St David is our country's patron saint, whose good deeds and actions continue to inspire many across our whole society. St David’s Day also marks a day of national festivity across Wales and in Welsh communities around the world. Creating a bank holiday to mark this occasion would allow our communities time to reflect and celebrate our history and culture and the important role both have played in the wider formation and culture of our United Kingdom.

Given that this is something that is already done in both Scotland and Northern Ireland, it is only fitting that Wales should be given the same opportunity. Whilst we are undeniably a family of nations, it is also right that each member is given this opportunity to cherish and celebrate its own history. In fact, many organisations, such as the Snowdonia National Park Authority, already do give their staff a day off to mark St David’s Day. For the first time this year, St David's Commercial, a property business in the constituency of my colleague Darren Millar, has given their staff the day off. So, that shows that businesses are now starting to acknowledge this.

Communities from all four corners of our society hold grand events and activities to mark the day. In Cardiff, there was a parade through the city followed by the singing of the Welsh national anthem. In Denbigh, local shops redecorated to mark the event. Flintshire has been holding a fortnight of activities in celebration of St David’s Day. I know that the deputy mayor of Llandudno attended a parade in Colwyn Bay, again in the constituency of my colleague Darren Millar. So, it is only right that a bank holiday is created to support these ongoing efforts and also to encourage more communities to mark this important national date.

There is also a compelling economic case for this bank holiday. As I'm sure many Members are aware, small and medium businesses, especially those operating in our valuable tourism, hospitality and retail sectors, face considerable challenges during the early months of the year. A bank holiday on 1 March would provide a warmly welcomed economic boost during a challenging financial quarter. According to a service that tracks card payments, two bank holidays in 2019 gave a boost of £118 million to British small and medium businesses.

Additionally, the Centre for Economics and Business Research claims that retail sales are traditionally boosted by around 15 per cent on a bank holiday, while hospitality sees a greater increase of 20 per cent compared to a weekend. As such, providing a bank holiday earlier on in the year would provide a much-needed economic boost to businesses, these businesses that form the backbone of our Welsh economy. And, as our colleague Jane Dodds has said, it will specifically support industries that have been so badly hit by the pandemic. Therefore, it is my great pleasure to add my support to this motion, which requests that the UK Government mark St David's Day as a bank holiday. Diolch.