Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru

Galw’r Cynulliad Cenedlaethol i drefn.

Yr eitem gyntaf ar ein hagenda ni’r prynhawn yma yw cwestiynau i Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Addysg, a’r cwestiwn cyntaf, Angela Burns.

Good afternoon.

Good afternoon, Angela. The ‘All Wales Attendance Framework’ provides standards and guidance for practitioners in improving school attendance across Wales.

I know, Cabinet Secretary, that you and I both share the same view and priority to get as many children into school, as often as possible. But there is one small area that does concern me, and that’s the area of children who are persistently sick. I have had a number of constituents come to me, where their children have either had the bad luck to have a series of tonsillitis bouts, where they’ve been off for one or two weeks at a time, or have some kind of condition, such as irritable bowel syndrome. And, because those children’s attendance records are therefore plummeting—these are parents who are involved in their children’s care, involved in their education—they’ve been receiving letters threatening them, telling them that they will need to have strong words with their children and, basically, implying that they are bad parents, and their children are not pulling their weight. Could you please just clarify the guidance that goes out to schools, so that we target those who don’t go to school because they don’t want to go to school, as opposed to those who would like to go to school but can’t go to school, so that these children do not feel under even more pressure? The attendance book has a smiley face on it, and when that smiley face no longer smiles, those children do feel very, very hard pressed.

Thank you, Angela, for raising that point. As you said, both of us would agree that the best thing that we can do for our children’s education is ensure that they attend school on a regular basis. And there’s a direct correlation between regular attendance at schools and outcomes, although, sometimes, it is absolutely necessary for a child to stay at home if they are unwell. And we would not expect those children, or the parents of those children, to be treated in a way that made them feel alienated from school. This is an area that has not been raised with me previously, so I will commit to you this afternoon to have a look at that guidance, and to ask officials whether there is anything more that we can do to supply advice to schools about how they manage the absence of children who are genuinely unwell.

Last year, the Welsh Government published data that showed persistent school absence at its best-ever recorded level, and it’s well known the correlation between attendance and attainment, on many levels. The Cabinet Secretary’s predecessor reported that the Welsh Labour Government had introduced a series of measures in recent years to address school attendance, including for those pupils eligible for free school meals, including the increased pupil deprivation grant, and the Welsh Government’s attendance grant, which supported education consortia in their work within the authorities and in the schools to develop and embed the effective practices to secure longer term improvements in school attendance. Can the Cabinet Secretary outline how the Welsh Government intends to build on this good progress and ensure that no child is left behind because of lack of attendance at school for genuine reasons?

Thank you, Rhianon. As you say, I’m very pleased to acknowledge that the latest data shows that absenteeism from our primary schools remains at the lowest level since the Welsh Government started to collect these figures, and attendance at secondary school continues to improve all the time. And the biggest improvements have, indeed, been for those children who are on free school meals. Their rate of attendance is improving faster than that of the general population. And a lot of that is down to the very hard work of individual schools and the innovative ways in which they work with families to address issues of school attendance. I have asked my officials to work with key stakeholders to identify what more support and what additional guidance we can give to schools, local education authorities, and consortia so we do not lose momentum on this very important aspect of education policy.

An accessible and inclusive physical learning environment is vital for all learners, including those with autism. Through the twenty-first century schools and education programme, we are investing £1.4 billion over the five-year period ending in 2019 in schools and colleges across Wales. These will include specialist facilities for children with autism.

I thank the Minister for that question and commend him on his work on the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill, which I know we all hope will lead to improved outcomes and experiences for children with autism on the school journey. I know he shares my sense of priority about making sure that the physical environment in schools is also appropriate for children with autism. The Welsh Local Government Association developed a programme, Learning with Autism, which stipulates some criteria for the school estate to make it more accessible for children with autism. To what extent is that guidance being followed by schools generally and, to the extent that it’s not, is there anything that the Welsh Government can do to mandate that?

Thank you very much. I know that the Member takes a very close interest in these issues and has done a considerable amount of work in the area. I think all of us are aware of the Member’s commitment to this agenda. Can I say, in terms of the twenty-first century schools programme, this is a programme that is delivered in partnership with local authorities and the technical guidance does exist with local authorities to ensure that there’s an appropriate learning environment for all schools? This takes consideration of learners and pupils and all their needs, including those with an autistic spectrum disorder.

In addition to this, Estyn will consider the school environment and whether the school is physically able to meet pupils’ needs and whether specialist resources are used well to meet pupils’ needs as well. So, I hope that, through the construction, design and building of a new estate, the technical guidelines deliver the sort of ambition that you’ve described. Then, within the school environment, whenever there is an inspection with Estyn, that school environment will be a part of that inspection and, clearly, if there are areas that need improving, this Government will take action to ensure that it is improved alongside local authorities. But I know that Members across the whole Chamber have raised concerns about these matters, and if there are particular areas of concern in particular schools, I’d be grateful for any Member to write to me and I will certainly take this forward.

