Thank you, Llywydd. Broadcasting is a subject that has been at the forefront of the agenda of the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee. We as a committee have taken evidence from a host of stakeholders who strongly suggest that we need to strengthen the media landscape in Wales, although there is a great difference of opinion about how to do that, and I'll mention that in due course. But first, I'd first like to pay tribute to the important work undertaken in this area by the previous committee, the culture committee of the fifth Senedd, because the work that we are discussing today, certainly in terms of examining the case for establishing an expert panel to explore the creation of a shadow broadcasting and communications authority for Wales, the foundations of that work were laid by the previous committee.

This debate would not be happening today were it not for the work undertaken by that committee in the fifth Senedd. They gathered evidence on public service broadcasting and moved the debate forward, and prompted the Cardiff School of Journalism to commission research to fill the gaps where evidence did not exist. That research showed that there was a lack of coverage in the British press of devolved areas and, as a result, there was a democratic deficit. The people of Wales didn't always understand Welsh policies and this problem was highlighted by COVID. There were innumerable complications early in the pandemic caused by the stubbornness of some commentators, as they spoke about 'the Health Secretary', instead of acknowledging that there were different health Ministers for each nation. And this complexity led to problems that weren't just constitutional, as the previous committee had heard, but were public health issues. British commentators had to provide clarity then, for the first time ever, that health was a devolved area and that that needed to be acknowledged. Misinformation endangers more than democracy; it can also put people's lives at risk as well.

I will turn now to our committee, the Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee of the sixth Senedd. There was a difference of opinion in the committee, obviously. In November last year, after the publication of Ofcom's report on the future of public service broadcasting, we as a committee reported on how the recommendations would affect Wales. We endorsed Ofcom's recommendations on the need for legislation that would strengthen PSBs, which are facing increasing competition from global streaming services, such as Netflix. We recommended that Wales needs a stronger voice when making decisions. We argued that DCMS and the public service broadcasting advisory panel should include Welsh representatives in their discussions about the challenges facing PSBs in the digital age. We argued that there was a need to think specifically about protecting Welsh-language programming, and content that reflects Wales in both languages.

It's clear that we need a change of some kind in the way that broadcasting decisions are made. There will be a difference of opinion on that, but the broadcasting landscape in Wales is complex; there are specific challenges and opportunities for broadcasters, and the needs of audiences in Wales are unique. This is an area in which our committee will certainly take an interest over the coming months and years. I am very pleased that I have also been able to pay tribute to the work of the previous committee. There will be different views in the Chamber about the purpose of this debate, but without doubt, the influence of that committee deserves praise. It shows how important committee work is and how influential it can be for the future of Wales. Thank you.