Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'd like to begin by thanking Darren Millar for bringing forward this important topic for debate today. Obesity is a complex condition and it cannot be solved by the Government or by the NHS working in isolation. The evidence suggests that a partnership and whole-system approach is the only way to achieve change.

The Welsh Government's 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' strategy is the first step towards a cross-Government approach to reduce obesity in Wales on a population scale. As a direct result of the Public Health (Wales) Act 2017, passed by the last Senedd, the strategy was launched in October 2019 and is supported by a series of biennial delivery plans. In the development of the strategy, we brought together the best international evidence for change. We're fully committed to utilising all the levers at our disposal, from funding to policy and legislation. Delivery began in earnest in 2019. We set out our ambitious plan to support delivery for 2020-22 and we aimed high. However, the pandemic fundamentally changed the course of our delivery and has more deeply entrenched and worsened pre-existing challenges. Services funding at capacity across Government and key partners were shifted to meet urgent needs caused by COVID-19, meaning that many of the commitments set out in the plan were paused. Our NHS staff were redeployed to areas of urgent need during the midst of the pandemic response, which is where they were needed most.

As we look to be moving past the peak of the omicron wave, health boards are looking to restart existing services whilst continuing with new plans. On 1 March, I will be publishing the 2022-24 delivery plan, which takes this learning from the last two years. This will include a funding commitment of over £13 million over two years. I will be making a statement in Plenary that will highlight the scale and ambition of our plans to achieve tangible and real change. Out of this investment, there is £5.8 million specifically allocated to health boards, which will support the development of equitable person-centred support through the delivery of an all-Wales weight management pathway. This will help to pump prime services alongside wider investment through health boards. The all-Wales weight management pathway is designed to ensure that we achieve parity across Wales. In recognition of the importance of this work, work on it continued in earnest over the course of the pandemic and I was delighted to officially launch it last summer. We know that it will take time to build the required infrastructure as the service evolves, and work is ongoing with local leaders, demonstrating their commitment to progress. A suite of programmes from exercise options to nutrition skills will bring together a life course approach.

Local health boards have planned and developed expansions to access community services at level 2. This will provide a suite of support for individuals to be able to access support at the right time for them. For the first time in Wales, there will be equitable children and families' specialist level 3 services delivered across Wales. We have asked local health boards to prioritise this and advanced plans are in place to enhance service provision. With the support and collaborative working of our primary care professions, there is now a primary care obesity prevention plan to support and drive delivery of the pathway, including making every contact count through person-centred and psychologically informed approaches. And we are building a digital offer at level 1 of the pathway with Public Health Wales. This will be underpinned by a long-term behavioural campaign approach and will provide helpful support and advice for people across Wales. And can I reassure Jenny Rathbone that we are continuing to trial the all-Wales diabetes prevention programme in all health boards across Wales? And I will have more to say about this in my statement on 1 March.

Through our recently published NHS planning frameworks, health boards will be monitored and held accountable to Ministers to ensure that progress continues at pace. Local health boards are also submitting annual monitoring to Welsh Government. We will be supporting Plaid Cymru's amendment today. We're absolutely committed to increasing physical activity opportunities and have allocated £4.5 million funding to invest in community sports facilities, with a further £24 million investment in facilities over the next three years. Health education is essential, and our new Curriculum for Wales includes health and well-being as one of six statutory areas of learning and experience. We are committed to expand physical activity opportunities in schools. We've invested in the winter of well-being and are committed to exploring reform of the school day. Through our 'Healthy Weight' plan, we're also developing a new daily active programme for schools with partners. I'm also keen to explore the use of taxation powers to support a healthy diet, and my officials will scope initial proposals on this matter.

In closing, Dirprwy Lywydd, I look forward to the launch of our 2022-24 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' delivery plan on 1 March, which will ensure that we continue to focus on delivery, recognising the significant efforts that health boards have begun to make. I ask all Members to support our amendment to the motion today. Diolch.