I’ve just hotfooted it over with some of your colleagues from the cross-party autism group meeting in the Pierhead. At our previous meeting, we took a presentation from the Autistic Women’s Empowerment Project, discussing the different presentations of autism in women and girls and suggesting that the ratio—the accepted ratio of five boys to one girl—should actually be a lot closer. We were told that many females are left undiagnosed, misdiagnosed or without support, and while autistic girls face many of the same challenges as autistic boys, boys explode and girls implode. How, therefore, will you and your colleagues address the very real problem, evidenced by a large body of casework that I have, of girls being denied diagnosis because of schools reporting that they cope so well in school, despite the fact that they’re then going home, melting down and, in many cases, self-harming and, in one of my own cases, even attempting suicide?

I fully appreciate, understand and accept the point made by the Member. I think many of us are aware that diagnosing girls with autism, particularly younger girls, is far more difficult than that with boys. The Member will be aware that the autism action plan—the refresh of that—which was published by my colleague Minister at the end of last year, does include a timetable for diagnosis and does include demands on the health service to ensure that diagnosis is pursued with an urgency, which, I agree, has sometimes been lacking. But, I will say that, in terms of education, we do also have the Learning with Autism programme, which is directly funded by the Welsh Government, which is part of our autistic spectrum disorder strategic action plan, and that is a comprehensive package of resources for mainly primary schools, which takes a whole-school awareness approach. I would hope that delivering that whole-school approach will ensure that children with autism have the education they need, but that that is contextualised within an environment that is supportive as well.

Cwestiynau nawr gan lefarwyr y pleidiau. Llefarydd Plaid Cymru, Llyr Gruffydd.

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Mi gyhoeddodd y tasglu gweinidogol ar gyfer modelau cyflenwi adroddiad yr wythnos diwethaf ar yr opsiynau posib ar gyfer darpariaeth athrawon cyflenwi yn y dyfodol. Wrth gwrs, dyma’r ail adroddiad i ymddangos ar y pwnc yma mewn rhyw flwyddyn a hanner. A gaf fi ofyn faint o gynnydd y mae’r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet yn ystyried sydd wedi bod i fynd i’r afael â’r problemau ynghylch darpariaeth athrawon cyflenwi ers adroddiad gwreiddiol Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg y Cynulliad yma yn ôl yn 2015? A ydym ni’n unrhyw agosach at y lan, neu, fel y mae rhai o’r undebau ac eraill yn ei awgrymu, a ydy’r blynyddoedd diwethaf wedi cael eu gwastraffu i bob pwrpas a bod yr adroddiad yma yn enghraifft arall o fethu cyfle?

Thank you for that, Llyr. As you’ll be aware, this report has been done by people independent of Government but was commissioned by Government. If interested parties had been hoping that the task and finish group would produce a definitive answer to the issue of a single supply model, then I accept that the report does not do that. In meeting with the chair of that group, they have said that they felt it was impossible to, at this stage, be able to recommend a single model going forward. I accept that some people will be disappointed. This is an important area of education policy. We need to ensure that those who are providing supply teaching have the qualifications, the support, the continuous professional development and the terms and conditions that they deserve, and I will be looking again at how we can make progress in this area.

Wel, rwy’n falch eich bod chi’n cydnabod, efallai, nad oedd yr adroddiad yn cyrraedd rhai o’r disgwyliadau oedd mas yna. Yn sicr, mae yna deimlad o rwystredigaeth fod yna 18 mis arall, o bosib, o waith yn mynd i ddigwydd cyn ein bod ni’n cyrraedd rhyw bwynt lle, efallai, y byddwn ni’n gweld gwahaniaeth gwirioneddol. Ac, wrth gwrs, rydych chi’n iawn hefyd i gydnabod bod yna bwysau cynyddol o safbwynt y ddarpariaeth, oherwydd rŷm ni’n ymwybodol, o gyfrifiad mwyaf diweddar y gweithlu addysg y llynedd, fod niferoedd yr athrawon yng Nghymru wedi disgyn yn flynyddol ers rhyw chwe mlynedd. Rŷm ni hefyd yn gwybod, dros y misoedd a’r blynyddoedd nesaf, fod yna gyfnod o gryn newid yn mynd i fod o fewn y gyfundrefn addysg yng Nghymru, gyda nifer o ddiwygiadau ar y gweill, o’r cwricwlwm, fel roeddech chi’n sôn, i ddatblygu proffesiynol ac yn y blaen. Felly, mi fydd y galwadau ar ein hathrawon ni a’r angen efallai i’w tynnu nhw mas o’r dosbarth yn cynyddu ar yr union amser pan fydd niferoedd athrawon yn lleihau. Ac yn y fath sefyllfa, mae’n anochel y bydd rhan gynyddol bwysig i athrawon cyflenwi i’w chwarae wrth gefnogi ysgolion. A gaf i ofyn, felly, sut ydych chi’n bwriadu sicrhau cyflenwad digonol o athrawon cyflenwi, nid mewn dwy flynedd neu mewn tair blynedd, ond yn y cyfnod tyngedfennol nesaf yma sydd i ddod?

