I refer Members to my register of interests.

I don't think any apologies should be made for this debate this afternoon being not a comfortable one, and every contribution we hear is incredibly pertinent to this debate. I'd like to pay tribute to Sarah Murphy for sharing with us her incredibly personal story. Thank you for taking the time to share that with us. 

I don't believe this debate is to shame the Welsh Government or whip up disgust; rather, as the Member for Brecon and Radnor rightly said, it's to hold the Government to account, and it's to draw attention to the real entrenched failures within Wales's child and adolescent mental health services. These failures have seen the lives of children and young people torn apart and thrown into turmoil. However, I do wish to use my contribution this afternoon to draw Members' attentions to the situation in rural communities right across Wales, one that has seen our mental health services under-resourced and lacking in funding. 

Now, it is true that growing up in rural Wales is a blessing, and that's not to say it isn't without its challenges and difficulties—a situation that is especially the case when it comes to our young people. Rural isolation is an issue that transcends every societal group, but it's often our young people who are left without the support network they need to develop relationships and emotional growth. Lacking these networks and without the required support and the preventative measures, our young people are often left to battle depression and other mental health illnesses, a situation that then requires the professional intervention of child and adolescent mental health services. Looking around this Chamber, how many of us have to deal with directly and intervene directly in an individual CAMHS case because resources were not available to get a child or young person the vital help they need? One of the very first cases I dealt with after last May's election was that of a young girl with an eating disorder. And for me, representing a rural constituency, interventions such as this are all too common and far too familiar.

The latest CAMHS waiting list figures show that less than two thirds of young people are receiving the required local primary mental health support service assessment within 28 days. In the Hywel Dda University Health Board region, which includes my own constituency of Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire, just 3.2 per cent of CAMHS referrals are seen within 28 days—3.2 per cent. In comparison, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board conduct 91.3 per cent of their local primary mental health support service assessments within that 28-day window, a difference that, for many, could be the difference between getting the support and access that these young people need or a further darkening of the clouds around them.

But let us be clear, these problems aren't a result of the pandemic; they are unfortunately a symptom of a historic trend of limited access and diminishing resource. It's where failures such as this occur that our local communities and, as the Member for Brecon and Radnorshire rightly pointed out, the third sector pull together and provide the support that is needed. And nowhere better has this been done than through Wales's young farmers community. As I've said on a number of occasions in this Chamber, Wales's young farmers clubs provide more than just an opportunity to develop agricultural skills and knowledge; they also provide a number of life skills, but also a sense of companionship and support. Lifelong friendships are developed and support networks created, both on a local level and throughout YFC. It's not easy to quantify the value that these relationships have in supporting those members who may be experiencing mental health issues, but, on an informal basis, to have a confidant who understands the challenges and uncertainties that many young people have growing up should not be undervalued. I'd like to take this opportunity to draw attention to a Llys-y-frân member in Pembrokeshire YFC, Hannah Rees, who off her own back brought forward to Wales YFC a plan to provide further assistance to young YFC members, through competition days. Given the fact that this is a young person knowing that there is a gap there and looking to fill that gap herself, I do pay testament to Hannah Rees for the work that she is doing.

But these organisations shouldn't be alone, and it isn't always enough. That's why ensuring that our children and adolescent mental health services are equipped with the resources they need is so important. Regardless of our political affiliations, we have a duty in this Siambr to ensure that every child has access to the health services they need. But, as you've heard this afternoon, that sadly isn't occurring. Waiting lists are exacerbated, demand is too high and staffing numbers too low. This motion before us is our opportunity to change the way in which our CAMHS services operate, making sure our children have access to the mental health services that they need and deserve. Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd.