Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru

Good afternoon and welcome to this afternoon's Plenary meeting. The first item on our agenda this afternoon will be questions to the First Minister, and the first question today is from John Griffiths. 

Creating a fairer Wales isn't something we talk about; it's something we deliver every single day, from housing and homelessness prevention, to free school meals, childcare, fair wages and targeted cost-of-living support. We're putting fairness into practice in ways that makes a real difference to people across Wales. In Newport, the Wales investment summit will soon shine a light on the world-leading semiconductor and AI cluster, bringing new jobs, skills and opportunities to communities that have long deserved this type of investment. So, a fairer Wales is the red Welsh way. It's practical, it's ambitious, and it's rooted in people's lives. 

First Minister, thank you for that answer. I agree that creating highly skilled and well-paid jobs, benefiting all in our communities, is absolutely key. And I very much welcome the announcement of the latest AI growth zone in south-east Wales, which, as the Cabinet Secretary said last week, will create thousands of new jobs and unlock billions in investment. And, obviously, we have to ensure that that does benefit all parts of our community. I do believe Newport has great potential, as you say, First Minister, with that AI zone, data centres, battery energy storage, and the semiconductor and cybersecurity clusters. And our schools in Newport are playing their role in offering mentoring and coaching, work experience and opportunities, job fairs and, indeed, career talks. Newport City Council have begun working with the University of South Wales, Coleg Gwent and others to develop a Newport promise to provide an equitable offer of business and employer support right across the city. So, First Minister, I’m sure you would agree that this is the sort of joined-up approach that we need, with our public sector partners, our education and training providers, working with the private sector to bring these opportunities, to bring this economic growth, and ensure that absolutely everyone in our communities has the opportunity to share in the jobs and prosperity created.

Thanks very much, John. For me, this is really important. I don’t want to see investment and jobs without a local component and making sure that it’s local people who can benefit. So, investment with purpose is absolutely central to what we’ll be looking for at the investment summit next week, and making sure that local people can benefit from that investment. And the only way they’re going to do that is if we make sure that they’re trained, they’re ready, they’re skilled, they’re enthusiastic, they’re up for it. And so, that relationship, and developing that relationship, between business and the people in our communities is crucial. I think there’s some really good examples. Careers Wales guarantees the same minimum employer engagement to every secondary school and special school, so that they can meet employers, they can visit workplaces, they can take part in mock interviews and they can see real job opportunities.

I’m sure you’ll be interested to hear whether the Chancellor will be announcing an additional £10 million boost for the semiconductor sector in south Wales. We’re hoping that that may come in in an announcement tomorrow by the Chancellor. Again, what we have to make sure is that those companies actually do their outreach work. I know that Renishaw, for example, under CSconnected, are reaching 15,000 young people through their STEM activities. We want to see more activity like that, so that it’s local young people who see a pathway for themselves in their local communities.  

First Minister, I was listening intently to your response, and I was listening to all of the wonderful things about how you’re creating a more equal and fairer Wales, but that’s really not the case, is it? My region of south-east Wales is no better off under your Government, and that has been the case for the last 26 years. You talk about how equal and fair Wales is, but you again skirt around the real issues that real people in Wales face on a daily basis. Take, for example, the Equality and Human Rights Commission, which found that the Welsh Government failed to comply with equality laws on a few occasions because you were non-compliant with the public sector equality duty, including when you stopped free school meals. Surely, First Minister, this flies in the face of your Government being more equal and fair. And, First Minister, a third of children in Blaenau Gwent are still in poverty. The average earnings there are just £15,000 a year. All of us are under the threat of higher taxes, thanks to your partners in Westminster. So, when will you make Wales fairer for hard-working Welsh people? Thank you.

Well, I can tell you that we spent £7 billion during the course of this Senedd term trying to support people who are on the lowest incomes within Wales. I'm very keen to see the Chancellor announce—I hope she will—an end to the two-child benefit cap that your party introduced. And let's be clear that, under most of those 26 years, we were starved of money through the austerity programme that your party introduced. So, we're doing what we can. We know that it's much easier to do it if we get the additional support from the UK Government. We've had the highest uplift we've had in the history of devolution, so we're able to put more support in place. But I'm keen to make sure that we stand on our own two feet, that we make sure that we support people into jobs so that they can support themselves. That's where I want to be, and that's why this investment is crucial.

Some specific groups in Wales are experiencing disproportionate inequality and unfairness. Your programme for government has made a number of commitments in relation to that and has produced a number of equality action plans. In May, after great delay, the disabled people's rights plan was published. But many groups, including those who have been part of the disabled rights taskforce, have expressed concern and disappointment that it offers no new funding to implement the new steps, or clear targets in order to scrutinise progress. There is increasing concern among the people of Wales about the challenges facing disabled people in Wales, particularly the impact of welfare reforms implemented by your partners in power in Westminster. So, can I ask you why there is no additional funding allocated in the draft budget to support the work of implementing the disabled people's rights plan, particularly bearing in mind—given what you said earlier, about work and skills—that the disability employment gap in Wales is the highest in Britain?

Thank you. We're very eager to see more people who are disabled coming into the workforce. We're very aware that they need support to do that. That's one of the reasons why I didn't think that the way in which the UK Government were going to proceed to make cuts was going to benefit them. But we think that we need to stand with them and help them through the system, as we're doing with helping young people into the workforce. The programme for helping people with disabilities is a cross-governmental programme, so all departments within the Government will be responsible for ensuring that they provide funding towards this. So, it won't come from one pot. That's the process that we've followed. You should remember, too, that we've developed this with disabled people themselves.

One way to inspire teenagers is to watch their national teams playing well, and boy did the Welsh football team perform well in their latest qualifying match, against North Macedonia. When Wales hosts the opening match of the UEFA Euros, in 2028, the eyes of the world will be on us. I hope that will inspire a new generation of people to take up sports. Even the Welsh rugby team haven't been that bad recently, winning against Japan, and I thought they put a really good fight up against the All Blacks.

We're working with schools to offer everything from football and rugby to skateboarding and trampolining, paddleboarding and Couch to 5K, because we know teenagers are more likely to stay active when they can choose things they genuinely enjoy. We're seeing young people, especially girls, getting back into sport and, importantly, staying in sport.

Thank you for that answer. I can't say I agree with you about the Welsh rugby team's success. [Laughter.] But can I just say that one of the problems we have in Wales, alongside the rest of Europe, is the decline in the physical activity by teenagers? Concentrating on the two major participation sports of football and rugby, we know that there's a drop-off in activity by older teenagers, which has led to a decline in the number of senior teams—both women and men. One of the causes of the decline in senior teams is the lack of younger players progressing to senior teams. One of the causes of this decline is the number of matches called off due to weather, and players get out of the habit of playing each week and drift into other activities. What is the Welsh Government's plan to increase the number of all-weather 3G and 4G pitches in order to allow teams to play each week, improving activity rates and, with that, reducing obesity alongside improving health?

Thanks very much. You're absolutely right—I think demand for good-quality pitches is growing. We see that certainly in Swansea East. I know clubs need more 3G and 4G facilities because participation is rising and it's rising fast. So, we do need to try and meet that demand. That's why we've invested £41 million in sports facilities this term, and that includes a significant expansion to those 3G and 4G pitches. On top of that, of course, we've got the twenty-first century schools—we now call it the Sustainable Communities for Learning programme—and what they do is develop amazing facilities in these new schools that, of course, need to be opened up to the community. There's an opportunity there for local clubs to use local schools. You can already see the benefits, including in my own patch—we've seen upgrades in Haverfordwest and Fishguard, and strong youth programmes in places like Narberth and Tenby. I think it's far more than sport; it's about confidence, it's about mental health, it's about teamwork, it's about keeping teenagers involved. I do think sport is a great catalyst for our communities.

As someone who is still active in team sports—I don't profess to be a teenager anymore, although I am the third youngest Member of the Senedd—what I do enjoy is the ability of sports to, first, bring people together, and, secondly, the skills that individuals learn when they're involved in team sports. In the Centre for Social Justice's report, 'Lost Boys', one of the key themes that Sam Rowlands brought forward in hosting that event in the Senedd was that feeling of belonging that team sports can have. So, how are you advocating for that? In this day and age, when social media is so rife, with the ability for people to get lost in technology rather than being out in the open air or playing team sports, how is this Welsh Government supporting team sports to flourish, so young men, especially young boys, can feel that sense of belonging by being linked to sports clubs?

Thanks very much. I think that's a really important question, because what we're seeing is people on their computers, and they're getting detached from people the same age as them. Team sports brings people together. It's a massive opportunity. I visited Holywell football club last week, and that was a great visit. They've had—and this is really interesting—£330,000 from Ynni Cymru, for a football club. What that has allowed them to do is not only put new lights up, but it's allowed them to host people from local schools who perhaps aren't quite getting into the school in the same way as many others would—they need to be taken out, given a tailored approach. There are some young people there being taught how to develop skills in relation to wood. All of these activities are going on in a football club, because football clubs quite often can get access to people in a way that other places can't. So, you're quite right—belonging to a club and developing that team spirit doesn't have to be, actually, just about the sport itself; it's about making them feel like they're a part of the community. Every community has a football club, and I'd encourage us all to make sure that we go and visit, that we participate and that we encourage other people in our communities to do so. 

Questions now from party leaders. The leader of the Conservatives, Darren Millar.

Diolch, Llywydd. First Minister, I'm sure that you will share my disgust with the former leader of Reform in Wales, Nathan Gill, a former Member of this Parliament, who was sentenced last week to 10 and a half years in prison for accepting bribes to make pro-Russian speeches in the European Parliament. Let's remind ourselves that Nigel Farage has previously described Nathan Gill as, and I quote, an 'honest, decent, honourable man'. He's also spoken, of course, of his admiration for Vladimir Putin, and peddled the Russian propaganda line that the west provoked the illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine. It's very clear that Reform is a risk to our national security. We need to protect and defend our democracy and our country from Russian interference and threats. That's why I've backed increased spending on defence and our intelligence services, and I hope very much for more in tomorrow's UK budget. Can you tell us what you are hoping for in tomorrow's UK budget, and what have you specifically requested in the budget for Wales?

I'd like to endorse the sense of anger at what Nathan Gill got up to. I think we're all appalled by the fact that a former Member of this Senedd, the former leader of Reform in Wales, has been found guilty of taking bribes from Russia. This is utterly unacceptable. We're working side by side with the UK Government, the security services, the police, the Senedd Commission and the defending democracy taskforce to make sure that we don't see that kind of political interference when it comes to our elections.

In terms of the budget, what we know is that it's going to be a challenging budget. The great thing is, actually, what we've seen is delivery on some key areas already. We have seen the biggest investment we have seen in a generation into north Wales with the announcement at Wylfa. We've got an announcement not just on one AI growth zone in north Wales, but another one in south Wales. I think that is something to be welcomed. We're hoping that we'll hear tomorrow about £10 million of support for compound semiconductors in Wales. But there are a whole load of other areas where I've been clear with the Chancellor that we'd like to see some changes. Certainly, what I want to see is more money for public services and support with the cost-of-living crisis, particularly energy support and an end to the two-child benefit cap.

First Minister, you've rattled off a few small-ticket items, frankly, from your wish list. In previous years, with previous UK Governments and previous Chancellors, you were shouting from the rooftops for a whole shopping list of things that you wanted those Governments and Chancellors to deliver. So why aren't you shouting from the rooftops today about what you want to see tomorrow? Tell us exactly what you want to see in terms of announcements tomorrow—not just £10 million for the semiconductor industry, as welcome as that might be.

What about something for the farmers that I was meeting at the Royal Welsh winter fair yesterday? They deserve to know, have you asked for the family farms tax to be scrapped? Our small businesses need to know, have you asked for the family farms tax to be axed? Have you demanded from the Chancellor the money that we were short-changed by as a result of the increase in employer national insurance last year? Have you asked for the consequential funding from HS2 and the Oxford to Cambridge rail line? Have you asked for the reinstatement of the cash for the north Wales main line electrification, which was promised by the previous UK Government? Because if you haven't asked for any of those things, you're clearly not standing up for the people of Wales. What have you called for specifically in addition to those other things you've mentioned?

Well, I'll tell you what, already, this Government, the UK Labour Government, has delivered far more to Wales than your Government did in years. We had the highest uplift in our budget since the Senedd began. I have a long list that I have been talking to various people in the UK Government about over a prolonged period of time. I've listed some of them; I'm very happy to list a few more. I've been very clear that I don't want to see the basic rate of income tax go up, as I think that people are struggling with the cost-of-living crisis at the moment. I would like to see those with real wealth and the broadest shoulders shouldering more of the responsibility. I want to support low-paid pensioners—I think that would be helpful—and support the low-paid generally, and I want to see support to get young people into jobs. But there are huge numbers of other things on that list, so it is important that that dialogue has been going on for a while, and I do hope that she will be delivering on certainly some of those issues in the budget tomorrow.

I'll tell you what the Labour Party has been delivering in Government: tax is up, unemployment is up and inflation is up, and it's quite clear from what you've just said to me that what you want to see is more taxes and more spending. I don't think that that's what the people of Wales aspire to. We know what Plaid Cymru want, of course; they want open borders and they want to cut Wales off from the rest of the United Kingdom, which will cost hard-working taxpayers and families in this country thousands of pounds each and every year. And we know that Reform has pie-in-the-sky spending plans, with absolutely no clue how to pay for them. But I'll tell you what I want to see and what the Welsh Conservative Party wants to see. We want a UK Government that cuts taxes, cuts waste, controls welfare, controls our borders and delivers economic growth. So, isn't it true, First Minister, that the Welsh Conservatives are the only party with a credible plan to fix Wales?

I'll tell you what the people of Wales want. They want decent public services, and you're not going to get that if you cut taxes. Somebody has to pay for this. And I'll tell you how you make sure that you've got a way of paying those taxes: it's to make sure that the economy is growing. Don't forget, it was your party that crashed the economy, it was your party that had the highest tax rates in a generation, it was your party that were determined to see through austerity, seeing people in this country suffer over a prolonged period of time. What we're hoping to see tomorrow is people in this country being given the support that they need, certainly to support their public services, but also to support them with the cost-of-living crisis.

The leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Llywydd. Reading the headlines over the past few weeks, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a pantomime, not a budget, that we're expecting from Rachel Reeves tomorrow. It's 'Oh yes she will' one minute and 'Oh no she won't' the next. And it's all denting this UK Government's credibility. First, she was going to raise income tax, then she wasn't, was willing to break a manifesto pledge and then wasn't. And as for Wales, 'Oh yes we are'—set to be short-changed again. 

Let's deal with that false claim about the so-called benevolence of this UK Government towards Wales. The Welsh Government's day-to-day spending in this UK parliamentary term will grow by 1.6 per cent per year in real terms, on average. From this financial year on, it's just 1.4 per cent. Even the last Tory Government managed 2.6 per cent—how damning is that of Labour under Starmer and Reeves? But can this First Minister tell us whether she expects that derisory settlement to be overturned tomorrow so that the next Welsh Government can start to get to grips with the problems in public services in Wales?

We've just had the highest increase in this financial year. That is being spent. Let's not forget that you tried to block that money; let's just remind everybody once again that those people on the front line would've been a lot worse off were it not for other people supporting us with that budget.

I don’t think that the kind of investment we're seeing in Wylfa, which is going to support thousands of people in your constituency, is something to be derided. I think that is something to be celebrated. And this is just the beginning, because alongside the Wylfa investment, we've got the AI growth zone bringing in thousands of new technological jobs for local people, so instead of training people up where they have to leave, as happened under the Tories, in Wales, under Labour, what you will see is local people being trained up and being able to find jobs in their own constituencies.

I'm listening in amazement here. If this Welsh First Minister believes that spending in non-devolved areas somehow makes up for a fundamentally unfair funding settlement for Wales, then we have a bigger problem with Labour in Government in Wales than we previously thought.

You only have to look at yesterday's draft local government settlement to see that Welsh public services are teetering on the brink. The reality of two Labour Governments working together has been a catalogue of disasters and bad news for Wales: the national insurance tax on Wales; the inheritance tax raid on Welsh family farms and on family businesses; and, whatever screeching u-turns are emerging now, the decision to cut the winter fuel payment and to continue with the Tory two-child benefit cap while families pay the price. What a shameful first 18 months in Government.

The First Minister won't tell us what her asks are of the Chancellor, so let me set out some of mine: reclassify unfair spending decisions that deny Wales billions; unlock Wales's borrowing powers to address historic underinvestment; halt Labour's damaging taxes on work and introduce a tax on extreme wealth; cut the cost of energy; give Wales control of the Crown Estate. Does the First Minister agree with those—yes or no?

Let me be clear that, actually, what we've seen is an increase in money going to health, an increase in money going to local government and an increase in money going to education. That's the reality. You can continue with your miserabilist approach to how we approach our social commitment in Wales and our support for public services, but the fact is that we have got more money going to public services, an approach that you tried to block, and I do think that it's important that people remember that.

You clearly didn't listen to my answer. I listed a whole raft of things where I think we should be looking for support from the Chancellor for people within Wales. It does matter, and we have been making those representations. I am really concerned about people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis; I do think it's impacting on people. I think they're struggling, in particular older people who can't afford to pay those energy bills. I'd like to see something on that. You keep on talking about the need to get rid of the two-child benefit cap; we've been calling for that for years and years and years. We've been consistent in our approach to that, and I hope that the Chancellor will deliver on that.

I do think that it's important, also, that we see support for the lowest paid in our communities. That is what we stand for as a Labour Party. We want to make sure that we encourage people to get into work, to work hard and to be able to contribute, and we need to make sure that the system encourages them to do that by making sure that it's worth going out to work, by putting up things like the minimum wage. As we've seen already, that has been a beneficial approach. I'd like to see support for the low paid and support to get young people into jobs. We're not bad at that in Wales, but we could always do with more support.

The problem is this First Minister clearly has no influence on her Labour colleagues at Westminster. Misery is what those two Labour Governments are inflicting on the people of Wales week after week. If she wants to be seen to stand up for Wales, the First Minister really has to say it as it is to Keir Starmer. That's what you'll get under new leadership under Plaid Cymru: a Government that doesn't have to run its lines past its bosses in London.

So, let me try again. I'd continue with this theme that I believe the First Minister has no vision of what is right for Wales ahead of this budget. Here is ours: the UK Government should reclassify HS2 and Oxford-Cambridge rail as England-only projects; conduct a formal review of the fiscal framework and link Wales's borrowing powers to inflation; fully cover the increased cost of employer national insurance for the public sector in Wales; halt inheritance tax changes and assess the specific impact on Wales; introduce a wealth tax and equalise capital gains tax with income tax; cut VAT on household energy bills and hospitality businesses; and yes, review unfair standing charges and devolve the management of the Crown Estate to Wales. On that list, does the First Minister agree, yes or no?

You talk about misery. I'll tell you what, they weren't miserable in Anglesey when we announced that at Wylfa, they were celebrating. They were looking forward to a future full of hope, something that you are not offering. We do have a vision for Wales. It’s a vision that lifts people up and that encourages people to make the most of themselves. That’s why, next week, we will be hosting the investment summit, which will be welcoming top companies here to Wales to make sure that they see the opportunities and the potential within our nation, to make sure that they can grow with us, and to make sure that they can support people in Wales to make the most of themselves, which can help to benefit their own companies, their own industries. Everybody, in that way, benefits. We’ve got to make sure that people have the tools available to them to make sure that they can address the cost-of-living crisis. We do that by ensuring that there are quality jobs available in our communities and by equipping people ready for the means of taking advantage of those jobs.

We understand how frustrating it must be for drivers when roads are closed, but sometimes they are essential to make sure that we keep people safe. I must be the only person in Wales who gives a cheer when this happens, because for me, it means that our massive additional funding to fix our roads and potholes is actually happening, and it's happening all over the country. That's 130,000 fixed and prevented this year alone when it comes to potholes. Now, authorities plan major works months in advance. They consult councils and communities. They avoid holiday peaks. They avoid big events and use night-time working where it's safe and practical. And since 2021, we've invested £1 billion in fixing and improving our roads, because doing the job properly now means fewer road closures and fewer problems in the long run.

Recently there have been several complete road closures, or night and evening roads closures, closing key roads from the Buttington roundabout, Welshpool to Guilsfield and Llandrinio bridge. Individually, these road closures cause significant disruption. When put together, combined, they cause even more disruption for local residents and those living and working in those areas. I want to commend the efforts of the trunk road agency, Welsh Government, Severn Trent and Powys County Council who worked diligently to review and adjust closures in these areas as a result of all taking place at the same time. What that did expose, though, is that it is possible to carry out works whilst keeping parts of the roads open, and to carry out works at pace.