Thank you, Llyr. What the report does not show is that we have a difficulty in providing supply teachers. Interestingly, the report shows us a picture of supply teaching that perhaps some people would find unusual, where a great number of teachers that are employed on a supply basis are not for one, two or three days to cover absence or to cover the continuous professional development of a professional colleague, but are actually people providing supply on a termly basis, for an entire term or more than two terms. So, this is new data that we have got, which demonstrates to us how complex the supply teaching model is, and we will need to come up with a model that does have the flexibility to allow for those one, two days to cover sickness, or to the longer term.

Can I just say that teacher-pupil ratios have moved very slightly in the years between 2010 and now, from 18 to 18.5? So, there isn’t a crisis, but we do know that there are some specific areas where we find it difficult to recruit and retain teachers, particularly in some science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects, and particularly in some Welsh-medium provision. Those particular pressure points will have to be factored into a solution for supply teaching.

Nid wyf yn meddwl fy mod i wedi defnyddio’r gair ‘creisis’, ond, yn sicr, rŷm ni’n gwybod mai rhyw 68 y cant, rwy’n meddwl, o’r targed recriwtio ysgolion cynradd sydd wedi digwydd—na, 90 y cant mewn ysgolion cynradd, 68 y cant mewn ysgolion uwchradd. Felly mae yn broblem ac mae yn storio problemau i fyny ar gyfer y blynyddoedd nesaf, ac rwy’n deall eich bod chi yn cydnabod y perig yna, wrth gwrs. Mae tua 5,000 o athrawon wedi’u rhestru fel athrawon cyflenwi gyda Chyngor y Gweithlu Addysg, ond, yn ddiddorol iawn, mae hefyd 5,000 o weithwyr cefnogi dysgu—‘learning support workers’—hefyd wedi’u rhestru fel staff cyflenwi gyda nhw, ac mae’n ymddangos i mi nad oes unrhyw ystyriaeth o’r grŵp yma wedi bod wrth edrych ar ddyfodol staff cyflenwi yng Nghymru—rhywbeth yn sicr wnaeth y tasglu, hyd y gwelaf i, ddim edrych arno fe. A oes yna berig felly fod y grŵp pwysig yma’n cael ei dan-werthfawrogi, ac a allwch chi ddweud wrthym ni sut a ble mae’r Llywodraeth yn ystyried sefyllfa gweithwyr cefnogi dysgu wrth ystyried dyfodol gwasanaethau cyflenwi?

Well, I certainly don’t undervalue the contribution that learning support workers bring to the Welsh education system. Many classroom teachers and headteachers tell me that their schools would not function as well as they do without the ability of those individuals in their schools to help, especially in the foundation phase. This Government is committed to expanding the number of higher level qualified learning support assistants because we value them. Only last week, we passed the regulations with regard to their registration with the Education Workforce Council. We regard them as important, that’s why we want them to be a registered profession, that’s why we are supporting them by lowering their fees for registration, and they will be an important part of how we plan the workforce for our schools and colleges going forward.

Llefarydd y Ceidwadwyr Cymreig, Darren Millar.

Diolch, Lywydd. Cabinet Secretary, Estyn’s annual report, which was published recently, identified the quality and variability of the quality of teaching as being a major issue here in Wales. In fact, the chief inspector said:

‘The most important factor in how well learners develop and learn is the quality of teaching. However, teaching is one of the weakest aspects of the provision in most sectors.’

Can you tell us what you’re doing to address this particular problem, and when we can expect to see change?

Thank you, Darren. It is concerning to read the chief inspector’s comments regarding the consistency of excellent teaching across Wales. There are some excellent practitioners, but too often there is a level of variability that I do not think is acceptable. I want every child in Wales, regardless of where they are studying, regardless of which school they attend, regardless of which class they are in within a school, to have access to first-quality teaching.

What are we doing? You are aware that we are radically reforming our initial teacher training programmes, so that the teachers coming out of our universities are the very best that they can be. Later on this spring, I will be publishing new teaching standards, new professional standards, by which we would expect teachers and their managers—headteachers—to manage their staff by. We continue to work with our schools and our partners to improve the continuing professional development opportunities for teachers who are already in the workforce.

Thank you for that answer, Cabinet Secretary. I’m pleased with some of those developments, but, of course, it’s not just the quality of teaching and the variability of it that the chief inspector found problems with. He also found problems in our pupil referral units. He said that the provision in pupil referral units remains particularly poor, and, of course, you and I both know that many of those individuals in pupil referral units are vulnerable learners. What specific action are you taking to raise those standards in pupil referral units?

Thank you, Darren. It’s not just pupils who attend pupil referral units we have to be concerned about, it’s all children who receive their education other than at school. You will know that Ann Keane is chairing a group that is looking at EOTAS provision to ensure that we will see the improvements that we need in EOTAS, whether that’s in a PRU or in another particular setting, and we are working very closely with Ann to implement changes that she feels are necessary.

I am currently considering looking at the use of pupil deprivation grants with regard to pupils in PRU or EOTAS, looking at options, whether we can target additional resources to the education of those children, as well as ensuring that there is quality provision and outcome and that children do not have their life chances and their educational chances narrowed by being outside of mainstream school, because there is evidence to suggest that pupils who could go on to achieve a wide range of qualifications are not having that opportunity because the curriculum is narrowed so much for them if they find themselves outside the mainstream classroom.

