We'll turn to spokespersons' questions now, and the first up this afternoon is Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Siân Gwenllian.

Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. I welcome the news that the Welsh Government will launch the second phase of the cultural recovery fund, providing more assurance to the arts and culture sectors. There is one aspect that the sector has raised with me already, namely the accessibility of the programme. Do you have plans in place to ensure that the application process is fair, particularly to individuals who do not have the means to win the race, as it were, and I am talking specifically here about individuals with disabilities or illnesses that make it difficult for them to fill in forms quickly, and also individuals with care or work responsibilities that mean that they can't be available to sit in front of their computer at a specific time?

And secondly, in terms of the fund, performance schools have failed to make full use of the support available from Government across the various sectors. It seems that they don't tick the right boxes in order to benefit from the funds that have been put in place. So, will you consider enhancing the access to the culture recovery fund in this second phase in order to ensure that these unique and important organisations can be supported?

Thank you very much, Siân. First of all, I'm just so pleased that we've been able to announce this additional funding. This isn't something that happens in England in the same way, and certainly the help that we've been able to provide to freelancers is something that has genuinely been appreciated because none of that is happening in England. Certainly, I was aware during the first phase that there was a problem because there were so many people and the process was difficult for some people to complete in time. So, by the time we go through all of the phases, we were confident that everyone who needed and wanted to apply had the opportunity to do that. So, no-one missed out. Maybe, in the first round and by the end of all the phases, we will have ensured that everyone who needed to apply will have had the opportunity to do that. So, I do hope that we won't see the problem that we saw during the first phase, not because of any problems that were deliberate, but just because of the capacity of the system to cope. So, we're in a different situation now. We know who applied the first time, so it'll be much easier because we'll have that information to hand. So, I do hope that the accessibility of the process will be much better.

And thank you very much for asking about the performing schools. I wasn't aware of that, and so I will go back and ask what the situation is with those.

Turning now to another area that forms part of your portfolio, namely major events, I'm given to understand that the Government has commissioned an independent report on the major events strategy. I understand that work did start way before the pandemic hit and that it has also been completed, but that the report has not been published. Can you explain why that report wasn't published and can you give us some kind of flavour of what that report contained? And will you publish the report—I know there isn't much time left now before the election period—or will this report simply be left to gather dust on a shelf?

Thank you very much, Siân. As you're aware, we did commission this before the pandemic struck, and, obviously, if there's anything that's been affected by the pandemic, well, that's major events, and so, to a certain extent, part of the problem is that a lot of the report was written before the pandemic. So, evidently, we needed to adapt that in the face of the pandemic, because the support that the sector needs now is completely different to what they would have needed before the pandemic. So, we have asked the author of the report to consider that, and so the report is still in the hands of the author and we're waiting for the author to come back to us before we can publish the report. But I do hope—. I have been pressing to get that report published for some time now.

So, hopefully it will see the light of day and we will see the recommendations in terms of the future direction of this work.

If I could turn, finally, to the need, in my opinion, for an entirely new strategy for the arts and culture sector in Wales, I think that supporting a vibrant and innovative creative industry with strong support will help Wales to adapt to the post-COVID landscape in many ways. But the problem at the moment is that Government departments are working in silos, and, in moving to the next Senedd, the arts, our language, the Welsh language, and our heritage should have status across Government, and these issues—the Welsh language, the arts, culture and sports—need to be at the heart of public policy and action by central Government and local government and drawn into economic development, to health, education, the environment, and so on and so forth. Do you, therefore, agree, in terms of the arts specifically, that we need a new, holistic strategic direction that is inclusive in order to develop this sector so that it is truly at the heart of everything that the Government does?

Well, I think that the fact that we did launch Creative Wales and that we've moved forward with that project, and the fact that we have understood that this industry is something that does contribute in a profound way to our economy—. If you look at the increase in the number of people who work in the arts, there's been an increase of about 50 per cent over the last decade. There has been an incredible increase, and there's scope for us to expand further. One of the things that we've done is to focus on trying to ensure that training is provided in the right places, and I think that we can go further on that. I do understand what you say in terms of the risk that we're working in silos, and, certainly, I hope that, if we all come back next time, this is something where we'll see more work across the Government.

In terms of the Welsh language, I've taken a paper to Cabinet recently to emphasise the fact that we have to go much further than we've gone so far and that we have to ensure that there is a responsibility on every Government department to mainstream the Welsh language. Of course, I hope that, when we do return, there will be a new action programme and that every department in the Welsh Government will be expected to contribute in some way in order to show what they are doing in terms of moving things forward as regards the Welsh language.

The Conservative spokesperson, David Melding.

I thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Minister, can I start on the engagement we've had? I've enjoyed shadowing this brief. We had briefings during the first lockdown on the cultural challenges ahead in terms of getting finance out. I do, however, want to talk about mental health and I was encouraged by your references earlier to the NGO sector. Will you join me in commending young people who take their mental health seriously, and also take the help that's available from schools and organisations like the Scouts, who are now involved in it?

