Deputy Presiding Officer, I'm delighted to follow that speech from Jenny Rathbone, because I'm proud to say I'm a graduate of Cardiff University. I derived great pleasure and some learning from my time there, between 1981 and 1984, and I'm pleased to say that, since I left, the university has flourished—continued to flourish is what I meant to say. As Jenny has outlined, it is now a Russell Group university and, in terms of research, by some margin our strongest university, with a huge part to play in several areas.

I'm glad that Jenny talked about economics and social sciences and the research that Cardiff will do as we build the recovery after COVID, and it will be incredibly important. But I wanted to look at the research on medical matters, and COVID in particular. I hope Members will indulge me that I'm just going to use all the examples from Cardiff University, because I just think they're so innovative.

In July, Cardiff University announced a UK-wide project looking at COVID and the impact on the diagnosis of cancer, and how often have we heard in our debates the implications of not having early diagnosis for cancer, because people are too afraid to access diagnostics at the moment because of COVID? This study is in collaboration with Cancer Research UK and a couple of other universities in England, and will explore public behaviour and attitudes. What I think is really important here is not only is that hugely significant, but its aim, really, is to facilitate better public health messaging, because what is really important here is that people realise the risks that they run if they do not have significant symptoms investigated. So, I think that's one indicator of the worth of Cardiff University in this specific crisis.

Another project is looking at whether our immune system determines whether we suffer from severe COVID, as does seem likely. And again, we need the wonders of science and really outstanding research to give us the weapons to fight the disease. What we sometimes think intuitively is right is not always right, and that's why we need such in-depth, rigorous science.

A project earlier in the year, I think in April, looked at the levels of mental health concerns among nurses and midwives in the UK. The findings were quite stark: 74 per cent felt their clinical responsibilities put their health at risk during COVID and 92 per cent were afraid that these risks would be passed on to family members. Isn't that an incredibly human finding, as well, that their own health and risk—74 per cent, naturally—? But even more of them—92 per cent—feared that, actually, what could happen, what they feared most, was they'd pass it to a loved one. And then 33 per cent had experienced severe depression or anxiety.

It's in managing the emotional and well-being needs of our health workers that we will get through this crisis. But I think, for the first couple of months, many people in our health services were just overwhelmed by the magnitude of what they were dealing with, and it's really important to remember how they need to be helped to be as resilient as possible—the workforce—and to know where to turn when they have some really tough experiences, and then just need to have that chance to talk about them and know the techniques of at least mitigating them somewhat. So, a really practical study again.

I think many of us will remember the study launched at the University Hospital of Wales on the effect of giving blood plasma to COVID patients, again in collaboration with a major English university, and collaboration is so important. As I understand, that study is going on, and it made worldwide news—something happening here at Cardiff University and at UHW. That's what is really important in our university. I remember with great gratitude my undergraduate experiences. Obviously, I've been outlining postgraduate work and the work of the faculties—some of the finest minds of their generation. Long may it continue, and we will need to look at imaginative ways to sustaining the world-beating excellence at Cardiff University.