It’s not just those in pupil referral units outside mainstream schools; we’ve got problems in our mainstream schools as well. Again, the chief inspector’s findings correlated very well with the Programme for International Student Assessment findings, which demonstrated that those children who are more able and talented—those high-flying kids—are not achieving their potential in our mainstream schools, and are probably not getting sufficient access to the support that they need to develop that potential. What action are you taking to support those pupils who are not receiving the attention that they deserve at the moment, in particular those high-flying kids?

Thank you, Darren. You’re quite right; PISA and Estyn raised concerns about what we’re doing for our more able and talented children. We need to ensure that our teachers are equipped with the ability to differentiate within the classroom so that they are able to provide lessons in a way that stretches our more able and talented.

Working closely with my colleague, the Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language, we are supporting the Seren network. Only this morning, on a visit to Merthyr College, I met a number of young people from Merthyr who were studying A-levels at the college who were part of that Seren programme, who have ambitions to go and study veterinary science and medicine later on in life and are receiving the additional support that they need to make those things happen for them.

We have also refined our accountability and our performance measures for schools. One of the unintended consequences of a heavy focus on level 2+ inclusive has been to concentrate on those pupils and, quite rightly, to move them from a D to a C grade, but that has had consequences for our A* and our A and our B performance. We have changed that. We now use capped point scores as well as level 2+, so that schools have to concentrate on ensuring that each individual pupil reaches their full potential.

Llefarydd UKIP, Michelle Brown.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. Cabinet Secretary, you recently published the categorisation of schools in Wales. Classification of the schools will only be of use if that information is used promptly and effectively to help schools improve; otherwise, children will continue to languish in schools that are not performing to standard. Are you prepared to give a personal assurance to the Assembly and to parents of children in schools that are in need of support, in particular those in the red category, that you will take personal responsibility for supporting and assisting those schools to green status?

Thank you for that question. The good news from the publication of the schools categorisation data last week shows that the number of schools moving out of red categorisation is improving. We have fewer schools in a red categorisation than we have ever had, and that is down to the hard work and commitment of headteachers, individual classroom teachers, and governing bodies who support those schools, as well as our regional improvement services. For each school that has had a red categorisation, I have asked the regional consortia to provide me with a written plan as to what they will do to support that school. The primary purpose of our schools categorisation process is to identify schools that need the most support, and I will be personally receiving a plan for each school that has a red categorisation.

Thank you for that. As far as the red, amber, and green classifications are concerned, can the Cabinet Secretary tell us how many children live in catchment areas where both primary and secondary schools are deemed as either amber or red? I’m sure the Cabinet Secretary agrees with me that subjecting a child to a school that requires improvement is unacceptable and it would be a national disgrace if we were to sentence a child to failing schools throughout their educational life, so it’s vital we know the scale of any situation where both levels of schools need improvement.

I do not have the data to hand, but I'm happy to supply those data to the Member. As I have said in answer to a question to Darren Millar, I expect all our schools, wherever a child happens to be, to be excellent schools. The data from the schools categorisation process show that the number of schools entering into a yellow or green category is improving. There are more Welsh children going to more green schools than there have been since this system started, and I will not rest until we see progress in all of our schools. This system allows all schools to be green, should their performance be of that standard, and I’m sure that the headteachers in all of our schools would want to aspire to that for their children.

Okay. Thank you. Having asked about the scale of the problem, it’s, of course, wrong to treat anyone, especially children, as statistics. So, I’d like to hear some reassurance from the Cabinet Secretary that any school requiring help will be treated equally compared with other schools needing help, regardless of the size of the school.

The categorisation is an indication of how much level of support a school can expect to receive, and that will be regardless of the size of the school. My expectation is that the regional consortia, our school improvement service, work closely with the headteacher and the governing body of said school to ensure that there’s a package of support that is relevant. But the size of the school will be immaterial to the level of support that that school will get.

Thank you, Mike. Band A of the twenty-first century schools and education programme will see an investment of over £51 million in schools in Swansea over the five-year period ending 2019. Of this, over £34 million will have been spent in the Swansea East constituency.

Firstly, can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for both her answer and visiting the newly built Burlais school, especially as Burlais school replaced two schools that needed replacing, with very serious problems with their buildings—they had internal running water every time it rained. I’ve also invited the Cabinet Secretary to visit Blaenymaes school, which is on the council’s rebuilding programme. Can the Cabinet Secretary confirm that the twenty-first century schools programme will continue?

Well, Mike, I was very pleased to see the new Burlais school and the difference that that building is making to the education of children in the area. I am also very pleased to receive an invitation to visit Blaenymaes school. My late grandma, Mary Hall, was the senior cook at Blaenymaes school for very many years. She peeled a lot of spuds for those kids in her time. So, the opportunity to visit Blaenymaes is one I very much welcome indeed. I’m also pleased to confirm that work is currently being undertaken to develop band B of the twenty-first century schools and education programme, and the next wave of this investment is scheduled to begin in 2019 and run over the five-year period until 2024.

