Thank you so much, Presiding Officer. Today marks a very sad day for all residents across south-east Wales, as it marks the first anniversary of Mohammad Asghar's, the regional Assembly Member, or Member of the Senedd for South Wales East, passing. Known to many here as Oscar, he was a pre-partition baby and born in Amritsar, India, and raised in Pakistan. He came to the UK in 1970 and made his home in Newport, a city he loved dearly. A man who always got whatever he wanted in life through sheer determination and drive. He married his wife, Dr Firdaus Asghar, after seeing her at a high commission event in London. He told his friends, 'This is the woman I want to marry', and, in his words, the rest was history.

Oscar was not a typical politician and undoubtedly paved the way for many other people of ethnic minorities to enter the Senedd, and I know that he would have been delighted to see more people from diverse backgrounds enter the Senedd in various roles, from Members to support staff and the service teams we rely on every day to do our jobs. He was a man of the world and knew that he was in a position of privilege, and was the first to invite the Israel and Palestinian high commissioners to the Senedd to discuss peace between Israel and Palestine. He was also the first to hold a traditional kirtan in the Senedd, amongst many activities that he held so dear. He was passionate about eradicating inequality for anyone who experienced it, and genuinely cared about his region of south-east Wales. Oscar loved his job and worked tirelessly for all of his constituents. I know he would often stand in the Chamber, and one debate would be on one subject and he'd go off on a tangent completely, for example, and speak on the concerns of dentists within his region. When asked about it afterwards rather sternly by his family, he would often say, 'This is the most pressing issue for me and for them right now, and it should be heard by everybody.'

You could never find someone more passionate about Wales and its culture alongside seeing the formation of a Welsh cricket team than Oscar. Oscar was a people's politician and is still sadly missed by many in this Chamber and beyond. On behalf of myself and his loving wife Firdaus, I'd like to thank everyone for their unwavering support and for this opportunity to pay tribute to a groundbreaking, trailblazing and unique politician: my father, Mohammad Asghar, the Conservative regional Member for south-east Wales. Thank you.