Now, I wonder, First Minister, whether you would agree to discuss this issue with the transport Secretary and your officials, to discuss reviewing the guidance for road closure requests and for greater scrutiny to take place, and challenge the length of time and the need for complete road closures, not only for the trunk road but also guidance for local authorities and utility companies as well? I'm sure you would agree with me that disruption and inconvenience should be kept to a minimum. I'm not always convinced that that is the case. 

Thanks very much, Russell. You're quite right, we've got to try and keep it to a minimum. There are often competing areas—sometimes it's about roads, sometimes it's about utility companies, sometimes it's about communication companies. What we don't want is all three of them going back different times, so co-ordination makes sense. We hold regular meetings with councils and utilities precisely to avoid those clashes, and I think it's working. If you're telling me that there's evidence to suggest it's not, it would be useful if you could write to me and give me some evidence.

We think that planned closures now create far less disruption than they did a decade ago, but obviously we're always looking for room to improve that. And thank you for your intervention. I know that certainly that alignment, realigning and intervention saying, 'Look, can't you do things slightly differently?' helped in this particular instance in Powys.

In June, 10 fire engines and four specialist appliances were called to the scene of the Conwy crane tunnel fire. Luckily there were no fatalities and the tunnel had reopened eastbound by the next morning, and I'd like to thank all those emergency and highway services who attended. Similarly, on 20 October, the tunnel was closed again in both directions, and this is becoming more frequent, so too with the A55 road closures. 

Now, I've repeatedly highlighted that when any section of the A55 between Llandudno Junction and Llanfairfechan is closed, traffic chaos is caused on the A470 and the A5 diversion route, and we see villages like Llanrwst, Betws-y-coed, Llanfairfechan—all these villages—suffer because there are no, absolutely no, traffic plans in place that kick in when these incidents happen. That means, then, in these villages, you actually have gridlock with pedestrians having to try and control the traffic flow. So, First Minister will you look into this and ask Conwy County Borough Council, the police and the trunk road agent to take some responsibility for developing traffic management plans for the communities on this route, because I really do fear, one of these times, there's going to be a fatality? Diolch.

Thanks very much, and thanks for your concern. Obviously, we have to keep people safe. That's the No. 1 priority. It is particularly difficult when you've got a problem in a tunnel and that is the only method of getting from A to B. I'm going to—. I'd be very surprised if there wasn't a traffic plan in place, but I will ask the Cabinet Secretary responsible to look into that and to make sure that that issue is looked into.

Jobs, jobs, jobs. That's my interest when it comes to Cardiff parkway. This proposal presents a huge opportunity when it comes to landing quality jobs, which is why I have personally been lobbying both the Prime Minister and the Chancellor on this matter. So, planning and consent is in place and we're working hand in hand with our joint venture partners. This Government is doing detailed, serious work and now we need to turn this into reality.

Thank you for your answer and for your support for the Cardiff parkway development. It is again worth reflecting that this is a significant economic development proposal, enabled by a new railway station with a mainline stop. It was a pleasure to have you open the Rolls-Royce office in St Mellons with Jo Stevens recently. The gross value added uplift for Wales from the parkway development is equal to all of the other Burns stations combined. That is the significance of this proposal. Unlike other Burns stations, it has planning permission. It is likely to create as many, if not more, good-quality jobs as the very good news of another artificial intelligence growth zone in south Wales to match the earlier announcement for an AI growth zone in north Wales. This project needs to have the continued support not just of the First Minister, but, importantly, across the economy and transport departments of this Government—support to match the ambition of the development, and a single voice is required.

I've actually been to Wales Tech Week this week, and it's been mentioned to me directly about the importance of the parkway proposal and what it could provide. I'm pleased to hear you're already lobbying support ahead of the UK budget this week, but can you confirm, after the budget, that your Government will move as quickly as possible to help deliver this ambitious and achievable development, with all the jobs it could create in my constituency and well beyond?

Thank you very much. Planning consent, as you know, is now in place, and we have clarity and we're working with the UK Government to secure the rail infrastructure so that that station is deliverable. So, further work is now under way to define the programme for delivery for Cardiff parkway. The joint venture partners are engaged with potential occupiers of the business park. You're right, there are tech opportunities there. It was great—I know the Cabinet Secretary for the economy said she came back buzzing from the opening of Wales Tech Week this week. People are really seeing that Wales is a place to come and invest. There's a real youthfulness and a new modern approach that they're seeing in Wales and they're anxious to take advantage of that. That's why I think things like the Cardiff parkway are an opportunity to make sure that there are facilities available for people to come and land and grow their businesses in Cardiff.

It was good to hear you say, First Minister, your priority is jobs, jobs, jobs. Let's not forget the Welsh Government's calling in on this project delayed the decision by nearly three years, and actually, in the original proposals, this station was meant to be open in 2024. So, when you talk about jobs, jobs, jobs, what lessons has the Welsh Government learned in this call-in procedure that has delayed the decision for so long, which even the leader of Cardiff Council, from your own party, has said is inexplicable, why it has been called? And there are other places in South Wales Central, such as St Athan, that could greatly benefit from a railway station that has business parks proposed around it. So, if the lessons learned exercise is to be adhered to, can we have confidence that the planning system, when such proposals come forward here in Wales, will be beneficial to a quick decision on such important infrastructure?

Thanks. What's happened now is planning permission has been given. It's great that the additional money has gone into the planning department to enable things to be speeded up when it comes to giving planning permission, making sure that we address all the issues that are a concern to the local community, and I think that it's important for us to do that. But I have an ambition to be the fastest place in the United Kingdom to get planning permission. That is my ambition. That was something that I made clear when I became First Minister, and we are on a good road towards achieving that. So, the important thing now is that we get on with the job, that we deliver at pace, and that's why I am hoping that we can continue to put on pressure to make sure that we can see the construction of that station. It is something where we're going to have to work with the United Kingdom Government, but the potential, I think, is very significant.

Plaid Cymru is serious about developing the Welsh economy and creating jobs and opportunities for our workforce. That said, development should not trump all other considerations, the environment being one. This is especially the case when it comes to sites of special scientific interest, or SSSIs, which Cardiff parkway encroaches upon. I know that environmental campaigners feel that due consideration was not given to the impact of that 8 per cent loss of the Rumney and Peterstone SSSI, which this development would entail. Elsewhere in the Gwent levels, large swathes of SSSI land could be affected by a number of solar farm proposals. Whilst the one earmarked for Bishton was recently turned down, others remain live and under consideration. How is your Government ensuring that these legitimate concerns are given a fair hearing, and do you agree that this shows the reason why strong environmental governance is required?

Well, it's always something we have to balance, environment versus economy, but it is important that we give all of those due consideration. That's why it goes to places like Natural Resources Wales, who did actually recommend that this project went ahead. So, it did go through all the scrutiny process; it did take evidence from local campaigners, and it came to the conclusion that it should go ahead. I think it's really important that we do take the environment seriously, but we also need to grow the economy. We're a Government that wants to see those going hand in hand.

It was particularly good to be at the Development Bank of Wales launch last night. It was good to see you there. A billion pounds has now been invested as a result of the Welsh development bank, and that is something that I think should be celebrated—50,000 jobs as a result of the initiative taken by this Government. That's what we should be celebrating—really taking the time to make sure that people in our local communities all over Wales have benefited from being able to give loans, with proper scrutiny to businesses across Wales, which has helped local communities and helped support local jobs.

I totally understand the frustration people feel when they're having trouble hearing. It can really impact on people's quality of life, leaving people feeling isolated and frustrated. We're really proud that we've already made significant strides to move more support into our communities when it comes to audiology. We're determined to bring down the waiting times when it comes to audiology and to make sure that this is fair across the whole of Wales.

First Minister, as you will know, the Welsh Government has now recognised that audiology is a distinct speciality and not simply a therapy service. Because of this, it therefore has decided to remove audiology from the combined diagnostic and therapy waiting times return and instead introduce a new patient-level data collection from April this year. This change was undoubtedly needed because previous reporting did not reflect the true scale of delays. In 2024 there were more than 31,000 people waiting for audiology care in Wales, and around 17,000 of them exceeding the proposed target waiting times. Yet diagnostic and therapy waiting times were reported only as being about 4,400, just 25 per cent, showing how much of the waiting list was invisible in official figures.

Given the importance of hearing in so many aspects of the quality of life, from communication and social interaction, mental health and cognitive function, it is vital that these waiting lists are drastically reduced. What consideration has the Welsh Government now given to setting up an NHS contract, as you have for general practitioners, dentists and pharmacists, to allow private audiology services to see NHS patients? And what accountability measures are you putting in place to ensure that this new data collection mechanism leads to real improvements in services? Thank you.

Thanks very much. I'm glad to say that the figures have improved significantly since you've found those figures. In fact, the adult pathway waits over 14 weeks are now at 10,000, but 80 per cent of those are in two health boards—Aneurin Bevan University Health Board and Cardiff and Vale University Health Board—so they do need to pull their socks up when it comes to that. But we have expanded the data we collect and we're tracking all audiology waits, not just the single pathway as used to be the case.

When it comes to using the private sector, look, we're very proud of the fact that, actually, Wales is held up as an example for the rest of the UK. They're delivered in Wales with a much stronger emphasis on more treatment and care being provided in the community, compared to the rest of the UK. Now, using private sector companies for audiology, we think, does not offer value for money. They're unable to deliver a widespread equivalent high-street service across Wales to provide hearing health care, which is much more than just providing a hearing aid. And the other thing is about the qualifications of those people. They're not always qualified audiologists with the education and training necessary to meet NHS standards.

Look, we're all appalled by the fact that a former Member of this Senedd, the former leader of Reform in Wales, has been found guilty of taking bribes from Russia. We must ensure there's zero tolerance of outside influence in next year’s Senedd election. We take election security incredibly seriously, and foreign interference has no place in Welsh democracy. We’re working side by side with the UK Government, the security services, the police, the Senedd Commission and the defending democracy taskforce to protect the next Senedd election.

I'm grateful to you for that response, First Minister. You will know, as I do, that being elected to this place to represent people and to stand up for our constituents is an honour and a privilege and a responsibility that all of us need to take incredibly seriously. That is why it was particularly sickening to see on Friday the former leader of Reform UK in Wales jailed for 10.5 years for spouting pro-Russian propaganda and accepting money in order to do it. Now, we know that Russia in particular is a country that looks to involve itself in western democracies, involve itself in our discourse, and I am concerned that Reform UK is a party that is not taking this seriously enough. Initially, Reform's response was to pretend that they'd never heard of Nathan Gill, their former leader in Wales. And then, just yesterday, Nigel Farage was asked how he was dealing with this in his party, and do you know what his response was? He said he'd asked everyone in the office, and no-one else was accepting bribes from Russia. It is absolutely unacceptable and ridiculous. People have a right to know, I think, if this party in particular is a soft target for this sort of foreign interference. So, do you agree with me that now is the time for a full and proper investigation into Russian interference in British politics?

Look, I think there is a case to be made for that, I really do. And what we've seen is interference there. I think we've got to take it seriously. I think there are bots being used on Facebook pages and on other social media. I think we've got to be vigilant and we've got to take that extremely seriously. I've been reassured by the UK Government's security Minister, Dan Jarvis, that the defending democracy taskforce is going to apply equal importance to the Senedd elections, and we'll be working side by side on protecting our elections.

But, listen, I think this is an issue that, actually, the people of Wales are concerned about. Fifty-two per cent of people surveyed by the Electoral Commission this year were worried about foreign interference. Now, that is something that we should be concerned about. So, the fact that we now have the Elections and Elected Bodies (Wales) Act 2024 to regulate what organisations can campaign in Welsh elections in Wales, that means that there's a legal place to stop. But it's the more undercover stuff that I think we've got to be vigilant about. It's the way that they manage to plant ideas without being clear about where those ideas come from. So, look, we've got to be vigilant, and I do think that this is an area that merits some investigation.

There has, of course, already been an inquiry into Russian influence in our politics. It was commissioned by Boris Johnson, who then refused to publish it. The current UK Government also has not published this report, and I think many of us here would want you to write to the UK Government to ask that that report is published, so that we do know what the Russian Government has sought to do to involve itself and undermine our democracy and our politics. But the Russian asset who was imprisoned last week sat here in this place as well. I've already asked the Presiding Officer for an inquiry into whether any public resources here were used to support the activities of this Russian asset. I hope that we will be able to have an inquiry into whether we've seen our politics undermined by Russia. But, certainly, we need to ensure now that the security services and others investigate what happened around Nathan Gill to ensure that other people who spoke up on behalf of Putin in the European Parliament—and I mean Nigel Farage, as well as others—were not in any way linked to the Russian Government, and we need to be assured that our politics was not in receipt of Putin's dirty cash.

Thanks very much. I think, Alun, that those are sentiments that are shared by us all. I think we're all concerned about any foreign interference, but foreign interference from Russia is particularly galling after what we've seen them doing in Ukraine and the way that there's manipulation within their own country in terms of propaganda. So, look, I do think we have to take this seriously. I do hope the UK Government takes it seriously. There are certain measures that we can take, and we've gone, I think, as far as we can with our Act, but there are areas where the UK Government will have to take the lead, and certainly I'll encourage them to do that.

First Minister, I attended the sentencing hearing of Nathan Gill, because I thought it was important to hear the evidence that led up to what his engagement was. It is absolutely clear that, by 2018, as the judges said, he already had a well-established link with senior pro-Russian politicians who were paying for him to act as an agent. That means that during that period of 18 months when he was in this Senedd much of his time—it might explain why he wasn't here very much—was actually engaged in that sort of activity. Now, he was Nigel Farage's right-hand man for two decades. The question I have is, actually: who actually established those contacts that he had with Voloshyn and with Medvedchuk? Who was that, and who are the ongoing contacts that he was developing? It seems to me that those are questions that not only are still the subject of a police investigation, but also that we actually need to know, because that's the way that infiltration of politics actually operates.

Now, the judge said that what he did posed a risk to democracy, which is why it is directly relevant to us. There have been calls for an inquiry. The Prime Minister has called upon Nigel Farage himself to investigate, and we know his response has been inadequate. I wonder if you would give support to, I think, many others who are now saying that it is actually necessary for UK Government to have a very specific inquiry into the activities that have been taking place, the people that are involved, and those who actually are seeking to influence and undermine our democratic processes.

Thanks very much, Mick. I'm sure this is particularly difficult for you with your background in Ukraine and what's happening there and the aggression of the Russian state in relation to that country. In answer to your question, I think it is probably worth stating that we are working closely with the UK Government security services. We are working closely with the Electoral Commission and the Information Commissioner's Office. We have regular briefings with them. We have joint risk assessments and co-ordinated monitoring of foreign-linked activity, and that will continue ahead of the Senedd elections.

Question 7 [OQ63502] is withdrawn. Question 8—Andrew R.T. Davies.

The concerns raised by consultants are serious, and we're treating them seriously. We've been absolutely clear with the health board that culture, leadership and communication must improve. The chief medical officer and chief nursing officer are leading national work to strengthen clinical leadership and make sure front-line staff have a real voice in decisions. UHW has challenges, but we are acting, not defending the status quo.

Thank you, First Minister, for that answer. Obviously, this letter that has made it to the public domain was highlighting the concerns of many senior clinicians and indeed medical staff across the UHW site. Many people reflect on the poor condition of that site, but what is of deep concern is the working culture that is existing on that site that was amplified earlier in the year in the report on the operating conditions in the theatres at the site, and now we have this letter from consultants, who were an inch away from putting a motion of no confidence down in the management at UHW and the health board. That health board is in special measures—special measures 4 in a rating of 5, being the most serious. So, the Welsh Government need quickly to get a grip on the situation there, re-instigate confidence amongst the clinical staff, and make sure that the new chairman and, equally, the senior management do respond to those concerns. So, will the Welsh Government be publishing a detailed plan of action so that patients, clinicians and anyone who depends on UHW, is needing the services there, can have confidence that they are getting the best services possible?

Well, thanks very much. It is a very serious situation. There have been recent reviews of clinical services, which, as you say, have identified issues around culture, individual behaviours, leadership, management structure and infrastructure issues. Now, what I can tell you is that the board's leadership has already responded to the letter with a commitment to certainly improve communication and engagement, but, clearly, they need to go further than that. I can tell you that the Cabinet Secretary held a public accountability meeting in Cardiff on 13 November, where they went through a whole range of issues, including financial concerns, performance areas, reviews that have been commissioned, such as the review of operating theatres, and also the need to address that issue of culture and leadership, which has put them into that level 4 level of escalation.

Question 9 finally. Mark Isherwood.

Ensuring we give the best care possible to people as their life draws to an end is essential. Palliative care is about dignity, comfort and compassion, and everyone in Wales deserves the best support at the hardest moments in life. We’ve set out the ambitious standards needed to deliver the outcomes and experiences we expect for everyone accessing such care. Where possible, we should try and provide this support at home, where most people would like to spend the last days of their life, surrounded by family and by a familiar environment.

Clearly, Welsh hospices are key to that provision in home, in the community and in beds, but they tell me, as chair of the cross-party group on hospice and palliative care, that they need to know what the Welsh Government is doing to put them on a more sustainable footing and prevent the further closure of vital services like Shalom House Hospice in Pembrokeshire and St David's four-bed in-patient unit in Holyhead.

Hospices Cymru are very grateful for the £3 million in support that this Welsh Government has recently provided, but say this won't put them on a sustainable footing, and can't constitute the sustainable funding settlement the Welsh Government promised. This year, they're grappling with the £1.3 million cost of national insurance increases, alongside the cost impacts of annual 'Agenda for Change' increases, which will result in an estimated 3.6 per cent rise in staffing costs over 2025-26.

How, therefore, is the Welsh Government helping to address these challenges, both this financial year and in the draft budget for 2026-27, and, in so doing, helping to protect vital palliative and end-of-life care services for thousands of children and adults across Wales?

Diolch yn fawr. The Welsh Labour Government has increased investment in hospices. We've strengthened national standards. We're developing a new commissioning model so that funding is fair, is sustainable, and, importantly, is consistent across Wales, especially in rural areas. This is about people, it's about families, it's about dignity, and it's really important that we get this right. So, we got have a phased approach to this. Phase 1 has been completed and is focused on commissioning support to allocate the additional £3 million that you talked about in this year's budget. Phase 2 has also commenced, which will see the development of a national commissioning approach for hospice-delivered palliative and end-of-life care in Wales. And there will be a third phase, which will be the commissioning of specialist palliative care, and that's scheduled to be completed by April 2027.

I thank the First Minister.

The next item will be the business statement and announcement, and I call on the Trefnydd to make that statement. Jane Hutt to make the business statement.

Thank you very much, Llywydd. There are a number of changes to this week's business, which are set out on the published agendas for Plenary. Business for the next three weeks is shown in the business statement, which is available to Members electronically. 

Business manager, last week, the Welsh Government was due to publish the latest NHS statistics for waiting times across Wales, and, as we know, these are supposed to be published every single month, on the third Thursday of every month. It's important data because, of course, it enables members of the public, as well as Members of this Senedd, to hold the Welsh Government and their local health boards to account in terms of the performance against the Welsh Government's own targets. What many people are scratching their heads about is why on earth that information wasn't published last week, why there's been a delay in a statement that was supposed to take place today in this Chamber, and be brought forward by the Minister with responsibility for health and social care, and whether there are any politics involved in the delaying of these statistics. Now, if there aren't—and I can see the Cabinet Secretary shaking his head about this—if there aren't any politics, then we deserve an explanation, right? And the public deserves an explanation as to what's holding these things up. It is not right that people elsewhere in the United Kingdom can see much more live and up-to-date information on the performance of the NHS than we can here in Wales. The latest statistics that we have on referral-to-treatment times are old. They go back to August of this year. That's not good enough, we need more up-to-date information, and I'd like an urgent statement brought forward to explain this dilemma and why we're in this mess.

Thank you very much for that question. It is a question that I did answer in the privacy of our Business Committee this morning. But I think it's important that I can now relay the fact that there is a data issue. It's purely a data issue, and I know we need to get that data absolutely correct. There was a partial release of statistics on 21 November. We would be happy to write to you about the fact that it was a data issue and, indeed, as I said this morning, the Cabinet Secretary is absolutely happy to—[Interruption.] He will reschedule the statement. 

