Diolch, Llywydd. I give a minute of my time to Mike Hedges and Rhun ap Iorwerth as well. We currently face extreme pressures on our NHS, our health, and our economy, and our response to this extreme pressure must also provide long-term solutions that improve the lives of people in Wales.

Along with myself as chair, David Rees, Altaf Hussain, Jayne Bryant, Mike Hedges and Sioned Williams are all Members of the cross-party group on medical research. We launched an inquiry back in 2021 to establish the benefits of medical research to Wales. The cross-party group is due to publish its report this autumn, but our findings up until now outline the very real and tangible short-, medium- and long-term benefits of a thriving medical research environment. This view is supported by the people of Wales. According to the British Heart Foundation Cymru, an overwhelming majority of 82 per cent of the people of Wales believe that it is important for medical research to happen here.

So far, we've taken evidence from clinicians, patients, economists, researchers, funders and industry and we've heard unequivocally that medical research has enormous benefits for the Welsh economy, Welsh patients and the Welsh NHS. On the economic benefits, the cross-party group heard evidence from the Fraser of Allander Institute at the University of Strathclyde and the British Heart Foundation Cymru. Both contributions provided significant evidence that medical research is a vital part of the Welsh economy. Those recipients of research funding purchase goods and services in order to undertake the research and this generates activity in the supply chain and across the whole of the Welsh economy.

Medical research can boost output and productivity in the economy, with new technologies, medicines and processes, and as new methods and technologies are discovered, there are knowledge spillovers into the public, private and third sectors, which further boosts productivity and the economic growth. Economic modelling commissioned by the British Heart Foundation shows that charity-funded medical research alone supports £86 million in output and £55 million in gross value added, and 950 full-time equivalent Welsh jobs. Most of these 950 jobs are high quality and high-paid roles. The Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry stressed to the cross-party group that increasing investment in science will help provide high-quality jobs that would drive the future of the Welsh economy.

Taking evidence from patients, clinicians and researchers, the cross-party group has seen first-hand the huge benefits that medical research can provide to patients. Breakthroughs in medical research generate improvements in preventing, diagnosing and treating conditions, improving patient experience, quality of life, and medical outcomes. Patients in Wales benefit every day from medical breakthroughs that happen all round the world, but there is also a huge benefit to patients if medical research happens right here in Wales. The cross-party group heard that patients who participate in clinical trials receive the best standard of care, and because of strict regulations in clinical trials, these patients are more likely to have a better experience, better treatment and better outcomes than patients who do not participate in clinical trials. For example, in motor neurone disease, there are UK-wide developments, and the Welsh Government, I think, must make sure that patients in Wales have access to those clinical trials.

Patients and clinicians also highlighted evidence to the cross-party group that patients who attend a hospital with a positive research environment have a better outcome. There may be many reasons, of course, for this, but the cross-party group has considered that research-active hospitals may have greater knowledge and more developed infrastructure. Research-active hospitals may find it easier to implement evidence-based practice and innovative procedures, and this culture of innovation may also enable research-active hospitals to implement and follow up-to-date clinical guidance, providing the very best care for patients.

This capacity for change and innovation is absolutely crucial if our NHS is to recover from the extreme pressures felt across the service currently. Medical research provides endless opportunities for cost savings in the NHS, as well as driving innovation and streamlining practices. The cross-party group heard from the pharmaceutical industry that each patient participating in a clinical trial represents a £9,000 saving to the NHS. That's £9,000 per patient. I can see the Minister looking at that with perhaps a smile on her face.

But one of the biggest problems facing our NHS is, of course, the recruitment, retention and support of NHS staff. The cross-party group has seen evidence that a thriving medical research environment is absolutely crucial to any workforce planning. From an evidence session with the Royal College of Physicians and clinicians, the cross-party group heard that that the opportunity to engage in medical research is important to clinicians' careers. Clinicians reported that engaging in medical research supports their career development, their morale and, therefore, their ability to care for their patients. Providing this opportunity to clinicians would not only support staff retention, but might even improve recruitment, by making the Welsh NHS a more attractive place to work, and this would bring more expertise into Wales and start to fill crucial vacancies across the health service. The Royal College of Nursing found that in Wales there were two and a half times as many applications per post when an academic component was advertised with the role.

A report commissioned by the Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry shows huge benefits that could be released across the UK and Wales if life sciences visions were fully implemented. According to the report, the NHS would generate an additional £165 million in revenue and £32 million in cost savings per year if recruitment to UK industry trials rose on a par with Spain, for example. The UK would generate £68 billion in additional GDP over the next 30 years if the UK pharmaceutical industry's spending on research and development rose on a par with the US. I accept that the Welsh Government has consulted on its draft innovation strategy, but this must be backed up by capital and ambitious leadership if we're to really feel the benefits of medical research.

My thanks to the many organisations who helped in terms of contributing to this short debate today, and particularly to the British Heart Foundation Cymru and Gemma Roberts. Thank you very much. Diolch yn fawr.