So, may I thank Jayne for that address? May I also thank her for her support for the arts and the importance of the arts in the political life of Wales throughout her period as an Assembly Member? I'd also like to thank her for referring to the range of activities happening around Newport, and I've been pleased to have the opportunity to join her in visiting some of the centres that she made mention of, and I do acknowledge the importance of Newport and the activities happening there.

But the commitment I'd like to make to her in responding to this debate is that I agree entirely with her that we have discovered a new way of working and a new way of understanding the purpose of the arts in our society—something that we cannot afford to forget. That's why it's been so important for me to see the great response there has been to the cultural recovery fund, as I mentioned earlier this afternoon, and to the additional package of support through the arts resilience fund, which has actually run out of funding and we are seeking additional funds in order to ensure that we can continue to respond to the applications that we receive.

The Welsh Government will continue to support the sector to reopen by using the arts as a key to come out of lockdown, because the awareness raised through the arts has proved to be crucial to people during this period of crisis. And although our theatres and concert halls have been closed, people have discovered new and different means of communicating through the arts. And when the public health situation allows, I am sure that these new approaches will continue to be adopted as well as the traditional methods that haven’t been possible during this period. Our programme of test events that we put forward as a Government were postponed in September, but the plan is still in place. It is a clear plan to reopen, and we will develop that learning from the clear efforts that are being made on a voluntary basis in our communities.

I’m grateful for the collaboration that there’s been between the health department within the Welsh Government and the arts council on social prescribing, I’m also grateful for all of the innovative work that Jayne referred to, which includes all of those companies and organisations that she mentioned: Heart of Cardiff from the Sherman Theatre; the National Dance Company Wales and the Dance for Parkinson’s sessions, which have been held online and on Zoom, of course; and the work of Cwmni Theatr Arad Coch in engaging with schools using digital resources during lockdown. And the Celf ar y Cyd project has been very impressive for me. It’s a project between the arts council and the National Museum Wales, with Welsh Government support, in order that people see the arts in our hospitals and that that becomes part of the role that the arts can play in health.

Another further success I should refer to before I conclude my response is Swansea Bay’s digital storytelling project, which is now being rolled out across other NHS boards in Wales. This project allows those who are unwell to create a digital patient story as part of the health board’s commitment to listen and to learn from their experiences. And these new ways of working will remain with us for the future.

So, thank you for all the good work done by the arts council in collaborating, as Jayne said, and working with the health service, and that collaboration between health and the arts. And the Welsh Government is committed to continuing with this work, not as long as necessary so that we come out of this crisis, but as a practical way of operating from here on in. Because of my background, I have been arguing over the years that there is a particular role for the arts, and it could be difficult. People would say, ‘Well, what can the arts deliver?’ Nobody is saying that today. So, thank you to Jayne for putting all of this on the Record this afternoon. Thank you to Members for the debate that we had earlier this afternoon. And taking nothing away from what I have said already, I have to say one further thing: not only am I Minister for the arts but I am also Minister for sport, so may I wish Gareth Bale and the rest of the team the best of luck this evening? Thank you very much.