Darren, let the Cabinet Secretary answer.

But I know that he will want to reschedule it when we have that accurate data, and it will be—. Thank you for the question, because I can assure you that this is what we need to get right in terms of the data, and we will get it as soon as possible. I know the Cabinet Secretary agrees with that position.

I'd like to request a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Housing, just in terms of ensuring that nobody is homeless this winter. I've seen an increase in the number of people coming to me and my team for support and specifically in terms of emergency accommodation that's suitable for wheelchairs being a real shortage. I had one incident where a constituent actually slept in a car park overnight, because there was no suitable accommodation. So, given the extreme weather we're seeing currently as well—. I've had other constituents sleeping near rivers, not aware that there were flood alerts and so on, so this is a real safety concern as well. And I'm sure that other Members will share my concerns to ensure that nobody has to suffer the elements this winter, but also that they're not at risk because of being in completely unsuitable accommodation.

Diolch yn fawr, Heledd Fychan. As you say, this is the time when we have our winter preparedness, don't we, in terms of health and social care? But it is a preparedness that we have to have across all our public services, including housing, and recognising, in terms of the suitability and availability of accommodation, the responsibilities and duties of our local authorities as well, and, of course, working very closely with our third sector who also engage with us and we fund to support them, in terms of addressing the needs of people who may be made homeless on a temporary basis. So, I will certainly raise this with the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Housing to see whether, in fact, an update on arrangements could be provided to the Senedd.

Could we have a statement about caring for our trees in Wales? Yesterday, I was delighted to be at Rhiwbeina Primary School in Cardiff North for the planting of a very special sapling. Rhiwbeina Primary School is the only school in Wales to receive one of the rare saplings from the Sycamore Gap tree, which was illegally felled in 2023. And I know that the felling of that tree, 120 years old, really went to the hearts of all of us. The children were obviously so thrilled by having this sapling, and their interest in biodiversity showed so strongly. And this tree is now planted in the playground of the school, and I know that they remember the legacy of the Sycamore Gap tree. So, how can we protect our trees in Wales?

Diolch yn fawr, Julie Morgan. And it must have been an absolute delight to be there at Rhiwbeina Primary School, to see the thrill of the children, the pupils, because I understand that schools had to apply to receive a Sycamore Gap sapling, and it’s the only school in Wales, I understand, that has received a sapling. And, of course, as you say, we know how important it is that children appreciate and learn about nature, the environment, the circumstances, and I’m sure they’ll see that the tree will thrive.

But it is quite clear, with the strength of public feeling following the illegal felling of the Sycamore Gap tree, that we need to protect our trees. And back in June of this year, the Deputy First Minister issued a written statement setting out our approach to strengthening protections for ancient woodland trees, which we have in all our constituencies, in line with our programme for government commitment. And 'Planning Policy Wales' has been strengthened. We’re revising our tree preservation order regulations as part of the work on the Planning (Wales) Bill, consolidating planning law, and this work also maintains strong protection within the planning system for trees and woodlands, including ancient woodland.

Trefnydd, I’d be grateful if we could have a statement from the Welsh Government regarding the guidance given to local authorities in relation to winter weather preparedness, and for other incidents that require road closures. And we heard some concerns around road closures earlier on in First Minister’s questions.

You’ll be aware of the heavy snowfall that Pembrokeshire had at the end of last week, and, as a result of that, roads were closed. I’ve received representations from businesses who were not impressed with the local authority’s approach. There were concerns over a lack of communication, over salt supplies, and a lack of gritting in some areas, for example.

Whilst local authorities of course take the lead, the Welsh Government has a responsibility to ensure that the guidance they follow is as robust as possible, and that local authorities have the support and resources they need to handle these situations. And, of course, there’s an impact on the local economy, which is why joined-up, clear guidance is absolutely essential to protect businesses and support communities.

Therefore, I’d be grateful if we could have a statement from the Welsh Government, explaining how it’s supporting local authorities in these situations, especially given that we also heard concerns earlier on in First Minister’s questions. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Paul Davies. And this follows on very much from the earlier question from Heledd Fychan as well, about homelessness and housing and preparation for winter. So, this is a matter where local authorities are very clear about their responsibilities and their duties in terms of winter weather preparedness. And, of course, that can have an effect, not just in terms of road closures, gritting access, but on schools, because there were some school closures as well. And, of course, it does follow on from storm Claudia in terms of flooding. I understand, in west Wales, that the authorities were not just hit by floods, but by bad weather, and they’re assessing the extent of the costs as well, and are in close contact with our officials on whether they need to call on emergency financial assistance, particularly, I’d say, in Carmarthenshire, in relation to the floods. So, this is something where, again, I will raise this with the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Housing, to see if there’s more that we can do to air this in terms of their responsibilities.

I call for a debate, please, on less survivable cancers, particularly pancreatic cancer. Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers. It affects over 500 people in Wales very year, and too many families like mine have lost loved ones to this cruel disease. Fifty per cent of people die within three months of diagnosis. This can't be allowed to continue. We have to improve early diagnosis. No early detection tests are currently available to doctors, and people will often go to their GP multiple times before being diagnosed. Pancreatic Cancer UK is calling for more investment in research, so that we can see more potential breakthroughs, like the pancreatic cancer breath test being trialled at Swansea University. But we also need more of a light to be shone on this disease, to better understand it, better predict it and better prevent it from taking more people's lives. Please could we have a statement or a debate so that this Senedd can give this topic the time it deserves?

Thank you very much, Delyth. Of course, it is very important that you've used this opportunity to draw attention to this very cruel disease, this cruel cancer, pancreatic cancer. You've relayed the impact it's had on your family; I know that would probably be echoed across this Chamber. You're right, and it is important that we draw attention to it, and raise awareness, because of early diagnosis and understanding more about symptoms. It's good that you've also acknowledged the leading work of Swansea University in relation to this. I know the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care will have heard this point as well. We'll look for ways in which we can ensure that there is discussion and further briefing and updating in terms of how we are addressing this, in terms of our very robust cancer pathways.

Can I request a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Change and Rural Affairs regarding the forty-first Worldchefs Congress and Expo 2026, which will be held at Celtic Manor Resort next May? This event provides an excellent opportunity for our food and drink businesses in Wales to once again show the world how amazing it is. It will also provide a significant boost to tourism in the area, with an expected 5,000 bed nights being required. I know the Welsh Government has been working with the organisers, and a statement would be welcome, to share information regarding the potential trade opportunities for our wonderful food and drink producers, as well as the other many economic benefits this prestigious event will bring to Wales.

Thank you very much, Lesley Griffiths, for drawing attention to this really important event. I'm not sure everyone is aware of the forty-first Worldchefs Congress and Expo 2026, which I understand, as you said, is taking place at the Celtic Manor Resort next May. I think this is a real milestone, as you say, for Wales. It reflects our commitment to excellence in food, hospitality, sustainability and farm-to-table practices. We're supporting the event with a business showcase, promoting Welsh food and drink to its international audience. Organisers estimate that the event could generate over, as you said, 5,000 bed nights, but also potential trade opportunities for food and drink businesses in Wales. Over 1,000 international delegates will be coming, from 110 countries, with 6,000 total participants. The Worldchefs Congress will promote Wales as a world-class destination for food, drink and tourism.

Trefnydd, you'll be aware that I've raised a number of times on the floor of this Chamber the need for increased defence spending here in Wales, and particularly in Pembrokeshire, given the near probability of conflict and how we are in a pre-war era. We've seen that with the incursion into British waters of a Russian spy vessel. I've written to the Secretary of State for Defence, outlining why Pembrokeshire and its proud military history should be at the front of any investment into our defence infrastructure. I was pleased to read last week that a possible munitions depot would be coming to the Haven. So, could I ask what work is the Welsh Government doing to lobby the UK Government to bring that spend, to bring those jobs here into Wales, given our proud military history? I would welcome, either from the First Minister or from the relevant Minister, a statement on the floor of this Chamber as to what work the Welsh Government is doing to increase defence spending here in Wales.

Thank you very much, Samuel Kurtz. Thank you for drawing attention again to the great heritage and contribution made in Pembrokeshire in terms of defence in Wales. It is also absolutely the right thing to do to write to the Secretary of State for Defence, to raise this with the UK Government in terms of their responsibility. This is also something where, very recently, on Remembrance Day, I was able to spend time with the Minister Luke Pollard from the Ministry of Defence—he was visiting General Dynamics with Rebecca Evans—seeing the opportunities that we have, and we were able to raise with him development in Wales, with the defence strategy. In fact, we've particularly asked to look at the importance of Wales having a defence technology college and profile, as well as investment in many of the defence industries that we already have got in Wales.

Trefnydd, could we have a Government statement on the level of scrutiny placed on developers undertaking major construction projects in Wales? I raise this following serious concerns from residents of Cwmgelli Villas near Blackwood, whose lives have been significantly disrupted by the nearby Cwrt Sirhowy development by Taylor Wimpey Homes. Over the past six years, residents report repeated flooding and site-water discharge entering their properties as a result of the works, with some facing a near constant battle to keep water out of their homes. The stream receiving the diverted site water is now at far greater flood risk. Although a grant was awarded to upgrade the culvert, the temporary attenuation pond was breached earlier this month. Additionally, a mains gas pipe was reportedly struck a few times, allowing water into the system and cutting off gas to 45 homes, an incident, residents say, was not properly reported to the authorities. To add to concerns, the development has grown by around 40 homes, roughly a third more than originally advertised. Residents are understandably at the end of their tether, so we need to know what will the Government do to ensure developers cannot simply ride roughshod over our communities and their concerns.

Thank you very much for drawing attention to the impact of that major construction in your region in Blackwood. This is something where the local authority has a clear responsibility in terms of approving that development. Also, the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Housing regularly meets with the major housing developers in Wales, and we will ensure that this is on the agenda when she next meets with them. Thank you for drawing it to our attention today.

I attended the Welsh Affairs Committee in the House of Commons two weeks ago, because it was dealing with the jagged edge of criminal justice. I was very pleased to represent the Equality and Social Justice Committee. But I was very surprised to read that the UK Government block grant's contribution to prison health services in Welsh prisons has not changed in 21 years. It's still less than £2.6 million, despite inflation and the fact that the numbers of English prisoners have more than tripled, up from less than 500 to nearly 1,900. So, I'm sure that we would all like to understand why the UK Government isn't paying more for prison healthcare, given that Cardiff and Vale alone contributes £4 million to just one prison in Cardiff. I know that there are discussions going on about accelerating the devolution of both youth justice and probation services, but we do need some clarity that we are going to actually get the money that it costs to deliver these services. I wonder if we can have a statement—either from the Cabinet Secretary for finance or from the Deputy First Minister, who I believe is pursuing these constitutional issues—before we go far too far down this road and not get the money we need.

Thank you very much, Jenny Rathbone. It's really important that you fed back that one of many, I'm sure, findings from your attendance at the Welsh Affairs Committee. Again, it is often regarded and recognised as the jagged edge, in terms of the reserved and non-reserved responsibilities. Clearly, we are responsible in terms of prison health services. It's something where the Welsh Government doesn't receive specific funding from the UK Government for prisoner healthcare on an annual basis. In 2014-15, we did receive a recurrent transfer, as you said, of just under £2.6 million to support prisoner healthcare in public prisons in Wales. The needs of the prison population in Wales are changing. There's an increased need, clearly, for the health service. We're committed to improving support in the prison estate in Wales, within the context of an increased prison population, and also wider demands, of course, on the NHS and our overall funding settlement from the UK Government. But you'll be, I'm sure, reassured that the Minister for Mental Health and Well-being has referenced this in correspondence with the UK Government.

I call for two Welsh Government statements. Tomorrow is National Energy Action's Fuel Poverty Awareness Day, and I’ll be chairing a meeting of the cross-party group on fuel poverty and energy efficiency. It’s estimated that a quarter of households in Wales are living in fuel poverty, including more than four in five lower income households. New polling published by National Energy Action Cymru found that six in 10 adults in Wales are likely to ration their energy in the coming three months—higher for those with asthma or a mental health condition. With energy prices set to stay high, many are left struggling, rationing their heating and burdened by overwhelming levels of energy debt. There is an urgent need in Wales to upgrade fuel-poor homes. The UK Government must deliver its Warm Homes plan in full, and whoever forms the next Welsh Government should invest the full consequential to help cut bills, tackle fuel poverty and deliver energy efficiency. I call for a statement accordingly.

I also call for a statement on the local growth fund in Wales announced by the UK Government, replacing the previous UK Government's shared prosperity fund. The Industrial Communities Alliance of local authorities in the industrial areas of Wales, England and Scotland notes that this is a reduction in real terms, that the funding arrangements proposed contain serious drawbacks, that if this goes ahead in Wales, as currently planned, it will cripple most of the business support, training and employability services that would have been funded by the UK shared prosperity fund, and lead to the imminent loss of hundreds of jobs across local authorities among staff employed to deliver these services.

Thank you, Mark.

They offer, though, that there are relatively simple changes that could be made. I call for a statement on that accordingly.

Thank you for both those questions, Mark. An increase in energy bills, no matter how small—I am referencing the fact that Ofgem announced the level of the price cap just last week, and an increase that is going to be deeply concerning, although it is smaller than earlier increases—is deeply concerning to households across Wales who are already struggling to meet essential costs. I am sure the National Energy Action event will be very important as we work together in terms of tackling fuel poverty. Of course, the cost of energy does remain stubbornly high, with energy suppliers clearly having to take responsibility to support their customers with fair and affordable payment plans and emergency support where required. I know that one message I would say for tomorrow, as I am sure you will give, is that we do encourage anyone struggling with their energy bills to contact their supplier, because they can work with their customers to improve their situation. Indeed, of course, we also have our Fuel Bank Foundation partnership, which is reaching out to those who have prepayment meters. Thousands of people have been supported by not only the access to prepayment vouchers that the Welsh Government is funding, but also for off-grid energy as well.

Your second question relates to the local growth fund, which will invest £547 million of UK Government funding in Wales over the next three years, starting in April 2026. You will, of course, be aware of the six-week consultation that opened on 7 November, with a deadline of 19 December. Those responses will inform a three-year investment plan, which will direct funding in Wales from April 2026, when the fund will open. I just want to briefly mention the proposed objectives, focusing on key challenges and opportunities for us here in Wales: helping businesses and employees to increase productivity so that they can create better jobs and increase wages, and helping people to address economic inequalities, such as targeting support where there are higher levels of economic inactivity or unemployment, which, I have to say, as Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, is so important in terms of our ambitions to tackle child poverty and poverty in Wales.

The Trefnydd will be aware of the carers' benefit scandal, with an official review demonstrating that a large number of carers are in huge debt because of failings of the Government in London. An investigation by The Guardian newspaper, which led to this review, showed that carers were being penalised with fines of up to £20,000 because of Government failings, forcing vulnerable people into debt, into mental health conditions, and some even being imprisoned. Can we, therefore, have an oral statement by the Minister for Children and Social Care on what assessment has been made of the impact of this on Wales and what steps the Government here will take in order to ensure that the Westminster Government pays compensation to those who have suffered?

Diolch yn fawr, Mabon. This is a very, very concerning outcome of difficulties that have now affected carers, resulting in them being in debt. I certainly would like to see—and I'm sure the Minister for Children and Social Care would like to see—what impact this has had on carers in Wales. I will raise that and I'm sure that we can then come back to report on those impacts.

Lastly, Sam Rowlands.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Trefnydd, I'm calling today for an urgent statement from the Welsh Government regarding the serious and growing problems with parking at hospitals in north Wales, and especially at Wrexham Maelor Hospital. Constituents, patients, visitors and even hospital staff are telling me the same story: parking at the Maelor has become a daily nightmare. People arriving for appointments are stressed, anxious and often late because they cannot find a safe or available place to park. Staff working those long and difficult shifts face the same challenges. This is not a minor inconvenience; it is a barrier to care, a risk to patient well-being, and a strain on an already pressurised workforce. So, Trefnydd, we need a statement from the Welsh Government outlining how they're going to tackle this situation. We need a commitment to a full review of parking capacity and management at the Maelor, and a timetable for delivering practical solutions, whether that includes a multistorey car park, park-and-ride options, or better use of existing land or other options that may be available to the Government. So, I call for that statement in this place soon. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Sam Rowlands. Of course, this is the responsibility of Betsi Cadwaladr health board, working with their local hospital management teams. And, of course, there is experience across Wales, particularly in larger urban conurbations, in terms of the pressures on hospitals in terms of parking. I think there have been some really good initiatives in terms of park-and-ride to hospitals. The interface with public transport is crucial in terms of access to hospitals, as well as safeguarding hospital space for staff, which I know happens very effectively. But you have drawn attention to this today, so I'm sure you will be raising it with Betsi Cadwaladr health board as well.

Thank you, Trefnydd.

Item 3 this afternoon is a statement by the First Minister on the COVID-19 UK inquiry: module 2 report. I call on the First Minister to make the statement—Eluned Morgan.

Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Last Thursday, the UK COVID-19 public inquiry published its second report, examining the decision making of each of the four Governments of the United Kingdom during the pandemic. At these milestones, I think it's really important that we remember the immense loss and suffering of so many people due to COVID-19, and our thoughts are first and foremost with them.

We're still today paying a considerable price for the pandemic, not least in the NHS, and there are individuals throughout the country who are still suffering, and we must never forget the pain and the loss for them, including the difficulties that young people have faced and continue to face. There are undoubtedly lessons to be learned from the pandemic, and there's a need to provide answers to those who've lost loved ones and who were affected by the virus.

The Welsh Government engaged positively and openly with the inquiry throughout its work on module 2, as it has in other modules, and we will continue to do so as the evidence-gathering phase of the inquiry draws towards its close in March next year.

During hearings held in Wales, 14 Welsh Government witnesses gave oral evidence over three weeks in February and March 2024. We also submitted more than 70 witness statements and disclosed thousands of documents to the inquiry for this module. 

I welcome the report, and I thank Baroness Hallett and her team for their work in producing it. The publication of the report represents a further important step towards understanding the response of the Welsh Government and other parts of the public sector to the pandemic, and it's important that we learn lessons from that.

It's a substantial report, 800 pages in two volumes. It'll take time to digest and to give it the serious consideration it deserves, so I'll not be going into detail on recommendations during this statement. As Baroness Hallett has highlighted, we were faced with unenviable decisions during the pandemic. We were making decisions at speed, often with only emerging information about the virus and how it was spreading. We were working within a UK context but we were determined to make decisions in the best interests of people and businesses in Wales. We recognise that there are areas where we have lessons to learn and I thank the inquiry for providing us with this report that will help us to do just that.

Baroness Hallett has had the opportunity and the advantage of reading and listening to all the evidence and experience of hundreds of witnesses who've answered her questions and shared their knowledge of the events five years ago. She and the inquiry team have distilled this information into the report and the recommendations that we have before us today, and this enables us to learn from the events of the pandemic so we can be better prepared for a similar event in future. 

Recommendations have been made for all four Governments, and they will require us to work with our colleagues in the UK and other devolved Governments. We will do this for this module as we have done in relation to the inquiry's module 1 report. Already, for example, we've participated in the recent Exercise Pegasus, which was aimed at testing our preparedness for another pandemic. 

As a result of the recommendations made in module 1 and our own reflection on lessons from the pandemic, we've already taken significant steps to strengthen our governance and decision-making processes. We've established new emergency response structures that improve the way we make decisions and share information between organisations and created clearer accountability measures. Ministers review our emergency plans every year at Cabinet meetings. We will approach the recommendations made in this module 2 report with exactly the same diligence. 

A strength identified by Baroness Hallett was that the Welsh Cabinet was fully engaged throughout the pandemic and was an effective and inclusive central decision-making structure, and that it made transparent and collective decisions throughout the pandemic, informed by a range of views. As someone who sat around the Cabinet table during COVID-19, I would like to thank my colleagues at the time for the constructive and collegiate way in which we worked, and for the leadership of Mark Drakeford, who was meticulous in taking a cautious approach to the pandemic. As the report states, he was careful, considerate and compassionate, and I know my current Cabinet colleagues will adopt the same approach as we respond to and act upon these recommendations. 

Thank you, Mark, for your leadership.

Baroness Hallett also highlighted that social partnerships and partnership working with local government worked well in Wales, and recognised the forums convened by the Welsh Local Government Association. I'd like to pay tribute to all those in the wider public and third sectors who worked with us and helped to inform our decision making.

