Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I thank Helen Mary Jones for all her work as the temporary Chair and send my good wishes to Bethan? I don't think it's a reflection on Helen's work at the moment that we'll applaud Bethan's return also, but, in the meantime, the leadership Helen has given to the committee has been instrumental in us continuing our work and producing such an important report this afternoon.

But I do also want to add my thanks to the whole committee team, Deputy Presiding Officer. I think we've all as Members of the Senedd been hugely impressed by the way the Commission staff have worked to ensure that as much of what we do could continues as a legislature, both here in Plenary but also our committee work, and I'm very, very grateful to them in enabling our work to continue.

I think this is such an important area for us to look at. Helen Mary has outlined, in essence, our recommendations, and I completely agree with them. I think it's very important that we push them forward and we see action from the Welsh Government, but also from the UK Government, when we're looking at job retention schemes and how we're going to sustain the whole structure of the arts sector in Wales but also throughout the United Kingdom.

One of the pieces of evidence that I found most insightful is that many of the organisations currently under most pressure as their business model is undermined are those that, over the last 10 years or so, have diversified, increased their commercial income, have increased merchandising, and have been hugely successful and allowed more space for public funds to be devoted to other areas of the artistic community that are really important but don't generate so much income. Helen Mary referred to some of those in terms of the work in public services like hospitals. I think that really is such an important message for us to take forward that we must have a partnership that allows the muscle memory of our great artistic enterprises to be retained, and those who have done so much not to rely on public funds now are turning to us.

As we've heard, there is no prospect of audiences coming back in the size needed to keep the millennium centre going, but also many other theatre venues. Twenty-five per cent, 30 per cent, perhaps, of audience capacity may be delivered with social distance, but it's going to be nowhere near the level that we need in terms of ticket sales of three quarters or more to really ensure that productions can break even and generate funds in terms of providing profits for future investment. So, this is a very, very important time for us.

And also, there's the whole spin-off of those many people who are self-employed but provide services to the artistic community—those who are involved in theatre productions, but also, looking at other aspects of the creative industry, in television and film and other areas. So, we should remember there are many small providers out there who currently find it very difficult to access schemes and are perhaps the most vulnerable—amongst the most vulnerable, anyway—in society in terms of job security.

And again, I think, in terms of telling the nation's story and reimagining the past and what it means to us, how we learn lessons from it, and how we explore the more uncomfortable areas, but also celebrate the great inheritances we have, as well, so that we enjoy life in the future, you know, I think COVID has reminded us of the basic things that are important in terms of the value of life, and the arts are so central to that. And it, I think, would be quite shocking if we do not make that investment now so that when we are through those terrible and testing episode in a year or so, when there is a long-term solution, or at least a means to live with this disease without the lethal effects of it, then we will want this sector to flourish again. If we don't have that, we will be much diminished. And let's remember that Wales has had an absolute boom in the creative industries. It's truly one of our wonderful growth areas, and we will want it to be core to our economic future again and also the way we enjoy life. So, I commend this report with great enthusiasm, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I look forward to the Welsh Government's response. I'm sure that we can see the arts thrive again, as they have in the past, if we make this critical investment now.