I'm having internet difficulties. I welcome, of course, the work of the committee, the Chair, and also, hopefully, the response from the Minister, Dafydd Elis-Thomas. As Members of the Senedd will know, the value of the live music industry across Wales, in all its genres, is £5.2 billion across the UK, and its equivalency in Wales is of equal importance to both Wales's creativity internationally, as brand Wales, and also the economy. So, I do very much welcome this report by Professor Paul Carr of the University of South Wales, and I suggest Members also read his previous report, 'Land of Song'. 

I agree both with recommendations 2 and 3 wholeheartedly—that we have a co-ordinated approach and, as across Europe and New Zealand, a dedicated performance reopening strategy, alongside a sustainable development strategy for all of the music industries in our music sector. I am in no doubt that Wales, the land of song, would then be well placed. We need to start to co-construct together, as it states within this report, with our stakeholders also, a new national music strategy for Wales with an underpinning music education plan and a funded network of music support services across Wales, to safeguard the music performers of the future. And so there has never been a more important time, as we approach this perfect storm of COVID-19 impacts on the sector and the looming issues of EU exit. As has been said by Siân Gwenllian, if cinemas can open, then I'm sure that limited and mitigated reopening of theatres and halls is also needing careful consideration.

The sector has been facing real challenges for some time, let us not forget, and after a decade of UK Government austerity, this has also severely impacted the musical and cultural hinterland of Wales. And of course, the pandemic has given us more agony with the economically regressive consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, I also welcome the £53 million and the £18 million that the Welsh Government has put in place within the cultural recovery fund, and I also welcome the £3.5 million announcement from today in regard to the support that has just been announced. But I would also like to state briefly, if I may, Deputy Llywydd, that this is all very well and good; what we will have to have as well is an ability to be able to rehearse at ground level. It's been very difficult approaching the different guidance and documents that have come out of Welsh Government, so I very much welcome any amendment and clarification within those pieces of guidance, which I believe is now going to be happening.

It is absolutely imperative, to close, that our male voice choirs, that our choral societies, that our historic brass bands, who currently are unable to perform, whilst the likes of those in education, within the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama and across our professional orchestras, are able to rehearse—I would plead with Welsh Government: please look at the evidence in regard to performance around singing and around wind instrumentation. We have to do this, not just for Wales, but for the whole amount of the sector that is there, desperately looking for us, now, to lead the way, and I'm sure that that can be done. Thank you.