I think also, Dirprwy Lywydd, it's a common view that we do need to reflect on the timeliness of action in taking forward the recommendations in the report and necessary progress in these matters. It was good to hear the Minister responding to that and stating her own commitment to ensure timeliness in taking forward the Government's response to the recommendations and the work that the Government has in hand in any event. Key to that, I think, is the commission and getting the commission up and running and all that the commission can then do to consider the best ways forward, including legislation, as the Minister mentioned. And again, good to hear the Minister commit to giving full and due consideration to legislation, depending on what the independent body comes forward with and the views of the commission itself, because that could be a very important way forward, and many Members mentioned the examples of Scotland and England.

I think it's clear, isn't it, as well, Dirprwy Lywydd, that Members reflect on the passion and the commitment in their own communities and within their own examples of local good practice, so there's much that we can draw on in taking forward this work, because we often hear that Wales is a community of communities, and I think there's a lot of strength in that in the history of our country and the current reality. People do want to see their own local quality of life in their own hands, to a meaningful extent. They want to be empowered. They want to take forward their own projects. They want to work with each other and other organisations. After all, it is our communities—you know, people, their families, their friends—who are in the front line, as it were. They are the ones who want and benefit from good local services, from community development, from that passion and commitment translating itself into action on the ground, and again we've heard many examples of how that is really benefiting our communities in Wales today.

And I do think that Members who mentioned the social justice issues—I think Mabon and Vikki Howells and others—make some very powerful points; evidence that where there is good transfer of community assets and communities are more in charge of their own affairs and their own circumstances, we see those benefits in terms of skill levels in the local community, health and well-being, economic development, general quality of life. That is very, very powerful indeed, isn't it, and I think we need to adequately reflect on that.

I think, Dirprwy Lywydd, that the current state of affairs, where we've had so many years of austerity going back so far now, and now the cost-of-living crisis, gives greater urgency to the need to take this work forward, because one response to that is to look at what does give good value for money and investment. And when you think of what communities bring to the table in terms of their own commitment, the time they're willing to give, the energy they're willing to give, a little seedcorn funding, as it were, goes an awful long way if you can harness that commitment and that passion, and this is an area where that really can be achieved and really can be made meaningful.

So, I think this is a set of recommendations and a report for its time, and if we can support our communities—. And again, I think Members in this debate made powerful points about the need not to transfer assets and responsibility for services just to reduce the financial responsibilities of local authorities and other public bodies, but to actually make for a sustainable future and a sustainable improvement in those services and the use of those facilities. If we can achieve that, we'll be doing some very powerful and very good work for our communities here in Wales.

And as I've said as Chair of this committee, Dirprwy Lywydd, reflecting the views of the committee members, in producing our reports in this Senedd we will be ever more mindful of the need to sustain our interest, to return to the recommendations, to continue to scrutinise Welsh Government to see if the responses are being realised on the ground, and that certainly applies to this report as much as any other. Diolch yn fawr.