Diolch, Deputy Presiding Officer. Thank you for your statement, Minister. It is very welcome and we on these benches completely support aims to eradicate period poverty and ensure period dignity in Wales. This is something that not just affects a small minority, Deputy Presiding Officer, but half of our population. It is a massive issue and it's something that actually should have been dealt with a long time ago.

For those that were in the last Senedd, and you may recall, Minister, I spoke about how we cannot always rely on parents and families to educate and talk openly about such important subjects as periods, which is often hard to understand for those families for whom it is quite the norm to talk openly about these things, but is a very real issue, for a myriad of reasons. And I was one of those girls that didn't see it coming or knew what to do about it, and I often found it very difficult to talk about it, so to stand up now is quite something for me. But it's something that needs to be talked about.

I said during the education Bill debates in that last Senedd that I was encouraged by the opportunity that the new curriculum provides in this regard to educate on, in an age-appropriate manner, important subjects such as these and to ensure that all children are armed with the knowledge that they need. We need to give all girls and young women full and proper education on periods within the RSE to make sure that this education will cover from the start of getting your period to the menopausal stage, including vital information on conditions such as endometriosis, which my good friend and former colleague MS Suzy Davies passionately campaigned for to be part of the new curriculum during previous Senedds.

But, alongside education, we also need to ensure, in my view—as a basic human right, I would argue—that sanitary products are available to all those that need them, and, as you say, Minister, in a discreet manner, and for free, particularly those in educational settings. As we know, Minister, children and young people spend a large part of their week in an educational setting and are likely to start their periods or have periods during that day. We, of course, welcome this Government's commitment to providing free products to educational settings since 2018, but what this Government hasn't yet ensured is the discreet delivery of those products within our schools. Currently we have a situation where pupils have to ask the teachers to go and unlock a cupboard to go and get them sanitary products. This doesn't strike me as discreet or in any way dignified for these girls to access what they need, especially, for example, if it's a male teacher that has to be asked. I would certainly have been too shy myself to ask for such things in school. There needs to be a more permanent solution and a more discreet solution. I would suggest something along the lines of permanent structures in our loos in secondary schools and colleges across Wales in the form of maybe a vending machine distributing these products, of which, of course, the products would be free, and arguably a more permanent solution offering in primary schools also, for, as we know, Minister, many girls are early starters in this regard. 

Many girls I know, including myself, had a bad experience and was caught short. Luckily, there is no longer tracing-paper-like loo roll in our schools, but we absolutely need to ensure that all girls are armed with everything they need, including sanitary products that are easily accessibly to them. Therefore, can I ask, Minister, that you assure this Senedd today that you will do absolutely everything in your power to ensure a dignified solution to the provision of sanitary products in Wales in the shape of permanent distribution machines in our loos? I've talked to many schools in the last few months and there is a very real problem—an obvious problem—in the school delivery stage, and it's going against what you are aiming to do and what we all hope and we want to achieve. 

Also, of course, you've outlined in your statement that some girls and women from families simply cannot afford sanitary products, exacerbated, as you say, by the pandemic. And, horrendously, due to their expense, they are not often bought, to ensure that families instead can be fed. And you're right, Minister, this cannot continue. 

The Welsh Conservatives also agree with you, Minister, when you talk about extending support to local authorities in Wales to ensure community venues, such as foodbanks and libraries, are fully stocked with period products to assist those most in need—free, of course. Therefore, Minister, through my own knowledge, I'm also aware of the need for this to be extended into sports clubs throughout our country, so I'd ask that those plans extend to them also so that we never have to see another girl or woman having to forgo sport because of a natural bodily function. 

Minister, I was delighted to see that, with our children and young being so very conscious of the environmental impacts and their wanting to actively do something about it, that you have a commitment, which was going to be my main question, to ensure that 90 per cent to 100 per cent of our products that are brought with Welsh Government money are plastic free, something that an incredible local Welsh campaigner, Molly Fenton, who's only aged 19, has heavily campaigned for. It is absolutely right that we take an environmentally cautious approach to this. So, Minister, what checks will be put in place to ensure that this is happening, please, and will the Welsh Government be proactive in helping our schools and local authorities in providing them with the right contacts to enable them to do this? Diolch.