You mentioned the forward look plan there, but, according to officials, Swansea council’s admittedly rather controversial local development plan is likely to be delayed now, and part of the twenty-first century schools programme aims to address the issue of capacity, of course, in schools that are both overcrowded and those that have surplus places. If the local development plan is delayed, what impact do you think this might have on the planning for those school locations and capacities in Swansea? It’s a local authority, who, to me, seems still to be trying to get its head around Welsh language medium provision, let alone anything else, and that’s despite being able to use the LDP as an opportunity for promoting Welsh-medium education as well as a threat. Thank you.

Well, it’s disappointing that the local development plan will be delayed, because one of the core principles of the twenty-first century schools programme is to ensure that we have the right number of school places in the right place. Often, the proposals to develop a particular conurbation or town or village are instrumental in the process of approving a twenty-first century school’s grant, which might have capacity bigger than is currently needed, because we know that housing is to come on stream. My officials will continue to work very closely with Swansea council to ensure that delays in their planning department will not affect our ability to do what I want to do and, I’m sure, what the Member wants to do, which is see continued investment in the Swansea schools.

Following on the same theme, really, what discussions have you specifically had with the City and County of Swansea to try and ensure that the current education planning requirements are not unreasonably delayed or vague as a result of these delays in the local development plan?

Well, as I’ve said, Dai, officials continue to speak regularly with Swansea city council. We want to ensure that the proposals that are currently in band A of the programme are delivered upon, and we want to ensure best value for the Welsh Government’s money when band B comes into operation. We do this in a partnership approach, so, therefore, we need a clear understanding of the aspiration Swansea council has, and we would not expect any delays, as I said, in the planning department to impact upon our ability to invest in the school capacity that Swansea needs, regardless of whether that capacity is in the Welsh or the English medium.

Cabinet Secretary, the majority of Welsh-medium primary schools in Swansea have pupil-to-teacher ratios greater than 25, and all bar one are in the yellow and amber support categories. This, coupled with recent news highlighting the difficulty in recruiting Welsh-medium teachers, and news about the severe delays in rolling out the curriculum, is a concern. Cabinet Secretary, what will you be doing to reassure parents within my region about the future of their children’s education in Welsh-medium primary schools? Thank you.

The Member will be aware that the planning of Welsh-medium provision falls to my colleague, the Minister with responsibility for the language, who is currently considering how best we can ensure that the Welsh in education plans that have come forward are adequate and are ambitious. We understand that if we’re to meet the Welsh Government’s target of an additional 1 million Welsh-speakers then education has a crucial role to play in that. I know, from my own family’s experience, where the language was lost in my generation and the generation of my husband, that the ability to attend a Welsh-medium primary school has brought the language back to my family, and I am incredibly proud to see children whose parents are English being able to speak to their parents in English and speak to their ‘mam-gu’s and their ‘tad-cu’s in Welsh in the same conversation. That’s why we are absolutely committed to ensure that local authorities are as ambitious as we are for Welsh-medium education in Wales.

Thank you, Hefin. I expect teachers to exercise their professional judgement in ensuring planning, preparation and assessment time is used effectively to support their teaching. Arrangements should be designed to allow teachers to use their judgement based on their needs and the needs of the school and their learners.

It’s good to hear that the Cabinet Secretary supports that flexibility. At the Children, Young People and Education Committee last week, the NUT said that PPA is a big issue in primary schools in particular. It was Neil Foden of NUT Cymru who said that schools were freeing teachers for the required 10 per cent of their teaching time and releasing them from their workloads, which is to be welcomed and a good thing. However, he also said that many schools are achieving this by using staff without qualified teacher status, such as classroom assistants or higher-level teaching assistants. This can mean—and this is what he said—that pupils are not being taught by a qualified teacher for the equivalent of one month in an academic year. We need to find a solution to this if that is the case. So, where there is a need, perhaps, to reduce teaching capacity in some schools, wouldn’t it be more appropriate to use that teaching capacity to cover PPA, perhaps as a floating teacher with responsibility for covering PPA, or find other creative solutions to this particular problem?

Thank you, Hefin. If I can be absolutely clear, because I believe the regulations governing who can teach in Wales are clear: only qualified teachers—those with QTS—can undertake specific work, i.e. teach. That is a very different situation that we have in Wales than you would see across the border, and a differentiation that I am very pleased about. Schools can employ a suitably qualified floating teacher. Like you, I recognise that there are benefits to continuity and quality assurance from having floating teachers who are employed either in a single school or, perhaps, in a cluster of schools to provide cover for absent teachers or to ensure that those teachers have the PPA time that they need. I would see that as good practice. Ultimately, staffing structures, however, are a matter for individual schools, governing bodies and the LEA.

Cabinet Secretary, as the chair of two governing bodies, I often think that teachers have a similar working lifestyle to us. They need to do a lot of preparation. They have to do a lot of work in the evening and in what people refer to constantly as the holidays. But, sometimes, you need to have that protected time—when we are in the office environment but when they are in the school—so that they have access to colleagues and sources of advice, and so that they can plan. It’s really important that there is that 10 per cent or so of time protected for them.