Baroness Hallett requires a response within six months of publication. Given that this date will fall after the Senedd election, it's my intention to publish a response before the end of this term of Government. My officials have already begun this work, and this will be in addition to a six-monthly update on our response to the module 1 recommendations, which will be published to the Senedd in January next year.

I'd also like to thank all those who gave evidence to the inquiry during module 2, especially the bereaved families and those affected by the pandemic. We are committed to learning every lesson from the pandemic to ensure that we're better prepared for future emergencies.

Finally, I'd like to pay tribute to the incredible work carried out by the NHS and the care sector in particular. These people and others who continued to work in front-line services, who took risks with their own health to protect others, should be commended. I'd also like to thank the people of Wales who followed our instructions and our advice. It was a really big ask of the Welsh people, and the Welsh nation responded with discipline and respect. Had we not come together in this way to support one another, the situation could have been considerably worse. Diolch, Llywydd.

Thank you, First Minister, for your statement and the advance copy of it. It is absolutely vital that Wales, the Welsh Government, all of the public sector partners involved in the COVID response and others learn from what happened during the pandemic. I have no doubt whatsoever that everybody who made careful and considered decisions, no matter what part of the United Kingdom they were operating in, were doing so for what they believed were the best interests of the people that they served, and that includes the Welsh Government. I know how agonising many of those decisions were.

But unfortunately, of course, whilst there's been excellent work by Baroness Hallett, we do not believe that the case for a Wales-only COVID inquiry has gone away. We still believe that we need an independent Welsh COVID inquiry to make sure that we learn the lessons from what happened. Whilst I appreciate that the Welsh Government has shared a lot of information with the UK inquiry, the fact of the matter is that the focus of the inquiry is very much on the UK Government, and there, in my view, needs to have been more focus on many of those decisions that were taken here. Many of those decisions, of course, were taken, and they were very different to the decisions taken over the border. All Governments, quite rightly, have been the subject of criticism in the report, and all Governments in parts of the report on module 2 have been the subject of praise at various points, as well. But we must make sure that we learn lessons in the Welsh context, and that's why I still firmly believe, along with the COVID-bereaved families and many others, that we need that independent Welsh COVID inquiry to take place.

You made reference in your statement to the fact that you intend to respond as a Government before dissolution, which I think is very welcome. I think that's absolutely necessary in order that we can hold you to account for those responses and ask questions about them. But, of course, there have been actions taken already by the Welsh Government in respect of module 1, and there have been a number of exercises that have taken place over recent months, not least Exercise Pegasus, which you refer to, but, of course, there were two other exercises, weren't there, Exercise SOLARIS and Exercise ALKARAB. On all three of those exercises, I think, you should let us know how well you think the Welsh Government performed. I understand that those exercises were not just governmental exercises but they also engaged people from the third sector and other organisations that need to be involved in a pandemic response in the future, but there's scant information about the outcome of those exercises anywhere, as far as I can see. I haven't seen any serious written statements from the Welsh Government on the exercises and how well you feel that the Welsh Government performed. I would really welcome some information in the public domain so that we can understand what the Welsh Government is preparing for next time, and see how different the approach may or may not be as a result of some of the early lessons that we're learning from the COVID pandemic.

I think it's also disappointing because we need to remind ourselves that we did have, and my party set up in good faith, a COVID inquiry committee. We had hoped that that would help to get to the bottom of some of those issues that Baroness Hallett and her team might not have had the opportunity to look at as in depth as they would've liked. But, of course, the Welsh Government didn't engage properly with that committee, I'm afraid to say, it refused to support the case for people to take oaths before giving evidence to that committee. And even now, the Welsh Government still, it would appear to me in terms of the way that it's engaging with the Public Administration and Public Accounts Committee, seems to want to dictate the terms of that engagement. I don't think that that suggests that the Welsh Government is being completely open and transparent in terms of the way that it wants people to learn lessons from this episode. I hope that you'll be able to reassure me that that's not the case.

But we still believe, fundamentally, that there are many lessons to learn and that the Welsh Government absolutely needs to be held to account for the different decisions that it took at different times during the course of the pandemic, some of which, regrettably, led to a greater loss of life—that's what Baroness Hallett has said herself in terms of some of those late decisions that were taken in respect of the second lockdown after those unsuccessful local lockdowns. I know that that will not have been the outcome that anybody in this Senedd wanted, and certainly not those people who were making those important decisions at the time. But we need to make sure that we learn lessons so that we can protect lives and livelihoods in the future.

Diolch yn fawr, Darren. Let me reassure you that we are absolutely determined to learn lessons to protect the Welsh public from the next major public health threat that will face us. The pandemic had a profound impact, I think, on everybody in Wales; we were all touched by it. I think it's really important that we recognise the loss—the loss not just of lives, but also of youth being snatched away, of people being denied their freedoms.

We were intensely aware of the need to balance the difficult challenges, as a Government, that we were facing. I think it's probably worth noting that the chair, Baroness Hallett, commended the Welsh Government and said it was right, in particular, to adopt a cautious approach to lifting restrictions, given the uncertainties about varieties and the impact of vaccines, in particular during that period from January to April 2021.

You talked about a Wales-only inquiry, I think it is probably worth noting here that this inquiry has been a comprehensive judge-led inquiry, which has extensively investigated decisions made in Wales. Module 2B focused solely and exclusively on Wales. It looked into core political and administrative governance and decision making in Wales. It took evidence from all the key decision makers, with public hearings over the course of three weeks. If you look at the report, the volume and the detail that's in the report, I hope that that will give people confidence that this was the most comprehensive review possible.

The other thing it does, of course, is to recognise very clearly the interrelationship between what was happening here and the UK Government. It's very difficult to divorce what was happening in England compared to Wales, although there was clearly a different approach in both countries. But I also think it's important to note that this is the second module. There are a further eight modules to come, and they're going to be covering areas like healthcare, social care, test and trace and the impact on children and young people. So, I think, when people see the amount of detail, not just in these reports, but also in the reports that are to come, where, again, the Welsh Government has been really taking seriously the need to engage fully and to answer in detail the questions that were being asked, to make sure that we learn—. We've got to learn. There are aspects where I think, yes, we should pat ourselves on the back, but there are also areas where we need to learn. We will be humble when it comes to learning those lessons.

You asked about Exercise Pegasus. That was four-nations pandemic preparedness, and that took place between September and November. Obviously, you haven't seen any outcome of that, because it's still being assessed, in terms of, 'What happened? What lessons did we learn? Did we learn lessons from the last pandemic? What more can we do?' I do think that it's important to recognise that, actually, we've significantly tightened the way that we approach the preparedness side of things as a direct result of the recommendations made in the module 1 report. Some of that was being undertaken before, but it is very clear that we've strengthened our governance and decision-making processes. We've undertaken a whole series of independent reviews, including the review of the Welsh health protection system and a review of civil contingencies. So, a lot of work has already been done. We've already tightened things up, but we will learn lessons.

May I thank the First Minister for the statement? I want to start by putting on record our sympathies on the Plaid Cymru benches to those who lost loved ones during the pandemic. Our work now, each and every one of us, on behalf of those people is to ensure that lessons are learnt. Perhaps the main message emerging from the module 2 report is that the preparedness of Governments and institutions here in Wales and across the UK hadn't been good enough to deal with a pandemic of this kind.

But whilst I want to say that I don't doubt the sincerity of Ministers in the decisions that they were seeking to make, and I don't doubt that they were trying to do that for the right reasons, it is clear, again, from this report that lessons weren't learned as we progressed, and we have to understand why.

We fully accept that no Government is perfect. Mistakes will happen, especially when dealing with the immense challenges of a pandemic such as this, but we should be concerned about a failure to learn from those mistakes at the time. The report is clear that multiple opportunities to forge a more proactive response to the pandemic were missed, leading to what it calls an 'inexplicable lack of urgency' during those crucial weeks and months at the start of 2020. Now, Cabinet didn’t discuss COVID until late February, despite clear warnings, including from the chief medical officer, over a month earlier.

If those were teething problems, well, the report says those lessons weren’t learnt, so we saw other delays in incorporating scientific guidance into decision making and a delay in introducing the firebreak later that year. So, can the First Minister explain why that delay was in place at the start, and why delays continued and responsiveness continued to be slow, so that we can learn from that?

There was a lack of understanding, I think, too, that is emerging of the Welsh Government's own role and responsibilities. Until March, it followed, effectively, the very poor leadership of the UK Government, an emphatic illustration, I think, there, of the devastating real-world consequences of neglecting fundamental constitutional issues. So, has there now been a comprehensive review of how the Welsh Government's responsibilities on civil contingencies intersect with those of Westminster?

That uncertainty fuelled a sense of paralysis, we now learn, in some emergency response bodies. For example, the report mentions how the role of the Emergency Co-ordination Centre (Wales) wasn't properly understood. Now, I welcome the fact that Government now does acknowledge the need to review the triggers for standing up the ECCW, but I'd be grateful for an update on timescales for implementing that review.

The report also alludes to the obstacles faced by the devolved administrations in being active players in COBRA meetings, and I certainly do sympathise with Welsh Government here, given that they had to deal with a UK Government that showed sheer contempt for devolution throughout so much of the pandemic. But how is Welsh Government now able to leverage influence with Westminster colleagues to ensure that Wales's representation on and input into COBRA meetings is far more robust in future?

Finally, Dirprwy Lywydd, as comprehensive as this report may be in some ways, it cannot, as has been readily acknowledged by Baroness Hallett herself, provide a full assessment of how decisions made here in Wales affected the impact of the pandemic. That is why we continue to believe we need a further Wales-specific study, to allow us to confront the terrible legacy of the pandemic with the openness, the honesty and thoroughness that the people of Wales deserve. Unfortunately, as we saw with the ignominious fate of the special purposes committee, the Government continues to stubbornly and unjustifiably, in our view, dig its heels in on basic standards of accountability. The First Minister has mentioned on a number of occasions the importance of learning lessons. That's what this has to be about: preparing for the future. But how exactly is this meant to happen in earnest when her Government refuses—unlike Scottish Government, for example—to make itself fully accountable for the decisions they took? So, I'd ask her to explain what makes her confident that her Government will be able to properly implement the lessons of the pandemic without those Wales-specific questions being properly asked.

Thank you very much. There are 800 pages, and it's important that we have an opportunity to go through them thoroughly and to do so seriously. What I don't want to do is to provide a detailed response today, of course, because I think it's important that we do give this report the respect it deserves.

We will give that detailed and considered response, obviously, later next year. What I will say is that there have been already considerable improvements since the pandemic. How do you know we're going to take this seriously? You can know we're going to take it seriously, because, actually, our response to module 1 demonstrates what we've already done in response to their recommendations. This has got to be an action-focused response that will give the public confidence that, actually, we are ready for the next pandemic.

Let me just give you some examples of what we're doing. We have had the independent reviews into, for example, the civil contingencies. We've improved the ways of working with the UK Government, the Scottish Government, the Northern Irish Executive, emergency services, other responders and other relevant agencies. We've already improved how we make decisions and how we share information between organisations. We've also got new emergency response structures and we've created clearer accountability measures. In Wales we've created a first set of risks. Emergency services and responders now need to prepare for, and Ministers now need to review, our emergency plans every year at Cabinet meetings. We've done that recently. We've looked at what's likely to come up. How are they responding? There's a set of recommendations.

We're also working closely with the Department of Health and Social Care on UK-wide pandemic response plans for each recognised mode of pathogen transmission. There are lots of different ways that this can spread. It can be respiratory, oral, sexual or blood borne. We're looking at all of those and working together on a UK basis. We're also closely engaged with the UK Health Security Agency on the delivery of the 100-days mission. We've updated 'The Communicable Disease Outbreak
Plan for Wales'. On top of that, we've set up three strategic sub-groups underneath the chief medical officer's health protection advisory group and we've got a cross-Government pandemic preparedness board.

So, those are concrete measures we've taken that I hope will give the public confidence that, when people are making recommendations, we take them seriously and we create an action plan and we deliver. And, of course, we will give this second report the same respect that we gave to module 1.

First Minister, as you stated, COVID-19 took a terrible toll on our families and communities, and part of that was deepening existing inequalities in society, especially among some of our most marginalised communities. And for me, in Newport East, with a significant black and ethnic minority community, that was certainly apparent as far as that community was concerned. Fortunately, we had groups coming forward to engage with us on some of the issues, and Muslim Doctors Cymru played a very valuable role in tackling misinformation and some hesitancy around vaccine take-up. We had some good meetings online that brought, I think, some key players locally together to find ways forward, one of which was to use local mosques as vaccine centres, and I think the Jamia Mosque in Newport was one of the first in Wales to be used. And I know at a national level, we had the black, Asian and minority ethnic COVID-19 advisory group set up to look at that disproportionate impact and look at ways of addressing it. I know also Welsh Government set up the workforce risk assessment tool, again looking at BAME communities and COVID-19 impact, and that was widely adopted across the NHS and later social care settings. That did enable individual risk to be assessed and appropriate safeguards to be put in place.

So, as you mentioned earlier, First Minister, in terms of lessons learned, I'm sure you’ll be looking carefully at that experience and how we can learn lessons, not just for future possible pandemics, goodness forbid, but also at the general delivery of health services here and now. Diolch yn fawr.

Diolch yn fawr, John. Baroness Hallett actually complimented the Welsh Government in relation to the fact that what we already had in Wales was established social partnerships, which meant that different groups came together to provide advice to the Welsh Government in relation to vulnerable groups. I can tell you that the First Minister was absolutely meticulous in making sure that the needs of those vulnerable groups were at the forefront of our decision making.

Welsh Government's commitment to working in social partnership was also well established before the onset of the pandemic, and Baroness Hallett recognised that this commitment continued during the pandemic. As you say, we recognised and realised that there was emerging evidence fairly early on that highlighted the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on black, Asian, minority and ethnic communities. I know that Vaughan Gething was very instrumental in making sure that this was something that we took extremely seriously. We established a black, Asian and minority ethnic COVID-19 advisory group. One of the things, as you say, that they did was to develop that workforce risk assessment tool, which was really key for those working on the front line of our NHS and care service in particular.

What has come out of that is actually something that is much broader than a response to the pandemic. We recognised that there was more work to be done, and what has come out of that is the race equality action plan. It is a broad-based cross-Government approach to making sure that we address this issue at every level of Government and every department of Government. And it is important, I think, for us to recognise that, although there were tragedies during the pandemic, actually, there are some positive things that have come out as a result, and I do hope that what we'll see in Wales as a result is a move towards an anti-racist society in Wales.

Chair of the public accounts committee next—Mark Isherwood. 

Diolch, Llywydd, for allowing me to contribute today as Chair of the Public Accounts and Public Administration Committee, which is currently scrutinising the UK COVID inquiry's module 1 report. Our current work builds on the Wales COVID-19 Special Purpose Committee's report by examining gaps in the Welsh Government's and other public bodies' pandemic preparedness and response. We will also assess how far the Welsh Government has acted on module 1 recommendations, including improvements to civil contingencies planning and future preparedness. We've started to gather evidence to inform this inquiry this month, and intend to report early next year to allow the Welsh Government to respond before dissolution.

As Members know, we've also been tasked with scrutinising module 2 findings, referenced in the First Minister's statement. This report places significant emphasis on Wales and marks an important milestone for those seeking answers, alongside a commitment to learn lessons and work with devolved Governments. The module 2 report's findings are concerning. What action will you take to address the evidence found by the inquiry of a lack of decisive action by the Welsh Government, an over-reliance on the UK Government in terms of decision making and initial response, high mortality rates and repeated mistakes? Further, what action will you take to address statements by the inquiry chair that the circumstances that led to the Welsh Government's decision to impose a Christmas 2020 COVID lockdown across Wales were inexcusable and that Welsh Ministers had failed to take decisive action against, quote, an 'entirely foreseeable' COVID variant, resulting in the lockdown?

The committee will dedicate time to the module 2 report in the new year, but, as I have stated on the record previously, our work on this will be limited, given the late stage in the Senedd term. We acknowledge that the Welsh Government needs time to digest the findings of the module 2 report and has six months within which to formally respond to the recommendations. However, rather than await that response, which will not come until late in the Senedd term, the committee has agreed to endeavour to highlight issues of concern for the next Senedd to consider. We're not a substitute for a Wales-wide specific inquiry and our work cannot in any way match the depth of such a public inquiry. However, we're committed to highlighting concerns and laying the groundwork for further scrutiny by our successor committee and possibly other policy committees in the seventh Senedd in the committee's legacy report. So, concluding, what concrete assurances can you provide that you will support detailed and transparent scrutiny of the serious findings contained within the module 2 report? And how will you ensure that the Welsh Government engages with that scrutiny process in a wholly constructive manner?

Well, thank you very much. I think if you look at how I listed earlier how we responded to module 1, I hope that will give you some confidence to know that we do take this very seriously, that we appreciate the huge amount of work that's gone into this, and that there will be an opportunity for us to report back to the Senedd on what we are doing constructively to respond to the recommendations on module 1 in January, as I suggested in my statement. There'll be an opportunity, as I say, to respond to module 2 before this Senedd breaks.

So, I'm going to take time to read the report. I've already read it. There's a lot of detail in there, and there are a lot of explanations and there are a lot of reasons why things happened. There's an understanding of the challenges that Governments were up against, not just here but across the United Kingdom. Balancing the need for people's freedom against the need to keep people safe, those were tricky decisions to make every single day. And Baroness Hallett has made an effort to understand the complete picture, and I think it is important that we all take time to read that complete picture.

I think it's really important also to note that the inquiry didn't identify any issues related to either culture or leadership within the Welsh Government during the response to the pandemic. It’s clear that Mark Drakeford had the confidence of his Cabinet and Ministers described his approach as 'careful, considered, and compassionate', and that he led a team effort, with a clear understanding of respected roles and relationships in terms of expertise and authority. And I think it’s probably just worth contrasting that with what was going on in some other parts of the country.

The findings of module 2 of the COVID inquiry demonstrate, more than ever, the fundamental weaknesses in place within Government whilst trying to protect our most vulnerable people. There was no strategy for the first wave, and, according to Baroness Hallett, there was a failure to learn lessons from that first wave, which led to Wales having the highest rate of deaths in the second wave. This, according to Hallett, was unforgivable. There is only one question on the minds of the loved ones of those who lost their lives: why? Why, in your understanding, First Minister, was this the case? Why wasn’t there a strategy, and why did Wales suffer a greater mortality rate than anywhere else? And finally, you mentioned Exercise Pegasus. Can you confirm whether Pegasus included consideration of the social care sector? Thank you.

Thank you, Mabon. I think it's important to wait for a full response from the Government, because there are many things here that we need to look at in detail. And I think it's important also to remember that, of course, there are things to learn, but there are positive things in the report as well. For example, the inquiry said that we did, for example, undertake 230 press conferences during that period, and that our Keep Wales Safe campaign reached 99 per cent of the population. And so there were positive elements, and it's important that we do reflect on that, but, of course, we do have lessons to learn. 

And I think that the fact that we were the first nation to receive a COVID 19 vaccine supply during December 2020, and that every adult had received their first dose by April 2021, one of the first places in the world to move so quickly—. And I want to thank everyone who worked within the Welsh Government on that. I know that the leadership of Vaughan Gething was vital during that period as well. 

Of course, we will respond fully. Pegasus related to something different. So, the circumstances were entirely different, and children were affected in that exercise, so perhaps the focus was slightly different. We had to respond to what happened in that exercise, rather than what happened in the pandemic. 

I appreciate the way you've responded today, and understand, of course, that the Government has to carefully consider what's contained within the report. I also appreciate the fact that you've said that you will respond to the report before the end of this Senedd term, because scrutiny will continue, of course, but, as you say, it's crucially important that we do learn lessons. 

One of the things I wanted to ask you is: clearly, in each of our constituencies and regions, there will be people who have been campaigning on behalf of the COVID 19 Bereaved Families for Justice Cymru group. They've been scrutinising carefully, but also fighting to ensure that the Welsh voice was part of this inquiry. They have said that they still believe that there is a need for a Wales-specific inquiry, particularly when you contrast what's happening in Scotland. So, can you outline why you disagree with the calls of the COVID 19 Bereaved Families, who do believe that this inquiry isn't providing all of the answers that they want to see and that they have been fighting so hard to find answers to?

