Diolch, Llywydd. The last few weeks have seen our country united in grief for our late sovereign, Queen Elizabeth II. The period was also deeply sad in my constituency after the loss of the past deputy leader of Monmouthshire County Council, Councillor Bob Greenland. And I just wanted to pay a tribute to this great man, a giant in the local government family. Often, people like Bob, who have done so much to enhance our communities, get forgotten because local government isn't always recognised as it should be. It's people like Bob who have shaped our lives. He was a man of great love, kindness, integrity, fortitude, professionalism and courage.

My relationship with Bob started during the 2004 council elections when he fought the Devauden seat on Monmouthshire County Council. He was one of those rare people that stand out in our political world. His 18 years in council demonstrated that. In 2008 Bob became my deputy leader and remained deputy leader for 14 years, up until last May’s election. Some of his achievements include the regeneration of Abergavenny town centre, as well as the delivery of the new state-of-the-art Monmouthshire livestock centre near Raglan, and the new state-of-the-art leisure centre in Monmouth town. I have to be absolutely honest, hand on heart, those things wouldn't have happened without Bob's persistence and his influence, and they were all down to him.

Over the last few years, as Bob battled against his illness and put up fight after fight throughout all of that, he carried on working. Through all of that suffering he did not bemoan his situation. Bob Greenland was a gentleman, a lovely man, remarkable in so many ways, and a person I am so proud to have known and worked with. The hole he has left in society will never be filled in the same way, and he will always be remembered and missed. Thank you.