This debate today is an incredibly important one and apt in its timing. Even before the pandemic, one in four people in Wales were experiencing mental health issues, and data indicates levels of anxiety within the population are higher than pre-pandemic. COVID-19 has of course had an impact on the mental well-being of us all, but for those with pre-existing mental health conditions, life in the pandemic has been an especially difficult time. 

We know that the pandemic has had a significant impact on the mental health of young people, with anxiety levels higher than they were, and research shows that mental health issues predominantly start when individuals are children or young people. Therefore, I welcome—I strongly welcome—despite austerity, the additional £5 million of Welsh Government funding to improve and expand school counselling, fund local authorities to recruit and train counsellors, fund the development of professional training for school staff on well-being issues, and improve children's mental well-being.

As a former teacher, I know just how important it is that we provide additional support for young people's mental well-being. And, while providing mental health support is critical, prioritising services to improve prevention is also important. With Wales's income at 2010 levels in 2021, austerity has augmented, undoubtedly, the pressures on services, on social workers, and on crisis mental health teams.

And I know that, for me, speaking personally, music is hugely important to my mental well-being. But, unfortunately, that is not a privilege everyone can today enjoy across Wales. Improving mental health cannot be just reactive, it must be proactive and holistic. Improving access to the arts and sports, allowing us to express our creativity, we already know that improves our mental well-being, and it must be a critical part of our wider arts strategy to improve mental health. We await the imminent work on the national music service to conclude, and I urge both expediency and long-sightedness, and a national music strategy for Wales that is fit for purpose, well funded and caters for additional learning needs, well-being and future generations. And there remains more that we can and should do. 

I welcome the Welsh Government's commitment to roll out 24-hour mental health crisis support, but the Tories opposite must also recognise—they must recognise, and they fail to do so—that factors such as income insecurity, lack of money and debt impact strongly on mental health, and those already on lower incomes are more likely to experience mental health issues. It is extremely worrying, Deputy Llywydd, to conclude, that the Tory UK Government's £20 universal credit cut coming into force today—this debate is apt, as I said—will have a strong negative impact on the mental health of a huge number of recipients.

So, Minister, what assurance can you provide that services will be improved across Wales, despite ongoing austerity budgets, to ensure that nobody is disadvantaged in their access to services because of their location? And, Minister, what assurance can you provide that priority will be given to preventative services, including within the national music strategy and service, to improve holistic mental well-being, as we recover from this pandemic and step into a brighter and healthier Wales? Thank you.