Well, I have explained that this inquiry was a judge-led inquiry. And this module, 2B, was aimed specifically at Wales. The detail that they have gone into is evident. There's also an understanding that there is a really close relationship between what happened in Wales and what our powers were, and what our economic powers were, for example, in terms of responding, and that it is very difficult to separate one from the other. It's worth looking at how people are responding to the inquiry in Scotland, which is going into detail, but which also doesn't have anything like the status that this inquiry has.

Cefin Campbell, finally.

Thank you very much, Llywydd. I'd like to start by expressing my sympathy too with everyone who lost loved ones during the pandemic. But, in looking back, it's perfectly apparent that the system as a whole was far too slow and not robust enough to adapt to a swiftly changing situation.

Now, one of the most striking comments for me was from Dr Quentin Sandifer, the former executive director of Public Health Wales, that COVID-19 continued to be treated as simply a health issue, rather than a civil emergency, as late as the beginning of March 2020. Can I ask, therefore, how you've updated your approach at escalating the risk levels in order to ensure that civil contingency plans can be introduced more quickly, and how will you ensure greater collaboration across portfolios?

To conclude, there is a clear theme in the report in relation to the Welsh Government, particularly during those early days, that you had been overly reliant on leadership from Westminster rather than reacting proactively with the health powers that this Senedd held. So, if there were to be a similar health crisis in the future, do you agree that the best thing to do would be to use the powers that this Senedd has, given the fear that there may be a Government in Westminster that may be led by people who would not take account of scientific evidence and would ignore it? Thank you.

Thank you, Cefin. It's important to read the report in all its detail. When you talk about 'civil' and 'civil contingencies', we have to bear in mind that the UK Government would take the lead in such a case. So, it's important to understand that there is a different role according to whether it's a civil contingency or a public health issue. So, that does emerge in the report.

I think it's important that we do take time, because there are suggestions in the report regarding how we should respond. I do think that we need to take some time to see whether we want to go down the path where the UK Government has the leadership, or whether we are content with how it went, but we need to move more quickly. I think that we do need some time to think through the detail and what are the implications for us here in Wales and across the UK as well. So, hopefully, we will have some time to do that between now and January, because there are important constitutional implications for us to consider too.

Thank you, First Minister.

The next item is a statement by the Minister for Further and Higher Education on the future of tertiary education in Wales, sustainability and participation. The Minister is making the statement—Vikki Howells.

Diolch, Llywydd. Before I begin, I wish to declare a personal interest. I am proud to say I have a close family member who is now a student at Swansea University.

Llywydd, I will be speaking today about the future of tertiary education and research in Wales, but, as we approach the end of the current Senedd term, I would like to begin by reflecting on our achievements over the past five years. I am proud that we have continued our progressive higher education funding policy. This has ensured that financial barriers do not hold back talent and ambition, through our combination of grants and loans and increased teaching grants for universities. We have also continued our financial package for part-time study, which has opened higher education to thousands more students. Welsh universities excelled in the research excellence framework 2021, which highlighted the world-leading impact of pioneering research and innovation.

Further education has seen a revival in participation since the pandemic, aided by increased core funding and our increases to the education maintenance grant and continuation of the Welsh Government learning grant. Last year, there was an 8.5 per cent increase in school leavers progressing to college, with early data suggesting similar increases this year. And, in passing the Tertiary Education and Research (Wales) Act 2022, we are building an integrated post-16 system by establishing Medr, a new and innovative body to shape the future of Welsh tertiary education and research.

Llywydd, today I want to set out the five most pressing challenges facing our tertiary education sector, and how, building upon the progress this Government has made, I will work to meet them in the remainder of the current Government term. Firstly, increasing participation across tertiary education must continue to be a strategic priority, something on which I agree with the Children, Young People and Education Committee’s recent report. Although we have an ambitious target that 75 per cent of our working age population should be qualified to level 3 or higher by 2050, we have a smaller proportion of young people attaining level 3 in Wales than other UK nations, as well as lower levels of higher education entry at age 18.

Post-16 enrolments are now increasing, but a diverse range of learners will need additional support to fulfil their potential. Progress through tertiary education remains unacceptably unequal, with young people, particularly young men, from more deprived backgrounds less likely to enrol, to progress to higher levels, or to undertake academic pathways through to university. Expanding access to a full range of vocational, technical and academic pathways is essential for improving overall qualification levels and thus skills and life outcomes. That is why we are already reforming both 14 to 16 and post-16 qualifications, but we need to think further about how we expand and equalise access into tertiary education.

Secondly, our tertiary education sector must be ready for a significant decline in the numbers of young people, by expanding lifelong learning opportunities. The number of 16-year-olds in Wales will fall by 17 per cent between 2027 and 2037, and demand for university places across the UK could fall by almost 20 per cent in the 2030s due to demographic change alone. Higher education students in Wales are already more likely to be older and studying part-time than in the rest of the UK. During this Senedd term, we have been able to increase the number of part-time learners in further education for the first time in a decade. This is a platform to build from, but we will need to go further to enable adults to upskill around work and family commitments, at all levels, by providing more flexible, part-time and lifelong learning opportunities.

The third challenge relates to the unintended consequences of growing competition between providers. The removal of student number caps has permitted some UK universities to grow their domestic enrolments, often by lowering entry requirements, at the expense of the rest of the sector, including many of our excellent universities here in Wales. This fierce competition in student recruitment is fundamental to the financial challenges now facing our universities and will only intensify from 2030. It is why Medr is mapping subject provision to better understand which subjects may be at risk in the future.

Meanwhile, we know that competition between schools and colleges to retain learners at 16 sometimes undermines the need to ensure learners are being advised on the right pathways for them. I agree with the UK Government’s recent White Paper that the future for tertiary education lies not in greater competition, but in increased collaboration. We have already worked with the Competition and Markets Authority to clarify the regulatory position on collaboration between universities. The question now is how we enable closer collaboration in practice. It’s a question we are uniquely placed to address in Wales, as social partnership and collaboration are part of our distinctive character.

I believe this working in partnership will also be key to addressing the fourth challenge, which is the financial challenges facing not only institutions, but also students. Our financial support for tertiary education and students is significant, totalling over £1.2 billion this year in resource funding alone, but I recognise that it is an exceptionally challenging time financially for universities and colleges. That is why we provided an additional £20 million in revenue and £18.5 million in capital funding for the sector in the previous financial year. That is why we have taken the difficult decision to increase tuition fees in the past two years and again next year. But we must be realistic about the financial constraints on Government. Our generous student support outlay and our more progressive repayment policy must remain affordable. Meanwhile, the cost-of-living pressures for many students are growing, something that will be considered by the ongoing evaluation of the Diamond reforms. We must ensure that your financial circumstances are not a barrier to accessing tertiary education in the place that is right for you.

This brings me to the final challenge. A thriving tertiary education sector must supply the skills required by a rapidly changing labour market. It is vital that our investments in tertiary education, skills and research are delivering increased productivity, reduced inequality and economic growth. There are already excellent examples of this, such as the role of Cardiff University to support the compound semiconductor manufacturing hub, or the work of the North Wales Tertiary Alliance to power the new reactors at Wylfa with a skilled workforce. In June, I set out our intentions for vocational education to better meet employer needs. This work will now require wider consideration of the UK Government's recently announced introduction of V-level qualifications. 

We also need to ensure that the excellent research and innovation in our universities is delivering for Wales. Research has historically been supported by European structural funding and more recently cross-subsidy from international student fees, but these sources of support are much reduced. We need to support our universities to adjust to a future without these sources of cross-subsidy and to strengthen their capacity to compete for a proportionate amount of UK Research and Innovation funding.

Llywydd, the challenges I have outlined are significant. Government and the sector have much work to do to increase tertiary education participation, prepare for demographic change, operate more collaboratively, remain financially sustainable and fully deliver for our economy and communities. We have already begun some of this work, as set out in my previous written statements, but we need to go further.

That is why I have invited representatives from across the sector to join a new ministerial advisory group, which met for the first time last Friday to discuss them in depth. In the coming weeks, I will also publish an evidence paper further detailing these challenges, alongside a call for submissions from stakeholders, which will run from December to March. Together, this work will provide a comprehensive evidence base upon which to deliver further reform, which can build upon what we have already achieved over the past Senedd term: a progressive funding system, growth in vocational opportunities and an integrated tertiary approach to policy. What I have outlined today is the necessary next step in securing a thriving future for our tertiary education sector in challenging times. I look forward to working together with everyone who has a role in building that future.

Thank you for this afternoon's statement, Minister. Can I also thank you for meeting with me and with Cefin Campbell last night to discuss the matter? It was genuinely appreciated.

You’ve set out the five most pressing challenges facing tertiary education in Wales, and it is hard to disagree with any of the issues that you've highlighted here today in the Chamber. Financial challenges, both in terms of institutions and individual students, are indeed a major hurdle. We’ve seen the devastating cost-cutting measures proposed at various universities in Wales, in particular Cardiff University, and I am under no illusion that the financial uncertainty has been exacerbated by the Labour Party. A huge increase in national insurance by your colleagues in the UK Parliament all in one go has made our tertiary education pay much more in tax. Not only that, but poor decisions from certain universities have made the situation worse, such as Cardiff's decision to open a campus in Kazakhstan. How are you, Minister, looking at these financial forces that will potentially impact the students who are studying at Cardiff? And what discussions have you had with the UK Government about the impact their policies and any further announcements due in light of tomorrow's budget will have on tertiary education here in Wales?

We also see students fleeing Wales when they want to study in higher education, and I would argue a main reason behind that is the living cost as well. The Welsh Government have the levers to help students counteract this. A simple solution, which would support students and universities and which is backed by the tertiary education institution, would be degree apprenticeships. That way, students don't have to pay their fees, can earn a wage, and universities can work closely with businesses to teach the skills students desperately need. Yet, for some reason, the Welsh Government won't increase the degree apprenticeship offer. Why is that, Minister? Over the border, we see they're being used for teachers, doctors, nurses, lawyers, radiologists, accountants and more, but here in Wales it's just IT, construction and defence.

Presiding Officer, universities depend on international students for a large part of their financial stability, yet this Welsh Government has cut the funding to Global Wales. Minister, can you please outline the rationale behind this for all of us here in the Chamber today, because surely cutting Global Wales's budget will hamper efforts to attract more students from overseas?

The impending demographic change you've touched upon, Minister, is an important point, and I welcome a bigger focus on lifelong learning, although without an additional package of funding to support this aspiration, just how exactly will the Welsh Government achieve this going forward?

This afternoon, you've announced a new ministerial advisory group to guide the passage of this work through. Based on the Government's track record, particularly when it comes to education, we have seen just how unfortunately ineffective and chaotic these sorts of groups can be. Just look at the Cabinet Secretary's literacy panel and the shambles that's turned out to be. So, Minister, are you confident that your group won't end up being in the same category? And will you provide the details of those members who are going to be sitting on the panel, who you said have sat in a meeting already and will be sitting on it going forward?

Moving on to further education, we're seeing record participation, but no extra funding to ensure that this sector is sustainable and able to support students for the future. As of November, full-time learner numbers were at 43,400, which was around 4,400 more than originally budgeted for by the Welsh Government and Medr. This means that the sector is delivering around £15 million to £20 million of unfunded delivery. What discussions have you had with the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Minister, about providing in-year funding and adjusting the draft budget?

We see vocational certificates of secondary education under the new curriculum, but no T-levels. So, how are you, Minister, putting that extra point in there for young people who want to go on to vocational training?

We have a new organisation, Medr, which is in charge of £1 billion of taxpayer funding for tertiary education. How is this going to ensure sustainability and participation for pupils in Wales? Although it's just been set up, I'm still extremely sceptical about its focus and support, and I don't think it's a secret in or out of this Chamber. Degree apprenticeships have been fobbed off until 2027, with no immediate support for our higher or further education institutions who are crying out for some sort of direction. So, what role do you see Medr playing in this, Minister?

Minister, this statement has set out the five challenges facing tertiary education, but has been extremely light on the steps your Government will be taking to address them. Perhaps you can prove me wrong and outline some of the immediate actions being taken by the Government going forward, or is everything going to be palmed off until the White Paper consultation ends in March next year, and is going to be left for the next Government to pick up? Thank you very much, Presiding Officer.

I'd like to thank Natasha Asghar for that series of questions, and just to reassure you, firstly, as you asked about discussions with the UK Government, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and I meet regularly with our UK Government counterparts and our officials do as well. We've had very fruitful discussions there on the points on which we agree, and the points on which we have a difference of opinion.

So, for example, you'll be aware that this Welsh Government has decided not to implement the international student levy. I think that that is somewhere where we can stand out now from England, and attract more international students here to Wales. We really value the contribution that they bring in terms of their academic contribution, their social, cultural contribution, and of course their economic contribution to universities as well.

You asked about the ministerial advisory group, which met for the first time on Friday. It was a very fruitful first meeting, actually, and I have more meetings planned in the coming months. The purpose of that group is to focus on the strategic priorities for tertiary education, both for the rest of this Senedd term and beyond, and particularly on increasing participation rates across the post-16 education sector, and stabilising the current financial challenges.

I'm grateful to those who attended the meeting on Friday. They comprised of stakeholders from across the sector, the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, trade unions, National Union of Students Cymru, and experts on research, innovation and the world of business. We had a very good discussion on things, including the importance of Welsh language provision, and the need to account for the changing expectations and experiences of learners throughout the system.

And if I just look back to the other questions that you raised. You also asked about the role of Medr. I met with Medr this morning for my regular quarterly meeting. Medr is an innovative new body that regulates the whole of the tertiary sector, and I think they've undertaken some really important work to date. Probably one of the stand-out points, I would say, is the subject mapping that I've asked them to do, which will be ready to be published in the near future. That's providing a really valuable insight into how the Welsh Government and universities can work together with Medr to ensure that priority subjects are available across Wales. That mapping can form part of the evidence base for future work as well.

Medr is also working closely with the sector, particularly in the areas of governance and risk management, which are both areas that you alluded to in your questions there. They are introducing a new robust regulatory regime for tertiary education, described by one sector commentator as

'the most ambitious attempt to create a unified regulatory system across further education, higher education, apprenticeships, adult community learning and maintained school sixth forms that the UK has yet seen.'

So, they are certainly attracting positive attention, both inside and outside of this Senedd.

You also asked about degree apprenticeships. Degree apprenticeships fall under the portfolio of the Minister for skills, but we work together closely, as I'm sure you will be aware. The work that we are doing, both on the ministerial advisory group and on the ministerial board for vocational education and training, will be considering the future for degree apprenticeships, which do form, I believe, a cornerstone of our offer here in Wales. Indeed, I was very pleased to speak to some Seren learners last week, one of whom had completed a degree apprenticeship at the University of South Wales.

Can I thank you for the statement and also the meeting we had with Natasha and yourself yesterday evening?

Plaid Cymru has warned for years that Wales's tertiary education sector is heading into a perfect storm. Last year, universities reported a collective deficit of £77 million. That isn't an abstract figure; it represents real risks to jobs, research capacity and opportunities for our young people. The Welsh Government says it's committed to ensuring, and I quote,

'that everyone, no matter their background, can access and participate in higher education'.

Yet the evidence tells a different story. According to the University and Colleges Admissions Service, just 32.5 per cent of Welsh 18-year-olds applied to university in 2024, compared to a UK average of 41.2 per cent. In Cardiff North, participation is 47.9 per cent, but in Torfaen, it is just 16.9 per cent, the lowest in Wales. Why is this social and educational disparity acceptable in a country that claims to be championing widening access?

Overall, Minister, it's hard to disagree with the five most pressing challenges outlined in your statement, which also outlines the need for a new advisory group and an open call for evidence. But let's be honest: stakeholders know what the challenges are and have been telling you what the challenges are for a very long time. If the Welsh Government wanted answers quickly, you'd need not look any further than the education committee's consultation response on widening participation. This Senedd committee has already received over 50 submissions on post-16 education in recent months.

If this is just another evidence-gathering exercise, how will it differ from what's already been done? Given that we only have a few months before the Senedd election, what will actually happen to this evidence? Will learners themselves, and those who will be going on to sixth form and colleges and universities in the next few years, have the chance to input directly to it?

Plaid Cymru has repeatedly called for action. In May 2024, my colleague Heledd Fychan wrote to the Cabinet Secretary calling for an emergency review of university funding. In February this year, we called for a comprehensive review of the funding system to protect jobs and secure sustainability. I then followed up again, writing to you, Minister, urging the Welsh Government to act. Each time, the Welsh Government has refused to act. Why has it taken until less than six months before an election for Ministers to realise the canary in the coal mine stopped singing a long time ago? Even now, the scope of this work appears limited. There's no mention of student retention, graduate retention, or the brain drain of students leaving Wales for universities elsewhere and potentially never returning.

Every other UK nation incentivises keeping talent at home. Why don't we? If the Government insists on exporting our student talent, where is the plan to bring them back? This isn't about limiting ambition. It's about believing in Wales, constructing a better Wales. Our universities can and do offer world-class opportunities. But sustainability matters, and if we do nothing, our institutions will weaken to the point of collapse.

Earlier this year, you said you would work with the UK Government to identify sustainable solutions for the future of higher education. What has become of that work? Because the UK Government's recently published post-16 education White Paper contains no reference to our higher education sector here in Wales. Has the partnership in power delivered anything, or has it been more of a hindrance than a help?

Wales, Minister, needs solutions, not yet another consultation from a Government that's out of ideas and running out of time. We need an independent, purpose-driven review that delivers answers and a funding model that safeguards our institution. And if Plaid Cymru forms the next Government, we will most certainly deliver those solutions. Diolch.

I'd like to thank Cefin Campbell for those questions. If we start with the UCAS data that you referred to there, what I would say is that while we are working hard to increase the participation rates of our 18-year-olds in higher education, it has to be the option that's right for them. That is something that the Cabinet Secretary for Education, the Minister for skills and I are united behind.

I would say as well that the UCAS figures are only a partial picture of entry into HE. They typically don't include applicants to part-time courses, and we know that Wales has a higher proportion of students in part-time learning—36 per cent of our students compared to 23 per cent in England. I think that that is actually a strength; that shows that we are widening access to HE, particularly for more mature learners. We know also that many applicants entering HE via study at an FE college, which is another route to widening participation, will also apply directly rather than through UCAS.

In fact, Medr's higher education initial participation measure showed that the estimated probability of a Welsh-domiciled person participating in HE by the age of 30 was 54.6 per cent. So, there is definitely much to celebrate there if we look more broadly at the statistics. And just to say as well, in terms of mature students, we have 66 per cent here in Wales compared to 44 per cent in England. So, we are definitely ahead of the curve there, and I think that is an important ground for us to be occupying when you look at the demographic changes that I outlined earlier as well.

You said, quite rightly, that stakeholders know the challenges facing the system—absolutely, and so do I. But where we are now is in taking the proactive approach, having that pause and time to reflect on the solutions. That’s why my ministerial advisory group contains not just stakeholders, but those with experience from outside of the system, whether that’s experience looking at the tertiary system in other parts of the world, looking at research, and also looking at business and the economy.

You mentioned the CYPE committee report as well, which we received with interest. There are certainly many recommendations there for us to consider. It makes a number of helpful recommendations. Expanding access to vocational, technical and academic pathways will, undoubtedly, raise qualification levels, strengthen skills, and improve life outcomes across Wales. I've already begun discussions with the Cabinet Secretary for Education and the Minister for skills, and we will be meeting in the coming weeks to discuss the report and its recommendations in more detail. I'm sure that it will definitely shape our work for the rest of this Senedd term.

You asked about what will happen to the evidence gathered by the ministerial advisory group, and you asked about student input there as well. Just to assure you that NUS Cymru is represented on that ministerial advisory group, and, during our call for evidence, we will specifically be looking for a broad range of input there from students across Wales. The evidence that we gather will be pulled together before the end of this Senedd term. I'm certainly hoping that there will be some things that will come through there that can be quick wins for us. I'm always looking for those. But I also believe it is the duty of every Government Minister coming to the end of a Government term to leave a legacy and to leave a report that shows potential direction for that portfolio for the future. That's certainly not something that I will apologise for.

You asked about the White Paper. Just to clarify, that White Paper is just for England. But that doesn't mean, of course, that there are not things within it that we can take and learn from here in Wales. But we are also committed to doing things our own way as well in the ways that we see are best for us.