I agree with you absolutely. We have a commitment to allow that time to be made available. Members will be aware that I recently visited Finland, which is a nation that is constantly held up as the bastion of great education. One of the things that they are trying to do in Finland to improve their education is to ensure that there is PPA time in school for their teachers. They recognise that teachers currently don’t have the opportunity to sit down together to discuss individual pupils or to plan and to look to see how they can take their schools forward. So, PPA is an important aspect. We have looked at ways in which we could increase PPA. You would know that an independent report—independent of Government—recently talked about a shortened school week that would then allow a single day for PPA. It was not welcomed with much enthusiasm by members of your own benches, I must say, but we need to look at creative ways to ensure that teachers do indeed have that PPA time.

Thank you, Hefin. I announced my intention last week to consult on setting up a new strategic authority to oversee post-compulsory education and training. This would promote collaboration, remove barriers to progression and create seamless learning pathways across all elements of post-compulsory education and training, including further and higher education.

I welcome that statement and the measures that she has just identified in response to the Hazelkorn review. In her evidence to the Children, Young People and Education Committee on 10 November, she stated that, in the more immediate future—before that further consultation takes place—when she submits her annual remit letter, there'll be an expectation that, of the money that has been going to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, part of that is used to enhance the relationship between FE and HE. She said she’d include that in the remit letter. At the same meeting, the Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language said he doesn’t want to see a boundary between FE and HE. How, specifically, will the Cabinet Secretary ensure, in her next remit letter, which is due very soon, that that’s the case?

Thank you for that. This desire on behalf of Welsh Ministers has already been expressed to HEFCW in an additional remit letter that went out earlier this autumn, and future remit letters would seek to build upon this.

I am struck by how important these opportunities are. Again, this morning, with Dawn Bowden, I was in Merthyr Tydfil college. We met students there this morning who were undertaking the first two years of their course at the campus in Merthyr and who will then go on to study at the University of South Wales to complete their degrees. Many of their students who study A-levels, for instance, then move on to progress to study at a higher level within the same institution, and what’s been crucial for raising aspiration levels in that community, which has had a very difficult time, is that close linkage between the FE college and the HE institution.

I will continue, as we work towards the single tertiary education authority, to express my desire, and how important I believe it is, to HEFCW in my regular meetings with both the chairman and the chief executive, and my officials will be monitoring what evidence there is from HEFCW to see that the spirit of the remit letter has indeed been fulfilled.

Cabinet Secretary, the issue of student tuition fees and funding arrangements for higher education has occupied considerable attention. However, further education occupies an equally if not more important role in terms of providing skills for local economies and their learners, and deserves equal attention. Does the Cabinet Secretary agree that a continued decrease in funding for lower-level skills will place in jeopardy the ability to provide the fundamental learning that supports our communities in Wales?

Thank you for that. I don’t regard any element of the sector to be more important than any other, and I expressed that quite clearly in my statement on Hazelkorn last week. The purpose of the new tertiary education authority will be partly to ensure we can have that parity of esteem between the different forms of study, and the resources that will help drive not just the life chances of the individuals who are studying, but will drive the economy of Wales forward, will be fundamental to their work as they commission programmes of study, work-based learning and skills provision.

According to the latest data for January 2016, there are 8,804 pupils aged 5 attending a Welsh-medium school. This therefore represents a quarter of all pupils aged 5.

Can I thank the Minister for that response? As someone who has been learning Welsh for many years, I know how difficult it is to learn as an adult. The Minister has said there are 8,804 five-year-olds in Welsh-medium schools currently, which equates, assuming a life expectancy of 85 years, to something in the order of 850,000 or so—perhaps slightly under—Welsh speakers in 2097. That is, unless more five-year-olds commence Welsh-medium education over future years. Does the Minister recognise these numbers, and can he indicate how the Government intends to increase these numbers so that by 2097 we reach 1 million?

Presiding Officer, I have learned to my cost never to challenge Mike Hedges on his numbers. I did so once and I’ll never do it again. I recognise both the numbers he quotes and the broader point behind that. Can I say this? I am considering at the moment the Welsh in education strategic plans. We have not received all of them yet from local authorities, and I will make a statement on the way forward when I have received all of those completed plans. However, I will say that I am disappointed by the lack of ambition that has been demonstrated by some to date. The ambition that Mike Hedges clearly describes is one that this Government is absolutely committed to, and that means that, when we do look at our strategic plans for the future of Welsh-medium education, we will do so with a view to achieving the target of 1 million speakers. That does mean a significant increase in the number of pupils attending Welsh-medium education and that means a significant increase in the provision of Welsh-medium education. When I’m in a position to do so, I will make that statement to this Chamber.

Minister, I’ve been pleased with the robust tone that you’ve expressed in respect of the Welsh in education strategic plans, which are being developed by local authorities across Wales. You and I both share the ambition to drive up the number of Welsh speakers here in Wales, but we will never achieve that ambition unless there are sufficient Welsh-speaking teachers in our classrooms. We have a huge problem at the moment, which is beginning to develop, and is going on developing, with a massive reduction in the number of people coming through into the teaching profession who are proficient in the Welsh language and able to teach through the medium of Welsh. What action are you taking, along with the Cabinet Secretary, to entice people into the profession who are going to be able to deliver this magnificent ambition that we all share for Wales?

