There are 2,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Wales annually. Immediate CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival. We are all in agreement that a network of defibrillators will save lives. I hope that you will join with me, though, in condemning whoever was responsible very recently for attacking and damaging a community-funded, newly installed automated external defibrillator in West Shore, Llandudno. The utter mindlessness of this defacement goes to show that awareness of the importance of AEDs and CPR needs to improve vastly.

Of course, I endorse the comments that have been made, and the huge debt of gratitude that we owe to our former colleague Suzy Davies, who campaigned tirelessly to see Wales join England and Scotland in making the teaching of life-saving skills a requirement of the new school curriculum. Teaching life-saving skills in schools will help address the fact that as many as three quarters of people surveyed by the British Heart Foundation would not feel confident enough to act if they saw somebody having a cardiac arrest. However, whilst we expect the guidance on the health and well-being area of learning and experience to be amended to state that learners should learn life-saving skills and first aid, why not, Minister, go a step further by stating that defibrillator training is mandatory too?

Throughout the pandemic, I have been taking steps to help, educate and protect the public. I have backed the Awyr Las Keep the Beats campaign, which encourages residents of all ages to practice CPR in the safety of their own home by using common household items such as balls, cushions and teddy bears. My constituency team have undertaken a CPR and defibrillator training course with St John Ambulance, so I thank St John Ambulance for that, ensuring that a full and proper knowledge of life-saving procedures is rooted right in my constituency in the beating heart of Llandudno. I would certainly encourage other Members to do the same with their office teams, so that we boost the number of people able and ready to respond in the event of an OHCA.

British Heart Foundation Cymru have estimated that there could be hundreds or even thousands of defibrillators in communities across Wales that never get used, because emergency services simply don't know where they are. To address this, the BHF is launching 'The Circuit', with the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, St John Ambulance and Resuscitation Council UK. Bearing in mind that you are committed to a further £500,000 to further increase the number of defibrillators, I wonder if you could make it a condition of this funding that AEDs be registered on this circuit.

NHS Wales and Welsh Government have previously acknowledged that deprived communities are more likely to suffer from cardiovascular diseases and OHCA, and are less likely to survive than people from more affluent areas. The out-of-hospital cardiac arrest plan of June 2017 stated that work should be undertaken to ensure the public are not disadvantaged due to geography or social challenges. Many of us travel the length of Wales on a weekly basis, and I can safely say that I have only spotted one AED, beside the A5 in Padog, Ysbyty Ifan. That is clear evidence of geographic disadvantage. Communities with life-saving equipment should have bold signs informing the public of their presence. They should be as important as brown tourist signs. So, will you liaise with the Deputy Minister for Climate Change to deliver AED road signs?

Alongside introducing signs, I support the calls for grant funding to be made available to enable community halls, sports grounds and independent shops to buy and install a defibrillator. Personally, I would go a step further and propose that they be made available at each school in Wales. That, Minister, could be one of the major shocks that Wales needs to move a step closer to becoming a true life-saving nation. Thank you. Diolch.