I'll end with your comments around student retention and the retention of graduates. Of course, this is something that we as a Welsh Government are focused on. It is really important that we can provide opportunities for our young people to study wherever they want to, but also to return to Wales, to return to their home communities, and to make those economic, cultural and social contributions. I'd like to shine a spotlight on the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol's work on this. They have initiatives such as Cadw Cyswllt, which gives those students who have studied through the medium of Welsh who may have gone to university outside of Wales the opportunity to connect online, to keep their Welsh language skills, to connect with others, and then to, hopefully, come back to Wales to further enrich our communities.

I spent 25 years teaching in further education colleges in Aberdare, Rhondda and Pontypridd. My colleagues and I changed many lives for the better, and provided opportunities to join well-paid employment. A highly educated and skilled workforce is essential if we want to develop the Welsh economy.

I want to highlight the hospital consultant who started his education journey on a further education access-to-health course. I agree with the Minister that expanding access to a full range of vocational, technical and academic pathways is essential for improving overall qualification levels and the skills and life outcomes for individuals, but also helping to develop the Welsh economy. I also agree with the Minister that the sector has much work to do to increase tertiary education participation and to prepare for demographic change. I would like to commend the work being done by Gower College Swansea, especially in the area of green energy installation.

Two questions I've got: how is the Welsh Government going to promote further education for those who are over 21, especially access courses? How is the Welsh Government going to reduce the number of those not in education, employment or training by promoting further education to them and working with employers so that they can see well-paid jobs at the end of their courses, because too often people see the courses but they don't see the well-paid jobs at the end?

I thank Mike Hedges for those questions and for being such a consistent champion of our FE sector as well. I think you raised two really important points there, Mike. I focused in my statement on the importance of lifelong learning, and I know that that is something that you are passionate about as well. One of the things that I'm most proud of being able to achieve during this Senedd term is the increase in the Welsh Government learning grant for FE. I announced in June that, for eligible learners continuing in or starting study in the academic year 2025-6, that grant had been increased in line with inflation. That means that from this September, the amount that learners can receive has increased from a maximum of £1,500 to £1,919, so almost a third increase there, which will definitely help those from the lowest income households to reduce the financial barriers associated with studying after the age of 19. I'd like to think that it demonstrates my continued commitment to ensuring that learners at every stage of their life feel that they are able to access education. That higher rate will remain in place while an independent review of the Welsh Government learning grant FE scheme is carried out. And amongst other objectives, what that review will do is to consider the household income thresholds that determine eligibility. I'm hopeful that we can broaden access still further after that.

I think another way in which we attract adult learners into colleges is through the strong locally based advertisement campaigns that those colleges offer as well, and provision of part-time learning is also key to working around family and work commitments. And as I said in my statement, part-time FE numbers have increased this year for the first time in 10 years, and I have no doubt that a large proportion of those would be adult learners. There is always more to do, though, as we anticipate challenges in the skill sets required to prepare people for the jobs of the future.

You ask about NEETs as well, and the work being done across Government there. Of course, we are very proud of our young person's guarantee, which offers a place in education, training or employment for every 16 to 24-year-old in Wales. There is also some really excellent practice in our schools with targeted support for young people at risk of becoming NEET, including further support, then, when they enter college to ensure that they settle into their courses there. I think a crucial part of this as well is our investment in mental health and well-being support. We know that that is a major factor, otherwise, in young people becoming NEET.

Just to finish to reassure you that this is an issue that we work across Government on, through our vocational education and training ministerial board, where I meet with the Cabinet Secretary for Education, the Cabinet Secretary for economy and the Minister for skills on a monthly basis.

Lastly, John Griffiths.

Diolch, Llywydd, and thank you for your statement, Minister. One thing that you emphasised rightly, I think, is the need for collaboration. My own experience in terms of casework and 14 to 19-year-old education and training is situations where 14-year-olds disengage from school because they want to pursue a vocational route, which the school is unable to provide, and they want to go to the local FE college, but they're caught in that situation where there's no funding for the FE college to provide a place, and the school doesn't want to lose the funding that it has for that particular pupil. Sometimes they disengage, and then they go to the college when they're 16 and they haven't then got the necessary entry qualifications to pursue the course that they wish to pursue. So, it's a wholly unsatisfactory situation, isn't it? I think we've had some good developments, such as the junior apprenticeships, and Cardiff and Vale College have done some great work, which I know is being expanded, but I just think in general, Minister, we need to do more to address that situation, and get the collaboration that's required.

I'd like to thank John Griffiths for those points. I agree with the thrust of the points you make, absolutely, and I know from my own 16 years as a secondary school teacher just how important it is that we have that offer for young people that balances both the academic and vocational. And for some of our young people, then, education outside of a school setting in a different setting, where learning can be more hands-on is a crucial part of that. Myself and the Cabinet Secretary for Education are really proud of the junior apprenticeship scheme and we've both been able to visits junior apprentices at various colleges across Wales, and to see the passion and the confidence in them as they undertake those studies is really heartwarming. And that's why our draft budget for 2026-27 includes an uplift of £0.4 million in Medr's allocation, which will be allocated to junior apprenticeships, bringing this budget line to £1 million. And there is, I should say, excellent work across the FE sector in the 14 to 16 space, and it's good to have people like yourself, John, that can shine a spotlight on that. In many colleges, these are badged as junior apprenticeships, but there are other offers as well that can be full-time or can be part-time, working in collaboration with schools.

I had an interesting conversation just last week, actually, where a principal of an FE college was telling me that as well as helping those young people at that time of their life between the ages of 14 to 16, the relationships that colleges strike up with schools when they are looking to place these young people on the junior apprenticeships can also break down some of those barriers that we find with schools and colleges competing for learners in the post-16 space, and that of course can only be a good thing as we look to ensure that every learner is advised of the course that might be best for them.

I also think—to end on a final point here as well—that getting that learning offer right in the 14 to 16 space, which the Cabinet Secretary is working extremely hard on, is crucial to the issues that I am trying to address with the FE budget now, because a lot of the financial pressures that we're seeing based in our colleges for the post-16 provision is due to the number of learners coming in at level 1 and 2, so providing those appropriate pathways prior to 16 is a good way to combat those pressures as well.

Thank you, Minister, for that statement. 

The next statement is on item 5, a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Education on attendance and behaviour in schools. I call on the Cabinet Secretary to make the statement—Lynne Neagle.

Diolch, Llywydd. Thank you for the opportunity to talk about two of my key priorities here today: improving attendance and behaviour in educational settings across Wales. I want all children in Wales to have the opportunity to thrive, supported by an education system that has their best interests at heart. I'm committed to driving up attainment levels and standards of education, so that we can make sure every child in Wales has the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Regular attendance at and engagement with education and learning is a critical part of achieving this aspiration. Attendance and behaviour in schools are closely linked. Poor attendance can lead to disengagement and behavioural issues, while behavioural challenges often contribute to persistent absence. In that context, I am pleased that the statistics on secondary school attendance for the 2024-25 school year, published in September, showed a clear improvement in average attendance on the previous year, with a rise to 90.9 per cent. I was also pleased that over that same period, overall absence fell from 12 per cent to 10.9 per cent, with progress also seen in tackling persistent absence.

The percentage of secondary school-aged pupils missing more than 10 per cent of sessions fell from 37.1 per cent to 33 per cent. Similarly, the latest figures for attendance in this academic year show that, as of 18 November, overall attendance stands at 91.8 per cent.

However, we have to recognise that the pandemic had a huge impact on school attendance and attitudes towards learning. For some families, the idea of regular school attendance has shifted. There is now a greater expectation of flexibility, whether that’s remote learning, hybrid models or home-based education. This presents both opportunities and challenges for us as policy makers and for practitioners. It has taken a huge effort by our schools, the workforce and families to start to turn this around and to show a year-on-year improvement. I want to commend them for their ongoing commitment and hard work. 

However, I also want to be clear that while this is encouraging, I want us to go further. I want to see levels back to where they were before the pandemic as soon as possible, and, ideally, higher than that. So, while we are moving in the right direction, we are not complacent, and there is still work to be done, particularly in relation to some of our more vulnerable learners.

The latest annual data shows that 58 per cent of pupils eligible for free school meals in secondary schools were persistently absent during the 2024-25 school year. The difference in attendance by those eligible for free school meals and those not eligible for them cannot become acceptable. These learners already face significant barriers, caused by the impact of living in households with lower income levels. They cannot also continue to miss education at these levels if they are to reach their potential.

It is vital, then, that we continue to focus on addressing the barriers that prevent children from attending school regularly to ensure every child has the best possible chance to succeed. To support this, I have committed £7 million of funding this year to help children re-engage with school. Under this funding package, I've provided an extra £3 million supporting the work of family engagement officers, £2 million supporting the provision of enrichment activities, £1 million to further embed the role of community-focused schools, and £1 million to support our food and fun school holiday enrichment programme. But this is only the start of the support.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to tackling absence, and it will take time. The issues affecting non-attendance are complex, often requiring intensive action, and involving multi-agency support. We are seeing a significant shift in the external factors impacting school attendance across Wales. Increasingly, children and young people are presenting with more complex needs: mental health challenges, behavioural issues, physical health conditions and emotionally based school avoidance. These issues are not isolated, they are deeply interconnected and have a profound impact on attendance. Our response cannot be punitive. I want to continue with the partnership approach we have adopted. Schools cannot tackle these challenges alone. We need co-ordinated support across education, health, social care and community services to ensure that every child is seen, supported and able to thrive.

At the same time, we must strike a balance. We need to reinforce the importance of regular attendance for educational progress and social development, while also recognising and responding to the genuine barriers that some children face. I was honoured to host a national behaviour summit in May, working with key partners to explore positive solutions to ongoing challenges faced by practitioners and school leaders in Wales. The day after the summit, I announced five immediate actions outlining clear, decisive steps to improve behaviour in education settings and to give staff the support they need to turn commitment into action. These actions mark the start of a shared journey to create environments where every learner can thrive and every practitioner feels empowered. To deliver sustainable change, I prioritised strengthening multi-agency working, enhancing guidance and professional learning for practitioners, sharing best practice and standardising incident reporting to build a system that supports learners and empowers those who lead and teach.

First and foremost, every practitioner and learner deserves a safe, respectful environment. We are accelerating the round-table and summit actions, working with partners to strengthen multi-agency approaches and applying lessons from innovative violence prevention strategies being tested in schools to safeguard well-being across our school communities. Building on this momentum, I established two dedicated fora to fast-track collaboration and drive solutions with key stakeholders, experts and practitioners. The fora are tackling two priority issues: the use of mobile phones and social media in schools, and the challenges surrounding exclusions and detentions. Bringing diverse voices to the table will ensure that evidence-based insights shape next steps. I also discussed the use of mobile phones in schools with my counterparts in the other nations of the UK recently. This is an issue that we are all concerned about and grappling with, and sharing our evidence and evaluation data helps us all to better understand what works. Based on this work, new national guidance on mobile phone use, along with practical resources for schools, is being co-produced and will launch early in the spring.

At the same time, our exclusions and detentions forum is moving at pace to review current guidance and strengthen approaches for sharing best practice, including preventative measures that will make a real difference. The forum will also review national data to identify ways to reduce exclusion rates. To complement this work, we are working with schools, local authorities and partners to extend targeted interventions to minimise exclusions and improve learner engagement. This reflects our long-term commitment to an inclusive education system.

To enhance professional learning, a new behaviour toolkit launched this term, providing a rich resource of research and practical guidance for schools to respond to ongoing challenges. This is just the beginning. The five immediate actions clearly set out my commitment to ongoing, open dialogue with practitioners, parents and children and young people. And I am driving a wider programme of engagement on behaviour to amplify these voices. The most effective solutions come from those who experience these challenges every day and, together, we will shape approaches that deliver meaningful change.

I'm pleased that Estyn’s recent 'Early Insights 2024-2025' report highlighted that, overall, behaviour and attitudes to learning remain positive across sectors, with teachers maintaining constructive relationships with pupils, managing behaviour effectively and creating supportive learning environments. Building on this encouraging snapshot, I plan to work with schools, local authorities and third sector partners to bring forward a suite of pilot projects across Wales in the coming months to test and showcase innovative, early and restorative approaches to supporting behaviour in schools. In addition, working with university partners across Wales, this autumn, we will launch an engagement programme with schools, exploring practical solutions to tackle behaviour.

Children and young people are at the heart of this work, with their voices championed by key partners, including the Welsh Youth Parliament, Children in Wales and the Children’s Commissioner for Wales. I was delighted to attend the Welsh Youth Parliament on Saturday to hear from their Crime and Safety Committee about their recent consultation and to hear about their recommendations from their powerful report. Their survey attracted almost 2,000 responses from children and young people. I very much welcome the committee's recommendations on a number of clear themes, including around consistent policies, mental health support and the importance of positive relationships and listening to young people. The committee made eight recommendations, and I am very pleased to accept them all. The committee’s report is an outstanding example of pupil voice, and I will respond formally and fully to all of the recommendations in writing in the new year. I am also very keen to work closely with the Welsh Youth Parliament on all of the important areas they have highlighted.

As I have set out, improving attendance and behaviour in educational settings across Wales is essential to support our young people to thrive. We are not complacent. I look forward to continuing to build on the priorities and actions I've spoken about today to ensure that we can make sure that our schools are engaging places, where everyone is safe, included and heard. These actions are grounded in a strong commitment to listen, learn and co-create solutions with those who matter most—our practitioners, learners and families. Diolch.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for this afternoon's statement. Poor behaviour and attendance are a major cause of concern to us all, and I'm afraid that there has been a complete lack of action from the Welsh Government on this, despite the rosy picture that we've all heard here today in the Chamber. Violence within classrooms is at a worryingly high level, teachers' time is being taken away from delivering lessons to deal with incidents, pupils' learning is being impacted by distractions and absenteeism remains stubbornly high, yet the Welsh Government seems either reluctant or incapable of dealing with the big issues.

More than six months ago, the Welsh Government held its highly billed and highly anticipated national behavioural summit. We were told time and time again here in the Chamber that this would be the answer to all of our prayers. Well, Deputy Presiding Officer, it looks like the Cabinet Secretary well and truly led us up the garden path on that one, because the Cabinet Secretary says that she set out the five immediate actions following the statement, but, in reality, I feel that they just tinker around the edges, if that.

Cabinet Secretary, am I right in saying that this was nothing more than a box-ticking exercise? I'm sure that you're going to try to spin it another way when you respond to me here, but I'd like to know what specific—and I mean specific—robust actions the Welsh Government will be taking in line with this summit, because to me it looks like things are just being kicked further into the long grass, with new forums created and guidance dished out to teachers. How confident are you, Cabinet Secretary, that this will actually go ahead and make a difference to the problems that we have here in Wales?

It’s a fact that the number of violent incidents in schools has risen by 37 per cent, at a total of 6,446 reported in 2023-24 alone. The toll this takes on teachers' well-being is massive, Cabinet Secretary, with the NASUWT finding that 92 per cent of teachers experience verbal abuse and 35 per cent have experienced physical abuse. Cabinet Secretary, 79 per cent of teachers said that verbal and physical abuse affected their morale, 65 per cent said that it increased stress levels and 52 per cent of teachers said that fighting is a daily or weekly problem in their school. All of this is resulting in 55 per cent of teachers admitting that it is making them think about leaving the profession as a whole.

These are incredibly sobering statistics, Cabinet Secretary; I’m sure you come across them all of the time. So, I’d like to know what steps the Welsh Government is taking to protect teachers' safety and well-being, as failure to tackle poor behaviour in schools may result in an exodus of teachers leaving the profession, exacerbating the ongoing recruitment and retention crisis that we have here in Wales. In this afternoon's statement, you’ve mentioned an incoming suite of pilot projects when it comes to behaviour in schools, but in-depth detail is, unfortunately, a bit sparse. So, can you please elaborate on some of the projects that you've mentioned here today, Cabinet Secretary?

You mentioned mobile phones in your statement. The Welsh Conservatives have been clear since day one that one quick win to turn our problems within our schools around is to ban mobile phones. More and more countries around the world are waking up to this, but, of course, the Welsh Government is refusing to implement such a ban. Mobile phone usage within schools is a growing problem, with 77 per cent of primary school—yes, primary school—pupils taking a phone into school; that figure rises to 94 per cent when we look at the number of secondary school students. The evidence about the damage of mobile phone usage in the classroom is crystal clear, Cabinet Secretary, for us all to see.

You’ve talked about bringing in a new form of guidance in spring 2026 on mobile phone use. Can you give us some sort of explanation as to what that’s going to look like, because we are heading into an election, so I want to ensure that this guidance is clear for us and the electorate out there? What’s going to be shared amongst the schools out there as well, because we need to go further here in Wales?

School attendance—I’m glad you touched upon that today—is another big issue facing our education system, with more than 2 million school days missed in 2023-24 due to unauthorised absences in Wales. Not only that, but Estyn found that the percentage of secondary school age pupils who were absent for more than 20 per cent of sessions more than tripled, from 4.6 per cent to 16.3 per cent, between 2018 and 2019. I appreciate COVID, so then I'm going to compare the figure to 2022-23. Average attendance for schools in Wales was 90.9 per cent for the 2024-25 academic year. The impact of absence from the classroom can have a serious effect on a child's learning—we all know that here. I really do welcome your ambition to get attendance levels back to pre-COVID levels, Cabinet Secretary, but have you got a target date for this? You know I like my dates, so I'm going to ask you for that.

According to headteachers, there are two main reasons for low attendance rates. No. 1 is a substantial increase in the number of pupils who are refusing to attend school or are now frequently absent due to mental health problems, and the second is a change in culture amongst parents, who place less importance on their children attending school regularly. This additional funding to help children re-engage with school is most certainly going to be welcome, but are you confident that it will lead to a big boost? And if it does, what will the Welsh Government's next steps be?

Aside from the funding, how else is the Welsh Government working with parents and school leaders to combat the change in attitude, which has led to less importance being placed on children attending schools? Cabinet Secretary, you say that improving attendance and behaviour in schools remain essential, and that this Government is not going to be complacent. However, I'll be honest—I'm not convinced. And that, sadly, is the case based on the lack of robust and tangible actions coming from this administration so far. So, instead of running down the clock until next year's election, the Welsh Government must do more to ensure all children are receiving the education here in Wales that they so rightly deserve. Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer.

Thank you very much, Natasha. I couldn't disagree with you more, really, that there has been a lack of action. And I never said that the summit would be the answer to all our problems. The summit was a very important step in bringing together all our stakeholders to try to tackle what are really complex issues. And I really think, Natasha, that you don't have a good understanding of how complex the issues around behaviour are, because, if you did understand it, you wouldn't be looking for a silver bullet in this space.

I set out the immediate actions following the summit—and, again, it couldn't be further from the truth that there hasn't been action on each of those areas. First of all, a really strong theme from the summit was around the need for better multi-agency working to support schools. Schools feel that they are picking up the pieces from a variety of other organisations who are maybe pulling back from supporting them. So, I took a paper to Cabinet a little while ago, which was all about the societal pressures on schools. Officials from teams right across the Welsh Government are working now to ensure there is alignment of cross-cutting policies in relation to our work on behaviour. We're also working with the four police and crime commissioners and police forces in Wales to support better collaboration between police, local authorities and schools. And we're doing that through the ethos of our community-focused schools programme. And I see that programme as not just opening up halls and playing fields and things like that; I see that as a genuine two-way street between schools and the community. And the work that we're doing to map these policies will be completed by the spring.

In terms of updated guidance to ensure there's more clarity and consistency across Wales, that work is being taken forward at pace. I mentioned the mobile phone forum. We've got one on exclusions as well. We have already published a new behaviour toolkit—you must have missed that, Natasha—in September 2025. Our guidance on mobiles will launch in February 2026, and our guidance on exclusions and detentions will follow in March 2026. Because that's the way we do things in Wales, you see. We work with partners to co-produce things, because that's how we believe we get the best policies.

In terms of sharing best practice between schools locally and nationally, we've got a programme of work led by HEI partners now with schools. Our professional inquiry approaches that they are leading on will launch in November, with initial outputs by March 2026.

In terms of the professional learning commitment I made at the summit, as I said, we've already published the behaviour toolkit, and we're working with a number of HEIs in Wales who are working with schools on developing professional learning, and we’ve also asked Dysgu, our new professional learning body, to take this work forward for us.

We’re also taking forward the work around consistent definitions and reporting of incidents, so that we’ve got clear data at local authority and national level. That was the fifth commitment, and that is obviously aligned to our school improvement partnership programme, which will give us an opportunity to have that better data. We are looking at a series of pilots. One of those pilots is around restorative practices. I was able to go to Islwyn High School a little while ago, where I saw those practices in action and was very impressed by those. We’re also looking at pilots using the youth service.