I think one of the answers of the Cabinet Secretary earlier about the sort of education system she’s looking at developing in Wales will in itself ensure that teachers want to teach in Wales and will find that teaching in Wales is a very attractive career option. We know that about a third of all teachers in Wales do speak Welsh, so there is some headroom at the moment. But I recognise that the more fundamental point you’re making is that we do need more teachers who are able to teach through the medium of Welsh. You will see that some of the funding that we’ve agreed through our budget negotiations will help achieve that in terms of investment in the workforce, but also investment in the workforce for early years as well. The Government’s childcare offer will also contribute to that. But, let me say this: it is important that we look—and the strategic plan that I’ll be publishing later this year for the future of the Welsh language will be a comprehensive plan that will include both the ambitions in terms of the headline numbers, but also a number of different elements that will enable us to achieve that. Workforce planning is a key part of that and a key element of that. And whilst, yes, we will focus in on teachers, we will also be focusing in on teaching support and childcare workers as well.

Support for STEM in schools is a key priority and we are investing in capacity-building for science subjects. Our education reforms will see practitioner-led and evidence-based changes to the STEM curriculum, with networks for excellence to support our teaching workforce going forward.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, for your response. ‘Talented Women for a Successful Wales’ has noted that girls are under-represented in most STEM subjects at A-level, despite performing as well or better at GCSE than their male counterparts, with particular challenges, for example, in physics, where just 20 per cent of A-level students are female. How is the Welsh Government tackling this gender divide? Also, do you think, Cabinet Secretary, that there are any opportunities in the new curriculum for us to try and reverse this trend?

Thank you for that. I’ve been taking a range of positive steps to increase girls’ engagement in the study of STEM subjects, linked to the education actions that were set out in the report that you mentioned, ‘Talented Women for a Successful Wales’. But, to make that difference, I want to see our teaching professionals—they need support to make that happen. That’s why the national networks for excellence in maths and science and technology, which I announced recently, are being tasked to consider the issues of gender equity. So, that is actually a named part of what we expect them to do. Next to parents, our teaching workforce has the greatest influence on young people’s study choices. So, it’s essential that those working in STEM in our schools, from the ages of three—because we have to have great scientific experiences early on in a child’s educational career—to 18 are supported to enhance girls’ experiences and the relevant and inclusive way in which they deliver STEM in schools.

You’re right about physics. There are many girls who study biology, a few fewer then study chemistry and then we have a drop-off in the number of girls who are studying physics, so especially with the grant to physics we are funding the Institute of Physics’s Stimulating Physics Network programme, delivering non-specialist mentoring for physics teachers: an approach which we know there is a proven track record to improve girls’ provision on to A-level study of physics.

Thank you, Jenny. From the outset of the programme the regional consortia and the local authorities have worked closely with their Schools Challenge Cymru schools to encourage and embed appropriate collaboration. My officials will continue to work with the regions to ensure that this good practice is maintained and shared across the entire system.

The very successful London Challenge, which obviously inspired our own Schools Challenge Cymru, lasted for a full eight years. Ours is being wound down after three years. Some of the achievements of Schools Challenge Cymru have been really quite outstanding: in secondary schools, for those who are on free school meals, there has been a 65 per cent increase in maths and Welsh or English attainment to the level required. I know that Professor Ainscow, the champion for Schools Challenge Cymru, has said there have been some staggering results. I wonder whether we are pulling the rug out too soon in terms of not just getting swift but also sustainable improvement. How are we going to sustain this fantastic improvement?

Thank you, Jenny. As you will know, the programme was initially set up as a two-year programme. The programme was extended for a third year. I have made a decision to extend the support for Schools Challenge Cymru schools until the end of this academic year rather than the financial year. We will also have funding in place to address new types of interventions in those schools that have not made progress. Whilst I absolutely acknowledge that many of the schools in the programme have made significant progress, unfortunately there is a minority of schools where the results have not seen that progress and, in some cases, they’ve even slipped further behind. I’m sure you would agree with me we need to refocus our efforts on those particular schools.

With regard to the schools that have made progress, we don’t want them to slip back. That’s why we have tasked the consortia with ensuring that all of those schools have an ongoing programme of support and mentorship agreed with the school improvement service. I was recently with a headteacher, with Alun Davies, in the Blaenau Gwent constituency talking to him about his post-Schools Challenge Cymru plan, which has already been agreed with the Education Achievement Service consortium, of which he is very pleased and very happy with, and I would expect that that example is replicated in all the schools that are affected.

Mae rhai awdurdodau lleol yn dal yn ymgynghori ar eu cynlluniau strategol y Gymraeg mewn addysg. Unwaith rwyf wedi eu derbyn nhw i gyd, byddaf yn gwneud datganiad ar y ffordd ymlaen. Fel rwyf wedi dweud yn barod y prynhawn yma, rydw i yn siomedig gyda diffyg uchelgais rhai ohonyn nhw.

