Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. I look forward today, hopefully, to convincing the Senedd of the merits of establishing a flood forum for Wales. John Griffiths, Delyth Jewell and Llyr Gruffydd have requested a minute of time as part of this debate, and I will ensure that there is time for them to make their contributions at the end of my contribution. 

As anyone who has suffered flooding will know, or who has visited a property or community that has suffered flooding, it's an earth-shattering experience. If you haven't seen the impacts with your own eyes, it's impossible to comprehend the scale of the disruption and how filthy water penetrates everything. Even with insurance, it can take months and sometimes years to restore properties, and, of course, some important items such as photographs and personal papers are lost forever. I'll never forget, following the dreadful flooding of 2020, visiting a home where there were two elderly people in tears because all of the photographs of their daughter, who died in her 30s, had been destroyed by flooding. They were abroad when the flooding hit and had no time to move anything to a safe place. Words of comfort are simply inadequate in such circumstances. 

The psychological impact is also something that can last for years after flooding. I still regularly meet with those in my region who have experienced flooding in their homes and businesses, and it's clear, even years later, that they are still suffering ongoing trauma. Every time it rains heavily, they can't sleep. They're watching the rain, the river and the drains and culverts, fearing that the worst will happen yet again. Many also say that their children experience regular nightmares. On top of all of this, many have difficulty finding insurance, which leads to anxiety about the financial impact if the worst were to happen again. We must also remember those who can't afford insurance—something that's bound to get worse as a result of the cost-of-living crisis.