Thanks very much, David, and thanks to you for all the work you've done not just on this portfolio, but also for your work over so many years. You truly have been an absolute cornerpiece of the development of this institution, and I'd just like to note my personal thanks to you for everything you've done, not least for making sure that the Conservative Party have stayed with devolution, and, hopefully, they will continue in that vein in the future. So, diolch yn fawr iawn, David, for everything you've done. You really have made a remarkable contribution to Wales.

But also, I'd like to take this opportunity to talk about—I hope you don't mind, because you talk about the work that's been done in keeping in touch on the cultural side of things—the remarkable work that's been done by my colleague Dafydd Elis-Thomas during his remarkable period. It is such a great way for him to end an elected political career that has, of course, spanned decades and decades, and his contribution to Welsh life has been truly remarkable. The history books will be written some day, and I hope that they will note the incredible achievement of his work over so many years, first of all as, I think, the youngest Member of the House of Commons, going in at about 27, years and years in that chamber, never failed to champion the cause of Welsh devolution and certainly making a remarkable contribution here in this institution, not least as Presiding Officer, where he really put his stamp on that job, but also, of course, ending his political career in this institution, championing the causes that I know he loves so much. 

Thank you very much, Dafydd, for everything you've done for us in the Senedd, but also for our nation.

David, thank you very much for your question on young people as well. Of course, it is crucial that young people take their mental health seriously. I'm really pleased, actually, that so many of them are taking this seriously now. They seem to be talking about it a lot more. I think that it is a really, really difficult time for young people. Many of them have not had access to their friends for a long time, they've not had access to the routine that they were used to, and, of course, the other thing that none of us had to deal with when we were young is the absolute tyranny of social media. I do think this is something that we have to take seriously and that we have to help these children to develop resilience in the face of something that none of us had to experience at such a young age. I know that we have put in substantial support to help young people. I know that there's more that we need to do, but I can assure you that the Welsh Government is absolutely clear that we need to move forward even further in this space than we have done, with the whole-school approach and the whole-system approach and of course, the reform of our curriculum, which, of course, has mental health as central to the core of what it's trying to achieve.

Thank you for that generous reply, Minister, and I certainly would like to join you in the tribute you made to Dafydd Elis-Thomas.

I also want to commend Mind, who are working closely with Hafal and other organisations. I think the mental health sector is outstanding in its co-operative work—the umbrella bodies really pack a punch because they work together. One of the main things they're asking us to focus on—whichever party becomes the next Welsh Government—is to look at the need for an anti-stigma campaign. Now, I'm disappointed in the sense that, I think, for all of the Assembly and Senedd elections of the past, this has probably been raised and it's still a real issue. So, do you join me in hoping that whoever is in Government in May will put this at the top of the list?

Absolutely, David, and can I tell you that one of the joys of being in this job has been for me meeting regularly with those third sector organisations who do such a terrific job on the front line in our communities, and Mind and Hafal are two of those organisations that have made a really significant contribution? One of the key things for me is that we have to make sure that we're not just measuring hitting targets in terms of timetables. We have to get a sense of what are the outcomes like as a result of that intervention, and so listening to what people have to say is absolutely key, and certainly something that I was very happy to do earlier this last week was to speak and to listen to children involved in the Cardiff and Vale youth health council and also, on the weekend, the national youth stakeholders group, because I really think that listening to people who are making use of our services is absolutely crucial, because we need to know from them what works, and if it works.

But certainly, in terms of the stigma, you will be aware that we as a Government have determined that we want to continue to support Time to Change Wales. I was absolutely shocked that the Conservative Government in the UK decided to cut that programme in the middle of a pandemic. It really was a shocking decision, I think, by the Conservative Government, but I can give you an assurance that we will continue to fight the stigma associated with mental health, and I do hope that that is something that has changed during the pandemic—that people are more prepared to talk about their anxieties and to realise, actually, that they can reach out and people will understand that this is something that is absolutely not out of the ordinary anymore.

It appears we seem to have lost David Melding for his third question. David, can you hear me?

Yes, I've been reconnected. Can you hear me, Deputy Presiding Officer?

Yes, that's fine. You've got one more question as spokesperson. 

I will proceed to my final question. It did cut out when I think the Minister was going to launch an attack on the Conservative Party—

Anti-Tory party, which is a good time for you to cut out, there, David.

I think you were focusing on the UK party rather than the Welsh Conservative Party, but I don't want a harsh finish to my questions. Can I just say that I have been encouraged by the Welsh Government's participation with the Charity Commission in the programme Revitalising Trusts, which you may know looks at dormant accounts, basically, and tries to transfer those moneys where appropriate to active charitable purposes. Do you agree with me that, in promoting this excellent programme run by the Charity Commission, mental health charities should receive a very high priority?

Yes, absolutely, David. I would agree with you that that makes absolute sense, that some of that money should be directed to those mental health charities. So, I would support you in that. 

Thanks very much once again, David.

Thanks very much for everything you have done for us in Wales as well.