Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you to the Petitions Committee for bringing forward this debate during Breast Cancer Awareness Month. I'd like to welcome the petitioners to the Chamber, Tassia in particular, and others who have campaigned so vigorously on this matter. I'd like to thank the Chair of petitions, Jack Sargeant, and also the chair of the cross-party group on cancer, David Rees, who I know has raised this matter with me on several occasions. And I just want to give notice that I will give some of my speech in Welsh.

This is a really important issue, and I want to reassure all those people in Wales facing a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer that we most definitely will not leave you behind. Many of those who've already spoken have explained the difficulties people with a diagnosis of metastatic breast cancer will face, so I'm not going to repeat that other than to say that I do understand to a certain extent how difficult a time it is for families in that situation, as my brother's family was one of those affected. I have seen up close the impact it has, not just on the person suffering but also on the wider family.

I wrote to the Petitions Committee quite recently to explain my commitment to improving cancer services and recovering from the impact of the pandemic. In it, I explained that I expect people presenting to the health service with metastatic breast cancer to be supported not only by a multiprofessional team, but also with specialist nursing input as necessary. I also expect everyone presenting with cancer to receive a holistic needs assessment to ensure they have the support that they need. Although it must be up to health boards to deploy their available workforce in line with professional standards and in a way that's equitable for other types of cancer, I'm pleased to report that the south-west Wales cancer centre has introduced specialist nursing for secondary breast cancer, and the north Wales cancer treatment centre is in the process of doing so. Further discussions are under way between the NHS and the third sector about the possibility of posts in the south-east of Wales.

The Wales Cancer Network has done quite a bit of work with the third sector, breast clinicians and health boards to review secondary breast cancer services and patient experience. It has developed a series of recommendations that are being taken now to the network board in November for consideration.