Thank you, Janet, for giving me a minute of your time. This is an important subject, and thank you for bringing it here for discussion and debate this evening. I too, like many others across this Chamber and beyond, share your concerns with NRW. But starting with positivity, I'm sure you'll join me in welcoming the announcement of a much-needed £10 million flood defence scheme in Lliswerry in Newport in my region. However, over the last two winters, several areas within my region of South Wales East have gone unhelped. My home county of Monmouthshire has significantly been impacted by flooding, and regularly there are flooding issues there. Many residents who were flooded in February in 2020, during storm Dennis, were flooded again last December. One local pub in Usk, the Olway, has suffered severe flooding 20 times in the last 15 years, and to add insult to injury, they have never received any financial help from the Welsh Government or support from NRW. Local fundraising is what helped them get back on their feet last time.

We need to see action from the Welsh Government and NRW to prevent further instances where flooding occurs regularly, devastating businesses, homes and livelihoods. It's imperative that we see more urgent investment in flood defences where and when they are needed to avoid the devastation that flooding causes, rather than leaving it and expecting different results. As one of your Labour MSs has said, Minister, investment in our flood defences must be a priority for this Government.