long-term and entrenched that they become problematic.

In line with the principles of the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014, the strategy focuses on approaches that reduce the risk of, or prevent, people of all ages from experiencing loneliness and/or social isolation, or that intervene early before they become entrenched. It contains a number of cross-cutting policies and commitments to benefit all of society and to seek to provide the basis for people to have greater opportunities for meaningful social contact. It also recognises those at greater risk of experiencing loneliness and social isolation, and the need to reduce the stigma attached to these issues so that people feel better equipped to talk about how they feel.

It establishes four priorities for action: increasing opportunities for people to connect; improving community infrastructure to support people to come together; establishing and maintaining cohesive and supportive communities; and finally building awareness and reducing stigma. These priorities were informed by our public consultation, consultation events and with significant engagement across Government and external stakeholders, and I'm very grateful to all those who have contributed. It's absolutely clear from the consultation response that Government alone cannot solve these issues, although it can foster the right conditions for connections within communities to flourish. The strategy therefore calls upon all parts of society to play a role. We need to change how we think and act upon loneliness and isolation within Government, public services, businesses, communities and as individuals in order to help tackle these issues.

To support this, I'm pleased to inform Members of our plan to launch, later this year, a £1.4 million loneliness and social isolation fund over three years. The fund will support community-based organisations to deliver and test out, or scale up, innovative approaches to tackling loneliness and social isolation. And we'll use these projects to help build our knowledge and contribute to the evidence base.

Our work in developing this strategy has clearly shown that all parts of Government have a role to play in tackling loneliness and isolation. We want to strengthen our cross-Government approach and take action to ensure that we embed consideration of these issues across policy making. To help us achieve this, we will establish a cross-Government advisory group, to also include external partners, to oversee implementation of the strategy, tackle emerging issues and consider what more can be done. We will also publish a report every two years on progress against delivering our commitments. I hope this strategy will build on the excellent work that I know already exists across Wales and help to take us forward. This is just the start; over the months and years ahead, we want to extend our understanding, improve our responses to loneliness and isolation, and ensure that we're taking all the steps necessary to tackle these issues. 

Llywydd, this Government remains committed to tackling loneliness and social isolation and to a more connected Wales, and I look forward to updating Members as we make progress to achieve this.