8. Debate on the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee Report: The impact of COVID-19 on Sport

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:30 pm on 8 July 2020.

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Photo of Helen Mary Jones Helen Mary Jones Plaid Cymru 5:30, 8 July 2020

Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. And I'm very grateful to all Members who've participated in the debate. It's impossible, of course, to respond to what everybody has said, and I think there were many common themes that I will come to, in a moment, but I must mention one or two individual Members. I cannot not congratulate the Connah's Quay Nomads or Jack Sargeant would never forgive me. It's a great achievement, and I'm sure we all want to share the congratulations that Jack Sargeant brought to the Senedd this afternoon. And I must personally welcome Laura Anne Jones back to our Senedd, albeit under very tragic circumstances. Laura and I, of course, served together in the past, and, I must say, it's very pleasing to see another woman in the Chamber. So, croeso nôl.

I think what struck me, Dirprwy Lywydd, was the common themes that came out of the contributions of all Members: the way that sport can inspire us, the way that it can lift our spirits in hard times—David Melding talked about being pleased to see the cricket back—but also the common theme about inequality and about how important it is to ensure that people in our poorest communities have access to physical activity opportunities. And I was very pleased to hear what the Minister said, right at the end of his contribution, about the commitment to promoting all physical activity, not just what we traditionally think of as sport. 

In John Griffiths's contribution, I was very much struck by his in-depth knowledge of the sporting world in his own community and constituency. And I think that's shared commonly across the Chamber. It certainly came across in Alun Davies's contribution. Members have also referred to the really huge importance of physical activity for children. I'm sure there are a lot of—to go back to Alun Davies's contribution—nine-year-old girls and boys who are desperate to get out and to be able to play together again, as soon as it's safe to do so. 

Mick Antoniw's contribution, where he again highlighted the importance of public facilities to enable poorer people to continue to participate or to begin to participate in physical activities, people who cannot afford, for example a private gym membership—. And I very much hope, when the Deputy Minister formally responds to our report, that he picks up on that issue of the leisure trusts and those facilities that are no longer in full local authority hands and therefore have more potential to face even bigger challenges than the leisure centres that are owned still by the local authorities.

I am grateful to everyone, as I've said, Dirprwy Lywydd, for their contributions. I want to mention Mick Antoniw's suggestion of an equality impact assessment. It's not a formal recommendation from the committee, but it's certainly come out of everybody's contributions today, and came up in the discussions that we had as a committee. We know that we cannot—.There'll never be enough money to do everything for everybody. And I think there's a clear message to the Government, from our committee and from this Chamber, that, when priorities are determined, we must support people who have the least opportunities. We didn't, for example, get any formal evidence, under this session, about the participation of black people and people of colour in sport at community level. But we know, from previous work, that they can have more of a challenge in gaining access.

So, I would suggest to the Minister that, as he looks to prioritise, going forward, he really does undertake an equality impact assessment of the support that's already been provided. He is right to say, of course, that the support that's already been provided through Sport Wales was very warmly welcomed by the sector when they gave us evidence. But they were equally clear—and I know that the Minister and the Deputy Minister know this—that that support, though it was very welcome, will not be sufficient in itself to take us through. 

So, I will end, Dirprwy Lywydd, by thanking all participants in this debate and everybody, once again, who participated in the committee's process, the written and the oral evidence and, of course, as others, including David Melding, have mentioned, our exceptional staff, as a committee, for whom we are very grateful. We look forward to the Government's formal response to our report, which we know will come in due course. And I'm grateful to the Minister for responding informally in this debate at this time.

With that, Dirprwy Lywydd, I would like to commend this report to the Senedd and look forward to scrutinising the Government further, as their support for the sport and, very importantly, physical activity sector continues at this very difficult time.