Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm pleased to open today's debate on the Local Government and Housing Committee's report on the provision of sites for Gypsy, Roma and Travellers. I'd like to start by thanking all those who contributed to our inquiry, in particular to the individuals and families from the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community who opened their homes to members of the committee and spoke so candidly about their experiences.

The Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community is part of the fabric of Welsh culture, history and traditions. Too often, however, it is a community marginalised, pushed to the edges of society, and often the subject of prejudice and discrimination. In 2014, this Senedd passed legislation that would require local authorities to both assess the accommodation needs of the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community and to meet that identified need. The Housing (Wales) Act 2014 sets out clear duties and expectations on local authorities to ensure sufficient culturally appropriate site provision for the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community. Yet, eight years after those provisions came into force, we continue to hear of severe overcrowding at local authority sites, families waiting years for a pitch, and a backlog of maintenance and repair issues. We saw first-hand, on our visits to various locations in Wales, the issues that the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller community face day to day. On-site facilities, particularly for the young, are in very poor condition, or simply do not exist.