In terms of attendance, we have seen progress. I think that’s very clear, and I’m sure you’ll want to welcome that. But I’ve also been clear that there is more work that we need to do. You’re right to mention mental health as a factor in problems with attendance. I think our record on mental health support for schools is first class. We have a whole-school approach to mental health in Wales, which is statutory. We continue to commit £14 million a year to that, and we’re doing everything we can to support our learners.

But one of the big tools in our arsenal on this is the work that we do with family engagement officers, and this year we are investing an additional £3 million in the work of family engagement officers. Next year, that money is going to increase by a further £1 million. Those family engagement officers work with some of the families who are experiencing the most barriers to children attending school, and they work with them on a really granular level, whether it is issues around poverty, not having a school coat, issues with transport, issues with mental health, physical health problems. The evidence that I am seeing—and we have a forum now where we bring all the family engagement officers together, and they are doing really brilliant work—is they are making a difference, because they do that by building trusting relationships with families.

I want to get back to pre-pandemic levels of attendance as soon as possible. That’s why we are continuing to invest such substantial sums of funding in this work.

Plaid Cymru believes in tackling the root causes of poor attendance and behaviour, such as poverty, transport barriers and family support, not just sticking plasters. Of course, we all agree on the principles around increased attendance and improved behaviour, and agree on the need for every child to have a safe, supportive environment where they can learn and thrive.

But the reality does not match the rhetoric we’ve heard from Welsh Government on these issues. Attendance has been well rehearsed in the Chamber already this afternoon, but just to reiterate, between September and November this year, attendance in our schools continued to fall in 2024-25. Average attendance was just 90.9 per cent compared to what it was before the pandemic, at 94.3 per cent. I acknowledge, you realise, that the situation is improving slightly, but for pupils who are eligible for free school meals, the picture is even worse and more challenging than that. It is 85.2 per cent, down from 91.2 per cent.

You did tell school leaders at the boosting standards conference a while back that it is your aim to see attendance return to pre-pandemic levels. So, my first question is: do you expect to meet that target or is it going to be another failed ambition?

I welcome the additional £1 million that you are giving to the family engagement officers. That is a welcome initiative. So, what I'd like to know is: around these officers, what assessment has been made of their impact so far? Is there a direct correlation between slightly improved attendance levels and the work that they do? How many schools will benefit from this £1 million additional funding?

And what about transport? Estyn's report earlier this year highlighted transport as being a major barrier to attendance. It remains a persistent challenge, particularly for pupils living within three miles of school who don't qualify for free transport. Yet, instead of acting decisively, what Welsh Government has done is kick the consultation on learner travel guidance into the long grass, and refuse to make this a priority in the Bus Services (Wales) Bill. Last year, Ministers seemed to be playing pass-the-parcel with this issue, but now they don't even want to deliver the parcel at all because it's not there in the bus Bill. So, will anything change on learner travel before May's election?

Let's move on to behaviour, which again has been touched upon. Promises have been made, but not translated into progress. The behaviour summit, which again has been referred to, revealed what teachers have known for years: the situation is not improving; if anything, it's getting worse. Forty-nine actions were suggested, including five immediate steps. So, what impact have these steps had, and how many of the 49 suggested actions will be implemented and by when? Because I recently met with a teacher who was seriously injured in a violent incident in her school. She fears returning to the classroom because, as far as she knows, no new guidance has been issued on handling serious physical or harmful behaviour.

The summit report also highlighted poor communication between stakeholders. What lessons have you learned from that and how can we improve co-operation between stakeholders, particularly sharing information? Because Scotland has shown leadership on behaviour issues by surveying its workforce regularly on behaviour and abuse trends to target resources effectively.

And finally, much of this comes down to funding. In the 2026-27 budget evidence paper that you submitted to the Children, Young People and Education Committee, you mentioned £900,000 for behaviour work being spent in 2025-26, but nothing allocated for 2026-27. So, what's the plan beyond that year?

Finally, have we had any money from the UK Government decision to change the valued added tax on independent schools? Has that money come to Wales to support our schools? Diolch. 

Thank you very much, Cefin. I do agree with you about tackling the root causes of the reasons for children not attending school as much. You mentioned poverty—that is a key one. Some of those levers are not with us. But I think as a Government we have a strong track record of supporting children who are living in poverty in our schools. We have our school essentials grant. We have universal primary free school meals. We've currently got poverty proofing pilots that are happening in schools across Wales, and we have supported materials for schools on removing the stigma around poverty.

You referred to transport. As you've highlighted, the consultation on the revised learner travel operational guidance began on 11 June, and that has been extended until 28 November. As you're aware, the learner travel Measure sits with my colleague Ken Skates, but we do discuss those issues very regularly. Back in the summer, we held a summit on learner travel, which was really positive in terms of trying to tackle some of the very complex issues that exist around learner travel. And it's not just about funding, as I know you're aware; it's also about access to buses, to drivers, and things like that that are causing challenges. You'll also be aware that we've announced the £1 bus fare, which is hopefully going to be a big help for families and for young people.

In terms of family engagement officer impact, obviously we're currently in the first year of substantial investment in FEOs, so we haven't got any official evaluation as yet. But, as I said to Natasha, the FEOs come together regularly as a national forum, I have met with the forum to have feedback on the work that they're doing, and all the feedback that I get from schools is that they are worth their weight in gold. Because it also takes some of the burden off teaching staff who would otherwise be having to focus on trying to get children into school.

Now, the funding for the FEOs—and you highlighted the fact that that funding is going up in the draft budget—that currently goes out via the local authority education grant. What I am aware of is that there is variation in how that money is allocated to schools across Wales. So, there are different approaches being used by local authorities. For example, I spoke to some headteachers in one authority, and they were only getting access to their FEO on a cycle of every few months. Well, clearly, the role of FEOs is to build relationships with families, so I have asked officials, and they're doing some work for me on reviewing that guidance, so that we can make sure that all schools can benefit from that as far as is possible.

In terms of the behaviour summit, I've set out in some detail to Natasha the work that we're doing following up that work. I would reiterate that none of this work is a silver bullet. All of this is complex and about tackling the multifaceted issues around problems with behaviour. I'm sorry to hear about the teacher. I want all our schools to be safe, happy places for our staff and for our pupils. We already have guidance on weapons in schools, and schools can already make exclusions in the event of a child being found with a weapon. They also have powers to search pupils. So, that's our existing safe and effective intervention, and that deals with the use of reasonable force and searching for weapons guidance.

We are also looking at what more we can do in this space at the round-table that we had on violence in schools, which was really positive. The police were not painting such a bleak picture as Natasha around actual violence in schools. Fortunately, these terrible incidents, such as the one you referred to, are fortunately rare. I think it's important that most people have a positive experience in schools. But Cardiff, for example, have just launched guidance on weapons in schools and educational settings, and we're looking at that and how we can have guidance that might apply for the whole of Wales, but, obviously, taking into account the fact that a city may have different issues.

You talked about Scotland, and I met with the Scottish Minister a couple of weeks ago. She came down for the summit we hosted. I had a discussion with her about many things, but including behaviour, and I don't think we're in a very different place to Scotland. They're also having challenges with behaviour. We also surveyed our workforce ahead of the summit. We did a comprehensive survey. It had really good engagement. I can send you a link to that. The findings were sobering. I'm not going to hide from that. But I can send you a link to that.

With behaviour, it's not just about money, in terms of your comments about the budget; it's about changing practice, isn't it, and working together to do that. We have received money from the UK Government as a result of the changes to VAT on private schools. You'll see in the same budget paper that some of that money is protected for post-16 specialist placements. We also received very substantial consequentials for education from the UK Government in the spring statement. Obviously, you're well aware that, at the moment, we have an uncommitted pot of £380 million, and I will be making the strongest possible case for the maximum amount of that money to be spent in education.

We've taken 39 minutes, and we've had the two spokespeople. I would hope that we have succinct questions and answers from the remaining three people, please, so that we can get everything in. Julie Morgan.

Diolch. It's encouraging that the absenteeism figures are moving in the right direction. I think that's in response to the great work that's being done in the education sector.

I was very pleased to attend the food and fun awards with the Cabinet Secretary a few weeks ago, where the great work that is done during the holidays from school was recognised. I think it was wonderful that the people there had this recognition. There has been anecdotal evidence that when children attend food and fun sessions or similar activities in the school holidays, where they go into the school voluntarily and have a good time and have some very positive experiences, that does result in a drop in absenteeism. I just wondered whether there was any evidence for that, or whether you've been able to do any follow-up research, or indeed whether any other such activities did result in an improvement.

Thank you very much, Julie. Can I thank you as well for the work that you did in reviewing our food and fun programme for us? That led to an additional £1 million in funding, taking the total amount of money on food and fun to nearly £6 million. I'm glad as well that one of your recommendations was to have the awards for the food and fun workers. We don't recognise people enough for the good work that they're doing. It was great that you did that, and great that you were on the judging panel. It was great to celebrate the difference they make in the lives of children and young people.

I'm not aware that we've got any sort of quantitative evidence, but I think there is lots of anecdotal evidence that this does make a really big difference to children and young people. The food and fun scheme that I went to see this year was in Pantside in Caerphilly. The staff there were saying to me that they start as soon as the school term finishes, because they said if there was a gap, you'd lose those kids for the summer. I think things like that show that it is about holding onto those children and young people. I'm really pleased that we've been able to increase the investment, thanks to the work that you did.

It's about a wider picture of enrichment, isn't it? We're also investing in enrichment during term time as well, because we're seeing growing evidence that if there are things that children want to do when they get to school, they're more likely to come to school to try out different things. It's also part of building relationships, and that was a point made by the Welsh Youth Parliament on Saturday.

I prefer to confidently talk pupils up. For the last eight years, for two days every week, I have been attending two schools in my constituency with a literacy project. I'm sure, Cabinet Secretary, you'll agree with me that we must send llongyfarchiadau mawr to the pupils, parents and teachers at Ysgol Gymraeg Caerffili for achieving an outstanding 98.2 per cent attendance rate in September, well above the national average. It's a remarkable achievement and a testament to the dedication of pupils, families and staff working together. What we see there should inspire, I believe, all schools across Caerphilly and Wales. Strong relationships with families and a welcoming environment really does make a difference. Ysgol Gymraeg Caerffili shows that it's possible when the investment is in the right place. Whilst I appreciate it's for local authorities and schools to decide how best to use the family engagement officer funding, can the Cabinet Secretary confirm how much of the £7 million announced today will be allocated—naturally, I will say this—to the Caerphilly county borough area, or is it subject to a bidding process?

Thank you very much, Lindsay, and thank you for the work that you're doing in schools on literacy. I really welcome that, and I'm very happy to add my congratulations to Ysgol Gymraeg Caerffili. It's great to see them having all that positive media coverage today. I understand that they have made this progress not just through strong relationships, but through excellent enrichment activities, which proves the point, really.

In terms of FEOs, the £7 million is money in this financial year—that's £3 million for FEOs, and that will go up to £4 million in the next financial year. The money does go out via the LAEG, and that goes out on a formula basis. They won't have to bid for it, and I can write to you at a later date when we know what the allocation for Caerphilly is going to be.

And finally, Jenny Rathbone.

Thank you very much. I'm keen to hear more about the food and fun awards another time.

I want to talk about the clear link between poor behaviour and poor nutrition. Kevin Morgan highlighted in his book, Serving the Public, that the blind randomised control trial in the youth offending institution in Aylesbury led to a very significant improvement in the behaviour of the worst offenders who received extra nutritional supplements, by 38 per cent. The prison service completely ignored it, even though it was supported by David Ramsbotham, who's probably the most illustrious inspector of prisons.

Similarly, more recently, Patrick Holden, the organic farmer in Carmarthenshire, in an online seminar, showed a child's handwriting well behind his chronological age, and massive and noticeable improvements in his handwriting when he received much better food.

I wondered if this was discussed at all at your national behaviour summit. Also, what impact, if any, has universal primary free school meals had on attendance? And lastly, will you consider a pilot project to test the impact of nourishing food on improving behaviour amongst pupils as one of the ways in which we can tackle what is a really serious problem?

Thank you very much, Jenny, for those points. I wasn't aware of that research, so that's really interesting. I do agree with you, obviously, about the importance of high-quality nutrition. You'll be aware that we are changing our regulations that govern healthy food in primary schools. I hope that you'll be pleased when you see the outcome of that.

We're also doing work on secondary schools, where it is a little bit more complex because of the amount of agency young people have and that grab-and-go culture. But we want, especially where we're investing substantial amounts of money, children and young people to have the healthiest possible meal. I'll take away what you said about a pilot project, because I'm not a data scientist and I think that might well be quite a difficult thing to measure. But I'm very happy to take that away.

What I've seen with the universal primary free school meals is children enjoying having their healthy lunches. We will make those more healthy. We've still got more work to do in terms of the children who bring in packed lunches, some of which aren't particularly healthy, so there's more culture change there. But I will certainly talk to officials about whether there's anything to be done that could measure the link. But I think it's well established that high-quality food is better for us in a range of ways, isn't it?

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary.

Item 6 has been postponed.

So, we will move to item 7, a statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice: International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women. I call on the Cabinet Secretary, Jane Hutt.

Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm pleased to have the opportunity to address Members today to mark International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women.

Last week, I published the Welsh Government's annual report on progress against our 2022-26 violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence national strategy objectives, and our VAWDASV blueprint annual report. The VAWDASV national adviser annual report has also been published.

The VAWDASV blueprint is our collaborative mechanism to deliver the national strategy, in partnership with policing in Wales, public bodies and specialist delivery partners across Wales. These reports demonstrate the breadth of work to realise our collective vision of making Wales the safest place to be a woman and girl. Once more, we see that violence against women is at epidemic levels, and once more I come before you to draw attention to the devastating impact of violence against women.

Ten years since the Senedd agreed the Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015, the crime survey for England and Wales estimated that 1.6 million women aged 16 years and over experienced domestic abuse in the year ending March 2024, a stark reminder of how widespread this issue remains—and for some, the consequences are fatal. Since 2015, approximately 800 women in England and Wales have been killed in a domestic homicide, according to data from the Office for National Statistics.

But the true toll of domestic abuse is even greater. Figures from the Domestic Homicide Project, funded by the Home Office and led by the National Police Chiefs' Council, show more domestic abuse victims take their own lives in England and Wales than are killed by their partner. Between 2020 and 2024, there were 1,012 domestic abuse-related deaths, including 354 suspected suicides and 332 homicides—truly horrifying.

These are not just statistics; they're lives lost, families shattered and futures stolen. Behind every number there's a story: 'I have horrible flashbacks after my ex tried to kill me', 'He beat me like I was an animal', 'Abuse by my boyfriend made me feel worthless'. These are the voices of survivors, each a reminder of the lasting impact of abuse and the urgent need for support. A whole-system approach to tackling violence against women requires every part of the system to play its part.

Police and crime commissioner Emma Wools and I recently convened close to 100 public and third sector leaders across Wales for a VAWDASV summit. This was a call for action to accelerate progress and to recognise that tackling gender-based violence requires strong, impactful leadership at every level of our public service. Survivor voices were at the heart of the event. I'd like to thank those with lived experience from our survivor voice scrutiny and involvement panel, who courageously shared their stories so that we can learn from their experiences and identify gaps in our collective response and responsibilities. We heard some strong survivor stories again last week at our vigil outside the Senedd. We must strengthen our response to all domestic abuse-related deaths, not only to prevent them, but to ensure they're investigated as part of the broader context of controlling or coercive behaviour, and that the abusers are held accountable. In Wales we have an opportunity with our single unified safeguarding review process to quickly identify learning, build a greater understanding of what happened during an incident and why, and provide a clear action plan to improve services.

I'll shortly be issuing statutory guidance for the development of local strategies for public consultation, and this guidance will set out clearly what I expect to see from local health boards and local authorities when they develop their next round of local or regional VAWDASV strategies. I encourage stakeholders to respond.

The scale of the challenge is immense. We must make more progress. I'm delighted to announce today an injection of £2.4 million funding for specialist therapeutic services for people affected by sexual violence and abuse. The additional funding will help enable four specialist sector organisations in Wales to substantially expand therapeutic service provision, and means that around 2,500 survivors will be able to access the support they need. This will have a positive impact on many lives.

The Welsh Government has recently awarded a £4.2 million grant to Stori Wales for the Cwtch education project, thanks to the Cabinet Secretary for Education, to support the delivery of relationships and sexuality education across Wales. The mandatory RSE code sets out core learning, which aims to tackle serious issues, such as misogyny and online safety, and is clear that learners should be supported to recognise all forms of discrimination and harassment, including VAWDASV.

Progress means challenging the narratives that shape public understanding of violence against women. We must present a united and accurate picture, focusing our collective efforts on addressing its real causes. The recent racially aggravated rape of a woman in Walsall is a stark reminder: this horrifying incident highlights how racism and misogyny can intersect with devastating consequences. It is a sobering call to confront not only gender-based violence, but also the racialised narratives that compound harm and silence survivors.

As we look ahead, I want to thank Yasmin Khan for her leadership during her time as national adviser. I am delighted that Johanna Robinson will continue this work as she commences her second term as national adviser. I want to acknowledge the dedicated VAWDASV sector across Wales, whose work is vital in supporting survivors and advocating for change. This includes the Live Fear Free helpline, funded by Welsh Government and delivered by Welsh Women's Aid, which received over 28,000 enquiries in the financial year ending March 2025.

Across Wales today and over the next 16 days of activism, there's a great deal of activity taking place to support and raise awareness of eliminating all forms of violence and abuse. I thank Joyce Watson MS for her leadership with the National Federation of Women's Institutes and BAWSO for organising a powerful cross-party vigil last Monday and the multifaith ceremony at Llandaff cathedral, which we both attended. This work reflects Wales's commitment to a global movement, championed by the UN, to achieve gender equality and the end to violence against women and girls. However, action must go beyond this. I await the publication of the UK Government's violence against women and girls strategy as well.

I stand by my commitment, Dirprwy Lywydd, to end violence against women. Diolch yn fawr.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for this afternoon's statement on this incredibly important topic. I would also like to pay a huge tribute to the hard work and dedication of Joyce Watson MS for her great work in this area. You are an inspiration to us all, Joyce, regardless of party politics. I give you credit.

Violence against women and girls remains a major issue in today's society, and it's clear we need to go further and faster in taking bold action to prevent it. Nearly one in three women have been subjected to physical and/or sexual intimate partner violence, non-partner sexual violence or both at least once in their lifetime. Just take a moment and let that sink in, everyone: one in three women. That statistic alone should ignite something in all of us to act now in tackling violence against women and girls.

Cabinet Secretary, women and girls in Wales and beyond should be able to go about their daily lives without the fear of abuse and violence. Yet we know, sadly, simply that's not the case as things stand at the present. Take public transport, for example. Violence against women and girls on the rail network is rising, with more than 11,000 offences recorded last year alone. In Wales specifically, sexual offences on trains and at stations is up 29 per cent since the last year, and it's not just trains, Cabinet Secretary, we've heard harrowing stories, such as a woman being sexually assaulted at a bus station whilst reading a book, a predator approaching a schoolgirl on a bus and asking her to perform a sex act on him, and a woman being sexually assaulted in the middle of a busy bus station. Women's safety is a right, not a privilege, and this cannot go on.

So, Cabinet Secretary, how is the Welsh Government working with key partners like the police, Transport for Wales and bus operators to ensure women and girls are safe when using public transport? Will the Welsh Government be providing more investment to ensure that there are things like adequate closed-circuit television cameras, lighting and deterrents across Wales?

We know that there is often reluctance to report incidents as some women feel that their complaint will not be taken seriously, or, indeed, they feel embarrassed about speaking up. Again, how is the Welsh Government working with stakeholders in all areas of society to break down these barriers?

Just briefly, Cabinet Secretary, I want to talk about street lighting, or rather, the lack of it. It is an issue that is raised with me time and time again by my constituents, particularly those in Newport, but I'm sure it's a similar concern in many of our communities in all corners of Wales. Some local authorities have been cutting back on street lighting in a bid to save money, I would argue at the expense of safety. Will the Welsh Government commit to working with all of Wales's local authorities to identify potential black spots, and equip councils with the necessary resources to ensure we have adequate lighting?

