I'd like to begin by thanking my colleague and committee Chair, the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire, for his excellent chairmanship throughout this inquiry. I would also like to thank the committee clerks and staff for their support.

I believe this, the committee's first report, is incredibly strong. I recall during our committee's brainstorming future-work-programme meetings that the HGV driver shortage was raised as supermarkets, filling stations and other supply chains were being squeezed due to the shortage of drivers. The idea of holding a short, sharp and snappy inquiry into this matter arose from the immediate pressures being felt and our desire to learn what the Welsh Government can do to help recruit and retain these valuable drivers.

The evidence gathered was hugely valuable, and I'm grateful to those who contributed, especially those HGV drivers who have offered their vital first-hand evidence and experience about the situation on the ground. We shouldn't underestimate the importance of key witness accounts, as their words carry so much value. It was these HGV drivers that kept the country moving throughout the pandemic. They helped keep shelves stocked, and they are the ones that have the best grasp over the situation that this report seeks to depict. The document identifies the key issues facing HGV drivers in Wales. It also provides practical and deliverable recommendations that I would encourage the Government to seriously consider.

Turning to the report itself, the Chair rightly highlights the impact of leaving the European Union and the COVID-19 pandemic that followed. However, the conditions in which these drivers operated existed long before either of these two events occurred. A pre-existing chronic shortage of HGV drivers amplified these acute and unprecedented events, which were critical factors in the subsequent supply chain issues that followed.

There are 11 recommendations that the Welsh Government can implement to safeguard the future of Wales's supply chain. I want to use my contribution today to focus solely on the experience of our HGV drivers, an important factor should we want to make this sector as lucrative and appealing as possible to the next generation of drivers. One of the HGV drivers who gave evidence about the experience of drivers said, and I quote:

'It's disgusting we are treated like animals no descent facilities hours are very unsociable no work life balance most drivers end up divorced'.

Is it really any surprise that we're facing critical recruitment shortages if this is the experience of a HGV driver? These conditions are not reflective of a modern and rewarding working environment.

We must also move away from the common misconception that service stations are only found along the M4 in south Wales. Freight moves north to south just as much as it travels east to west, and the A55 serves as a major freight route in north Wales. And it is a lottery when it comes to the quality of the services. For every service station that has clean and welcoming amenities, there is, sadly, another that does not. It's little wonder that this was raised by HGV drivers, and I'm surprised that the Welsh Government aren't aware of these discrepancies in service station and parking-site quality, because there isn't a Welsh Government survey of parking sites—something that the Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport in the UK have expressed their concerns about in their evidence to the committee. I would encourage the Welsh Government to accept recommendation 3 and create a detailed inventory of locations and facilities similar to what is available across the border.

I encourage the Deputy Minister to reflect on the contents on this report and recognise the high quality of its content, contributions and conclusion, and I urge the Welsh Government to accept the recommendations made by the committee and commit to implementing them as a matter of urgency. Diolch.