May I first of all thank Jane Hutt, the Deputy Minister, for a wonderful statement? I join with her in her welcoming words. We're here noting Interfaith Week, but as the Deputy Minister has already said, we're not only noting but celebrating the contributions made by our faith communities, particularly during the pandemic over these past few months when congregations haven't been able to come together in their traditional way, be that in a chapel, church, mosque or other place of worship; we have been meeting online, of course.

As one who is a lay preacher, I do see all of the hard work that is done on a voluntary basis, and I'm astonished by it, I have to say, as the Deputy Minister has already outlined. And it's not just in our Christian chapels and churches, but it's also the vital contributions from other faith backgrounds, as we all come together in our towns and cities, and the voluntary work that happens on the ground is truly astonishing. And given the response to the pandemic, it has gone up to another level that we've never seen before, and also in response to the flooding that the Deputy Minister mentioned. The hard work done on the ground deserves celebrating, and that's why I welcome this statement so enthusiastically today. Providing food to food banks, providing food parcels to individuals and families who are vulnerable, the response has been quite staggering; providing furniture, clothes, dry carpets, toys for children, everything you can think of.

And, of course, during lockdown, we couldn't hold services in our churches, chapels or mosques, as I've already mentioned. And, of course, there were strict restrictions in terms of weddings and funerals, but despite that, there was great collaboration happening. I had my first experience of being a lay preacher on Zoom, before returning to the pulpit just last Sunday. Following this recent lockdown, our chapels and churches have reopened, and they have been disinfected in a way that has never been seen before. There is incredible work happening. The red and white tape is keeping everyone 2m apart in the pews in our chapels, with hand sanitiser at the door, everyone wearing masks, no singing of hymns, with test and trace in place, both in written form and through the COVID-19 app, where you scan your phone at the door as you enter the chapel or church. These changes have been quite incredible, as has the ongoing cleaning as various community organisations use our vestries and halls during the week. The challenges have been immense, indeed, as the Deputy Minister has already said.

And I also want to thank the Deputy Minister for what she said about the funding available to our communities of faith to deliver more at a local level to support our most vulnerable people, because such pots of money haven't always been available to faith organisations. So, can I just ask you how many such organisations have made applications under the scheme that you've outlined this afternoon?

But, to conclude, Deputy Presiding Officer, in this important week, we've all been paying numerous, well-deserved tributes to NHS workers, workers in social care and local government staff, as well as carers, and we occasionally forget to mention our faith communities and all the voluntary work that happens on the ground, quietly and behind the scenes, without anyone realising it. And I would also like to thank those who have no faith background who also help our communities. So, I thank the Minister, and I thank everyone for their hard work—it is a cause for celebration indeed.