I thank our Chairman for his comments just now. I'm really pleased to see that the Welsh Government has accepted all 10 of the main recommendations contained within our committee's report on digital connectivity. I strongly welcome all efforts made to improve digital connectivity, but the committee report does go on to ask questions about the Welsh Government's overall strategy to ensure that we have a digitally connected Wales.

The report notes that, in 2014, 55 per cent of residential premises could access broadband at speeds of 30 Mbps or higher, compared to 75 per cent across the UK. By 2021, this figure had increased to 94 per cent against a UK average of 96 per cent. So, I'm pleased to see the progress, but, as has been eloquently pointed out, we all know areas within our own regions or constituencies where people are really receiving painfully slow broadband.

More and more, people now are wanting to download films, youngsters are wanting to do their homework, so it really is—. It's been classed, hasn't it, as a utility now. It's the fourth utility. I strongly concur with those points. Certainly, in rural isolated communities, it's imperative that people have not just some broadband, but fast broadband.  

In particular, the number of Welsh households receiving broadband speeds of 100 'megadoodahs' or faster stands at just 46 per cent in Wales, versus 66 per cent across the UK. Similarly, the number of Welsh households receiving broadband speeds of 300 Mbps or faster stands at just 44 per cent in Wales, versus 65 per cent across the UK. So, we want to level up the broadband here. 

I strongly support the establishment of the barrier-busting taskforce mentioned within the report to consider ways to improve the roll-out of digital infrastructure learning from the most successful local examples and ensuring that developers and authorities work together in a true public-private partnership, as highlighted by Ogi in their submission.

I note in your response that you accepted the committee's recommendation that you engage with the UK Government on the development of new public initiatives to ensure that they do meet the particular needs of Wales and that the Welsh Government should report back on progress within the next six months. I look forward to that reporting back as scheduled.

I also note with interest the Welsh Government's engagement with the calls from DCMS for evidence on connecting very hard-to-reach premises, and we've all got those, for which there will be a further chance to provide a formal response to an anticipated consultation on this issue later this year. So, I do hope that the Minister commits to working with the Secretary of State for culture, Michelle Donelan MP, the Right Honourable, to make sure that all levels of Government are working together to implement the recommendations of the committee's report. Because, ultimately, we are one united nation and we perform best when we do work together as Governments to solve these complex problems. 

This is an issue of vital importance to my constituents in Aberconwy, as those facing connectivity problems are disproportionately likely to be elderly or to be living in rural or remote communities. According to research conducted by the National Federation of Women's Institutes Wales, over 50 per cent of respondents from rural areas did not feel that the internet that they had access to was either fast or reliable, and 66 per cent stated that they or their household had been impacted by poor broadband. Fifty-seven per cent of those from a rural area described the mobile signal in their house as unreliable, and 49 per cent of those—