Now, the focus of this year's International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women centres around digital abuse. It is something that many of us in this Chamber have faced at some point or another, and there are many different degrees of online abuse. It can range from misogynistic comments and rude remarks, all the way to revenge porn and everything else in between.

Deputy Presiding Officer, I want to outline a few statistics that really do hammer home the severity of the situation that I've just mentioned. Up to 95 per cent of all online deepfakes are non-consensual pornographic images, with around 90 per cent of them depicting women. Seventy-three per cent of female journalists report experiencing online violence. One in three women in the UK have experienced online abuse, with just 9 per cent of girls and young women in the UK feeling completely safe online.

The responsibility for online safety is shared amongst many different agencies, including the UK Government and Ofcom. But what proactive steps is the Welsh Government going to be taking to keep women and girls safe online? Wales's Women's Aid have reported that funding for provision for children and young people is patchy and unequal, despite the Welsh Government's commitments to improving prevention and early intervention. Many specialist services receive little to no dedicated funding for work with children, Cabinet Secretary. Specialist services working with children and young people are facing unsustainable short-term funding cycles, impacting staff retention and quality of provision. This undermines prevention, protection and, ultimately, recovery. Will the Welsh Government commit to long-term, cross-departmental funding for children's violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual abuse services, ending reliance on short-term grants and pilots?

And finally, Cabinet Secretary, I want to discuss the Supreme Court's ruling that a woman is defined by biological sex only. It has been more than six months since this ruling was made, yet the Welsh Government has not set out what steps it will be taking to ensure women and girls' rights are protected. Cabinet Secretary, do you agree with the First Minister that this issue is nothing more than a culture war, or do you agree with me that protecting our women is of paramount importance? When can we expect the Welsh Government to act on the Supreme Court's ruling? Because in my view, Deputy Presiding Officer, the Welsh Government has a duty to ensure that all women in Wales should have access to single-sex spaces, including public toilets, changing rooms, women's refuges and hospital wards. Thank you very much.

Diolch yn fawr. Thank you very much for your support for my statement today, and thank you for raising important issues that we are addressing. It is a whole-system, cross-Government, cross-sectoral approach that we're taking with the important strategy, in terms of delivering on our groundbreaking legislation, 10 years since the violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence Act.

I will start with your point about public transport. I think this is something where we, again, are working closely cross-Government with my colleague the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, and to recognise that this is something that we are addressing. We're addressing it because it is something where, as you've described, the incidents that have come through a recent BBC investigation, based on data obtained through a freedom of information request, revealed reports of sexual assault and harassment on trains across Scotland, England and Wales have risen by 37 per cent since 2015, so it's a priority, women and girls' safety from abuse both in public and private spaces. We've extended our VAWDASV strategy to address these issues in addition to addressing domestic abuse. One of our VAWDASV blueprint work streams is gender-based harassment in all public places. There's a transport summit in November that has the opportunity and will consider the safety of women and girls on public transport. It's good to have that question today to show the importance and that we can also address this in terms of the reports of that rising violence against girls and women. What's good is that the work stream has established relationships with Transport for Wales to identify new opportunities to co-ordinate and develop actions across Wales.

You also raised the important issue of street safety. Street safety is really important, and, of course, that's local authority, local government responsibility, but local government is fully involved in our work streams and, indeed, often, it is the cabinet members across Wales, who I meet through the Welsh Local Government Association, who are responsible for equality and tackling violence against women and girls, who also raise these issues and who are also taking the lead. But I'm keen to also report that we're a key partner, as Welsh Government, in the safer streets policy delivery and local policing priorities, and that does include tackling violence against women and girls, knife crime and anti-social behaviour. That mission engages closely with our policing colleagues to ensure that we do meet the needs of Welsh communities. It is about the young futures prevention partnership, young futures hubs and how they will work. And the safer streets mission is also providing funding so that we can look at this from the perspective of the commitment made by the UK Government to halve violence against women and girls in their forthcoming violence against women and girls strategy.

You also raised the ongoing and growing issue of online harm and abuse, the tech-related online harm and abuse. And we discussed this—I'm sure there'll be more observations and questions today about it—it was very much a feature of the event last Monday, which was chaired by the National Federation of Women's Institutes in partnership with and support from Joyce Watson. And also we discussed it today in Llandaff cathedral at our event. Also, it's important that we recognise that many online harms never get reported to the police, to employers, to schools and to parents, and we've heard, of course, what the impact this can have on our children and young people. It can really cause significant harm to victims, both immediate and long term. So, I think the point I would want to make on this issue is that I have been raising this with Ofcom, the regulator, in terms of the new online Bill, and it is important that we ensure that they are monitoring that. And today Ofcom has produced guidance for tech providers on tackling harmful content and activity that disproportionately affects women and girls. We did contribute to the draft and I'll review this guidance in detail. It's right that technology firms must step up their efforts to tackle trolling and the toxic online abuse of women. This is everyone's responsibility.

As for your final question, we await, of course, the UK Government's consideration of the code of practice that was consulted upon, which was presented by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and it is now with the UK Government to consider.

Today, on International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, we all need to reflect on the terrible impact of violence against women, on everyone that it touches, survivors, children, family members and friends, and especially to remember those who have lost their lives. It was a privilege to attend the vigil on the Senedd steps last week, which was organised by Jpyce Watson and the Women's Institute, and to hear those powerful stories from survivors and to hear about what they felt needed to change. 

As Plaid Cymru's spokesperson on social justice, and also as chair of the cross-party group on violence against women and children, I would like to take the opportunity to give thanks for the tireless work of the specialist services, the front-line support workers and the volunteers across our communities who provide support and hope and a future for those who have been abused. I’m privileged to hear about their work and the challenges that they face in the cross-party group, and their dedication and perseverance in the face of those challenges saves lives, literally.

Today is also about recognising the level of violence in our society, and you've referred to that. Too many women still live in Wales without the basic right to be safe and to live without fear. The data show that violence against women is a damaging and ongoing social problem, and its roots lie deep in inequality and misogyny.

We also need to look at the sustainable funding that is vital for specialist services so that organisations can plan long term and can retain their experienced and dedicated staff. Funding must reflect the true cost of providing services and must recognise the additional needs of marginalised women, including disabled women, migrant women, older women and members of the LGBTQ+ community. So, how is the Government ensuring that, especially when the Westminster Labour Government is raising national insurance contributions on commissioned service providers and third sector support services? This has created major challenges for them, so how is this work reflected in the funding that is allocated by the Government?

Survivors have also talked about how navigating the justice system can be traumatic for them. Many see their cases being dropped or taking many years. If we want Wales to respond to its experiences, and provide a response that is rooted in an awareness of trauma and fairness and dignity, then the devolution of justice must be a priority, because without the approaches needed to reform the system, we risk neglecting the needs of survivors and intensifying their trauma.

According to the Ministry of Justice, more than half of the women in prison state that they have experienced domestic abuse. Those who are Welsh, of course, are forced to spend their terms in prison in England, with all of the implications of that for them and their children, and we heard, didn't we, this month from Dr Rob Jones from Cardiff University that the number of Welsh women in those prisons has increased for the fourth consecutive year. So, Cabinet Secretary, if we're serious about supporting women who have experienced domestic violence, do you agree that we must devolve justice fully? What is the reason given to you by the Westminster Government for not doing so?

I felt like shouting in frustration when I heard the Westminster prisons Minister, Lord Timpson, say today that he had met far too many women in prison who are victims of domestic abuse, saying that he does not believe that prison is the right place for them. Well, yes, and how long has Wales been waiting for the women's residential centre to open? Do you have an update on that? How long will we be prepared to accept this situation, namely that decisions and budgets in Westminster are undermining efforts to provide support, and are having a direct detrimental impact on so many women in Wales who have experienced domestic violence?

Finally, Welsh Women's Aid has long called for an exception for refuges under the Renting Homes (Wales) Act 2016, as the provisions of the Act that provide more rights to renters after six months have had an adverse impact on refuge provision, as service providers face additional legal costs and administrative burdens in terms of moving survivors on. This has made it more difficult to manage the safety of survivors within a refuge.

I understand that the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government has commissioned independent research into refuge provision, so, Cabinet Secretary, what discussions have you had with her, and when can we expect an update and some action on this? Thank you.

Diolch yn fawr, Sioned Williams, and thank you for your support to this statement, but also, again, starting off by saying that we remember. We remember those women who have lost their lives. I gave those horrific statistics today, and I know we will hear more from that. Thank you for your strong words of support for the specialist services. The specialist services, I think they were probably all there at Llandaff cathedral, but many were there also at the vigil that we held, which you attended, and, of course, many across this Chamber.

I just want to start by responding to your question about funding and the budget in terms of specialist services, because, as I said in my statement, I've announced an additional £2.4 million in specialist therapeutic services particularly for those affected by sexual violence and abuse across Wales. It will be a boost that will significantly help waiting lists, as I said. The additional funding is divided between four organisations—New Pathways, Rape and Sexual Abuse Support Centre North Wales, Cyfannol Women’s Aid and Stepping Stones. So, that's across Wales. And in our budget review for this year, we actually succeeded in increasing the revenue budget to £9.586 million and capital £3.1 million. That was a substantial increase to the overall VAWDASV budget. And also we've secured an additional £3.1 million in revenue funding, which includes this £2.4 million for specialist therapeutic services.

I've mentioned today, of course, already in my statement, the funding that's come through from the Cabinet Secretary for Education's Stori Wales to help build the strength, resource and backing for our new statutory mandatory relationships and sexuality education, because we need to start with our children. And this is cross-Government, so an additional £137,000 to support the Safer Wales youth service. That's been supporting children and young people, particularly girls and women who experience or are at risk of child sexual exploitation. And, of course, yesterday, we were able to look at the draft budget for next year. I think it's important in terms of an additional £0.7 million revenue to the violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence budget for next year. It takes the budget up to £10 million, and, of course, a capital budget of £3.1 million. But I think it's also important to say that we're doing a mapping exercise to identify children's needs—national, regional and local children's needs. This is something to look at existing services, also understand the changing needs of children, and identify gaps in existing provision.

You do talk very powerfully about how women and survivors have to navigate the justice system. That's something where I think the work that we've done in our women's justice blueprint has been very important, because it actually has supported women. It has actually supported women with diversion schemes across all four police forces in Wales, with integrated services through the One Wales service. We do have an all-Wales women in justice board, and that's crucial to provide support and direction for criminal and social justice partners. I also am sitting on the national women in justice board, because it is important that we then have influence on the UK Government in terms of moving this forward.

I am also very concerned about the delay in progress with the opening of a residential women's centre. It's a key priority for the Welsh Government, as we know it will improve the lives of women in Wales and it will be a real asset for women in Wales. Building and planning permission are confirmed. Again, I raise this regularly with UK Government justice Ministers. Indeed, I'm meeting with Dr Rob Jones shortly to look at the recent and the latest fact file. This is where we continue to make the case for the devolution of justice, because we are responsible for those devolved services, and that, of course, is how we are moving forward in terms of the devolution of youth justice and probation.

Yes, in terms of the provision of rights for renters, this is something where it is important that we await the independent research that's been undertaken, commissioned by the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Housing.

I'm going to first of all thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement, but also draw attention to the fact that words matter. The language that is used, whether it's online, in the street, in general conversation, really matters, and very often does lead to fatal consequences where people, women particularly, are seen as subhuman. So, today we attended the multifaith White Ribbon service at Llandaff cathedral, and it was aimed at bringing communities together, not driving them apart, gaining strength from unity of purpose. I actually organised the first-ever event there 20 years ago in my previous job, and I believe it's the only event of its kind still in Wales, if not the UK.

But I want to focus on the things that have been achieved, and there has been much. There have been many policies, there's been legislation brought forward by the Labour Government, and the White Ribbon campaign has been embedded and taken forward by communities across not only Wales but, through the Women’s Institute’s work, right into England as well.

So, we have to look at what has been achieved. One of the biggest changes in the past two decades we all know has been the space the digital world occupies in people's lives, particularly young lives. It has brought new opportunities, which are welcome, but huge risks, and I see that very often those individuals who are accessing the sources of information are completely unaware of what damage that is doing. They're unaware of the algorithms that drive it and keep repeating the message so that they think it's normal.

Joyce, you need to ask a question now, please.

I realise I'm over time.

Well over.

So, I ask you, Cabinet Secretary, if you'll engage with NSPCC Cymru and Barnardo's and Welsh Women's Aid, and team up to highlight the threats and gaps in provision relating to gender-based violence affecting children and young people.

Diolch yn fawr, Joyce Watson, and thank you for reporting on that very significant event that we attended together at Llandaff cathedral. In fact, I was able to join the procession that came up from Llamau in Cathedral Road, and it was important to bear witness, to raise awareness, as we walked up Cathedral Road to the cathedral. We got a lot of support from people passing by, and then powerful speeches in the cathedral. Thank you again, Joyce Watson, because Joyce actually started this 20 years ago, the first-ever coming together of that interfaith service. It is now led by Bawso, and it was very powerful that Bawso, which is now 30 years in existence, was leading the service today.

You're quite right, we were focusing on the violence against women and girls that now is related to online harm. I've already responded to the point about how it is important that Ofcom makes a difference, and I'm going to be working with Ofcom and meeting them shortly to understand how they're going to use their new powers to keep Welsh residents safe. I'm also meeting shortly with Minister Jess Phillips, the Minister for safeguarding, and Minister Narayan, Minister for online safety, to discuss online safety for women and girls in Wales. We must have a united front on this critical issue. I have also mentioned all the support that we're giving to specialist services, but I think it is important that you also mentioned NSPCC and Barnardo's, as well as those that we're funding, and that we are looking particularly—. I was able to respond to Sioned Williams about ways in which we can look at funding for children and young people. We have a children and young people work stream in our strategic partnership board, and children and young people are also showing their lived experience of domestic abuse and sexual violence. They have an important lived experience impact on our policy making.

As we mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, it's deeply concerning that Wales continues to face some of the highest levels of domestic abuse and sexual violence in the UK. I thank the Cabinet Secretary for the statement and for the opportunity to contribute to the discussion today, and it would be good to see more men participating in the discussion.

We have vast regional inequalities, especially in north Wales, where entire areas have only a single overstretched sexual assault referral centre for an enormous rural population. I welcome the extra funding announced for the rape and sexual abuse support centre today, and can the Cabinet Secretary confirm if there are any plans to enhance access to SARCs in rural Wales?

We mustn't also forget the children who live in households with sexual and domestic violence, themselves victims too. The current restrictive child and adolescent mental health services threshold is too restrictive. It refuses referral because the children are not self-harming or suicidal, and is therefore a policy that directly blocks access for severe trauma victims. Will the Cabinet Secretary look at this with a view to reviewing it?

Finally, we're seeing an increasing number of children suffering sexual exploitation and abuse. What extra steps is the Cabinet Secretary taking to help survivor children as well? Thank you. 

Diolch yn fawr, Mabon. Thank you for also focusing on the fact that much of the change through these 16 days of activism, and the White Ribbon campaign for the elimination of violence against women and girls, rests with men taking the lead. I'm very proud of our Sound campaign, which is very much led by men and young men, and the really important work being done about positive masculinity by organisations that we support and fund. Can I just say it was really good that there were men from every political party in this Chamber at the vigil, speaking very powerfully? You do need to be in the front line in terms of tackling violence against women and girls, so I'm grateful that you've made that point.

We are making progress in terms of those sexual assault services. I think the £2.4 million that I announced today has been widely welcomed, and we need to look at the rural needs. Recently, of course, the opening of the Aberystwyth centre, which I'm sure you will be aware of, was a great step forward. This is where we have to see that this is an issue for every part of Wales. That's why our regional partnerships and local strategies, which I'm now issuing that guidance for to develop their strategies, will be key.

I have mentioned quite a few ways in which we're addressing and working with children and young people about their needs and experiences, but I did want to welcome the publication of the Government's review into the presumption of parental involvement, and the announcement that the presumption will be repealed from the Children Act 1989. This is an important development in terms of the repeal of parental involvement, which is a Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service issue. I know it's something you've raised with me. The voices of children have too often been silenced or marginalised due to pro-contact culture. So, thank you for giving me the opportunity to say this today. I am aware CAFCASS Cymru has published domestic abuse practice guidance for their practitioners, and they are embedding a more trauma-informed approach to their work through the practice framework.

Thank you very much for the statement today. I welcome the statement and the funding announcements that you've made, and I also thank the Government for the emphasis that it has put on this very important area of work, and to the Cabinet Secretary in particular. I'd also like to thank Joyce Watson, whose commitment to ending violence against women has been outstanding in this Senedd.

Last night, I had my annual candlelit vigil on Whitchurch high street to mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and I was very pleased that quite a number of men came. Some of the points that were made, the men in particular were concerned about boys' education, and the work that should be done with boys, in order to help them understand appropriate behaviour, understand about misogyny, and I know that the Cabinet Secretary has already said quite a bit about the work with children that is being done and is planned to be done.

But then the other point that came out very strongly was the issue of older people suffering abuse. One person in particular said how difficult it is to explain to people that you might seek help from, that, as an older person, you are being abused—

You need to ask your question, please, Julie.

—and it sounded very difficult. So, could the Cabinet Secretary tell us what work the Government is doing in that area?

Thank you very much, Julie Morgan, and thank you again for organising that vigil in Whitchurch last night, and enabling that event to provoke discussion, particularly amongst men who were joining us.

I mentioned the Sound campaign, which is part of our strategy. We're in the third phase now. It really focuses on public sexual harassment, including behaviours like catcalling, physical intimidation, inappropriate touching. What's good about that campaign is that 97 per cent of men and boys in the target age range across Wales have seen the Sound campaign and are engaging. I also draw attention to the funding that's been given by the Cabinet Secretary for Education to drive forward the developments in terms of our relationships and sexuality education story in Wales. That will be very much looking at issues such as misogyny and online safety, and it's clear that we need to embed this in our education. Our children and young people have got the opportunity to grow up respecting each other with healthy relationships. That's such an important feature of our pioneering curriculum.

Finally, yes, we have an older people's work stream in the strategy. We have very strong engagement with the Older People's Commissioner for Wales, and the former commissioner, of course, did work and research on this as well. So, older people, it is an intergenerational societal challenge that we have. I again thank Members for joining today to debate this really important statement.

And finally, Jenny Rathbone.

Thank you. Well, I too had my shouting-at-the-radio moment this morning, hearing Lord Timpson say it's taken him 16 months to realise that most women in prison are suffering from domestic violence. But more positively, I was pleased to hear Dame Melanie Dawes, the chief executive of Ofcom, acquiring some teeth for her role by demanding that the online companies clean up their act, in terms of both ensuring that people can easily access the privacy buttons, otherwise they can be traced by people who mean them harm. I'm sure we all welcome further moves in this regard. They are publishers and they should be held to account for what they put online.

I just want to ask you a further question about the services available for children, because it was the single biggest issue that was raised in our inquiry into VAWDASV a couple of years ago. Is this something that we can ensure that children can get in school—obviously, the school would have to make appointments, et cetera—or is it only going to be provided elsewhere in specialist bodies? Because many children will not tell the adult in their lives how badly they're feeling about what they've witnessed.

Thank you for that, Jenny. I remember, when I went to HMP Eastwood Park, the governor said that the majority of women in that prison were victims either of domestic violence or poverty, and they shouldn't be in prison. That's why Jean Corston said that we should have residential women's centres, and that's why we have one here, and it should open. Can we all across the Chamber call for that from the UK Government? We want our residential women's centre open. That is our call. I'm sure Lord Timpson will hear that.

But you make important points about our children and young people. Yes, it has to be in schools. I've talked about the Cwtch education project. We have to ensure that children and young people also are safeguarded in terms of their circumstances. This is something where we also look at the specialist services: NSPCC has already been mentioned; Barnardo's, and the work that they're doing. So, again, Deputy Llywydd, we're undertaking this mapping exercise. We're looking at local, regional and national needs, and we're also looking at all the funding streams, but it has to be mainstreamed into education and into the delivery of our public services, particularly relating to children and young people.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary.

Item 8 is next: a motion to vary the order of consideration of Stage 3 amendments to the Bus Services (Wales) Bill. I call on the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales to move the motion. Ken Skates.

Diolch. I move the motion.

There are no other speakers, Cabinet Secretary. Do you wish to add anything?

No, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm content.

The proposal is to agree the motion. Does any Member object? No. The motion is therefore agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

That brings today's proceedings to a close. Thank you.