Thank you to all Members for taking part, and to the Deputy Minister for her response and steadfast determination to bring about the necessary change in this.

We stand here at a critical moment, and with the topic being debated today so pertinent, it would be remiss of me not to share my own personal story. Like the Member for Alyn and Deeside, I too am a statistic. Like many last year, during the lockdown, once the novelty of homeworking wore off and only seeing friends on Zoom call quizzes, I quickly felt isolated, lonely, and this was compounded by the fact that I lived alone. As Delyth Jewell, the Member for South Wales East, mentioned, it's difficult to quantify it, and I didn't realise that this was happening at the time, that I was struggling. I became short-tempered and snappy. I swapped the early morning walks to remain hidden under the duvet. I now look back and realise, with absolute clarity, that my mental health was under strain. Thankfully, as the lockdown eased, I was able to meet with friends and play sport. I know that for the Member for Islwyn, it was music; for me, it was sport. I felt the improvements to my mental health immediately. I know, from speaking to friends and colleagues, that I wasn't the only one who felt this way during the lockdowns.

But it shows that no-one is immune to poor mental health. Many of us, at some stage, will suffer to varying degrees. As Altaf Hussain said, mental health knows no barriers and does not discriminate. However, as the Member for South Wales West, Tom Giffard, rightly highlighted, Welsh mental health services were struggling long before COVID, and, as it stands, I suspect the same struggles will continue long after the pandemic. That's why this motion today, before Members, is so important. We've heard the many statistics this afternoon that make for difficult listening: one in four will suffer mental health problems at some point in their lives; loneliness has increased to 26 per cent during the pandemic; the sharp rise of antidepressants being prescribed, as the Member for Aberconwy mentioned; and that the Welsh Government's target of 80 per cent of local primary mental health support service assessments being undertaken within 28 days has not been met for the last eight months. As a consequence of this, we've seen community-led organisations across Wales lead the way in delivering life-saving mental health services.

I'd like to take the opportunity to pay tribute to two charitable organisations that do amazing work to support people with their mental health. In Pembrokeshire, former soldier Barry John had an idea: to help support our armed forces veterans with their mental health through art therapy. From that idea, the VC Gallery in Pembroke Dock and Haverfordwest was born. With Barry's artistic background and his involvement in mental health work, he realised the need in the community for his expertise and experiences. Now, the VC Gallery is working with veterans, older people, children, and anyone who feels they need time out to socialise and express themselves through art. Nationally, there are organisations such as the DPJ Foundation who work with our agricultural community, a sector with alarmingly high levels of mental health issues, to help those who need it to share the load. From the tragedy of Daniel Picton-Jones's suicide, his widow, Emma, decided to set up the foundation to support the mental health of those in the farming sector, for those who feel just as Daniel did, providing them with the support that he didn't know how to get.

These exceptional charities are only two of many that provide support, guidance, a listening ear and even a shoulder to cry on for those who need it. And in responding to the Member from Newport East, it’s fantastic what Newport county are doing. I know, personally, that sport is such a great motivator in improving mental health. But it shouldn’t be down to sports clubs and charities to do this work alone. That’s why this motion is so very important—to deliver a national roll-out of 24-hour mental health crisis centres, a clear mental health workforce plan and annual reports and targets for waiting times for mental health treatment, including a reduction in backlogs.

The more we learn about mental health, indeed, the more we talk about mental health, the better we can provide helpful and targeted support to those in our lives who struggle with mental health conditions. It’s okay not to be okay, but it is not okay to sit on our hands when it comes to mental health provision. Deputy Minister, I look forward to your statement on mental health provision going forward, but today, I urge all Members to vote for this motion. Diolch yn fawr.