As a member of the committee, can I pay tribute to and thank all those that gave evidence to us on the committee during the inquiry, and, as Delyth has done, thank the clerks and the research team for ensuring that the inquiry was held in a timely and positive manner? Some of us needed their help more than others.

It's surely no coincidence that this report is debated during what's been a massive period for Welsh football and Welsh sport in general, showcasing our nation on a global scale. I think we've truly seen the power of elite sport, but every elite sport story starts from a grass-roots sport story, so that was the focus of our inquiry. The report starts with a quote from the Welsh Government that says that

'Sport can be the nation’s most effective preventative health tool'.

It has proven to be exactly that. Sport and physical activity have proven to provide massive physical and mental well-being benefits, but if only we had the equal spread of opportunity across the country to access those facilities. The World Health Organizaton in 2020 said that globally, one in four adults did not need meet the recommended levels of physical activity. Before the pandemic, only 32 per cent of adults participated in a sporting activity three times a week, whilst there were 40 per cent participating in no activity at all. 

What's been most stark for me is that the most vulnerable members of our society have reported doing less activity than before the pandemic. The evidence we received in the committee found that there were a number of barriers facing those in disadvantaged areas from participating in sport and physical activity. These range from the suitability of facilities available, the lack of safe spaces for doing exercise, reductions in times allocated for sport, and stereotypes that, frankly, belong in the past. The Deputy Minister acknowledged during an evidence session with the committee that those areas of highest deprivation were hit the worst. 

The programme for government includes a brief commitment to providing equal access to sport, but Sport Wales's remit letter includes an important requirement to ensuring vulnerable groups are not excluded from participating in sport. And whilst some of the cross-departmental initiatives being run by the Welsh Government are welcome, it'd be useful to know what discussions the Deputy Minister has had with Sport Wales to ensure they're complying with their remit to ensure that those vulnerable groups are not excluded from sport, and what steps they are taking to narrow this particular gap.

To move on to the other recommendations in the report, I thought it was quite disappointing that the Government hasn't approached these recommendations with the open-mindedness and spirit that they were intended to set this national standard for access to sport across Wales. But I was pleased to see the Government accept in principle recommendation 4 in particular. The opening up of community facilities in disadvantaged areas to increase opportunities to participate in sport is vital to ensure the success and future of getting people from those areas to participate in sport and activity.