Diolch yn fawr, ac edrychaf ymlaen at weld eich datganiad chi am y cynlluniau hynod siomedig yma. Rydych chi hefyd wedi cyhoeddi’ch awydd i ddiwygio Mesur y Gymraeg (Cymru) 2011 yr wythnos diwethaf a’r bwriad o gyflwyno Papur Gwyn cyn yr haf er mwyn hyrwyddo trafodaeth gyhoeddus ar ddarpariaeth y Bil newydd. Nid oedd yn glir i mi o’r datganiad beth yn union fydd gorchwyl y Bil newydd. Er enghraifft, a fydd y Bil yn cwmpasu addysg Gymraeg a meysydd strategol eraill, neu ai dim ond safonau’r iaith a fydd o dan sylw? Wedyn, beth yn union fydd statws y strategaeth Gymraeg yn ystod yr ymgynghoriad ar y Papur Gwyn? Pryder sydd gen i yw y bydd y broses o ddeddfu, yn hytrach na gweithredu o fewn y gyfundrefn sydd gennym ni ar hyn o bryd, yn arafu yn ddirfawr yr ymdrechion i gyrraedd y targed o 1 filiwn o siaradwyr erbyn 2050.

Rwy’n gobeithio na fydd hynny’n digwydd. A gaf i jest ddweud, beth ddywedais wrth ymateb i’ch cwestiwn chi a chwestiwn Mike Hedges yn flaenorol oedd bod rhai o’r cynlluniau wedi bod yn siomedig, nid nhw i gyd, ac mae’n bwysig cydnabod hynny? Pan mae’n dod i ddeddfu yn y dyfodol, mae gyda ni gytundeb ein bod yn mynd i ystyried ac ailedrych ar Fesur y Gymraeg, Mesur presennol y Gymraeg, sy’n creu’r strwythur statudol ar gyfer y strategaeth a statws y Gymraeg. So, rydym ni’n mynd i ystyried hynny. Mae’r strategaeth a fydd yn gyrru ein gwaith ni yn strategaeth a fydd yn disgrifio ein gweledigaeth ni a sut rydym ni’n mynd i gyrraedd y weledigaeth yna. Rwy’n rhannu eich pryder chi ambell waith. Nid wyf eisiau trafodaeth ddi-stop am ddeddfu; nid wyf eisiau hynny—rwyf eisiau gweld gweithredu yn digwydd. Ond mae’n rhaid bod gyda ni y fframwaith statudol sy’n ein galluogi ni i wneud hynny.

Rwy’n mynd i fod braidd yn swil y prynhawn yma, os ydych yn maddau i mi, achos nid wyf eisiau cyhoeddi heddiw cynnwys y Papur Gwyn rwy’n mynd i’w gyhoeddi ddechrau’r haf; rwy’n dal yn ystyried ambell fater rydych chi wedi’i ddisgrifio. Ond pan fyddwn yn dod i ystyried y Papur Gwyn a chyhoeddi’r Papur Gwyn, mi fydd hynny yn ystyried sut ydym ni yn creu y math o fframwaith statudol sy’n mynd i fod yn cefnogi’r strategaeth ac yn ein galluogi ni i gyrraedd ein gweledigaeth ni.

Diolch i’r Gweinidog a’r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet.

Yr eitem nesaf ar ein hagenda ni yw’r cwestiwn brys, ac rwyf wedi dewis un o dan Reol Sefydlog 12.66. Rwy’n galw ar Adam Price i ofyn y cwestiwn brys.

Yes, the Heads of the Valleys Development Company has submitted a fresh proposal for the Circuit of Wales. We will now consider the submission in detail and commence a rigorous process of due diligence. Members should now have received a written statement in both English and Welsh.

I’m grateful to the Cabinet Secretary for his response, and also for the written statement that was circulated a few minutes ago. After many years of waiting, I hope that this latest development signals that we are through the last chicane in the final straight. But, if the Cabinet Secretary is able to, could he confirm that the two criteria, the two conditions that he has set, firstly in July of last year in relation to the 50 per cent level of public sector guarantee, and, more recently, the need for named investor term sheets, have now both been met? And in relation to the due diligence process, is he able to tell us who will conduct that due diligence? Will it be done externally? In relation to the criteria, will they follow the standard due diligence procedure in terms of the criteria to assess the project, or will there be project-specific criteria? And, given the fact that it’s a decision, if it is positive, will inevitably bind future administrations, will a copy of that due diligence be shared on a commercial-in-confidence basis with spokespersons of all parties represented in the Assembly? In that regard, I’m happy to place on record that my party believes that this has huge potential for the communities of Blaenau Gwent, for the wider south Wales Valleys and, indeed, Wales as a whole, and we will be very pleased to support the project moving forward, subject to those normal due diligence requirements being met.

And finally, in anticipation of a positive final decision, has he instructed his inward investment team to begin preparatory work, scoping the potential demand for inward investment in the technology park, which will be a key element within the Circuit of Wales development?

Can I thank Adam Price for his question and say—I’ll try to avoid motoring metaphors today—that, according to my officials, it does appear that the criteria—the two points that the Member has identified—have been met, so that’s why we’re in a position today to proceed with due diligence and consideration of the proposals before us? Nobody should ever fear due diligence that is carried out on behalf of Welsh Government or by Welsh Government. It’s my anticipation that the due diligence process will be pursued externally. I’ve never come across a situation personally in this role where I’ve shared commercial-in-confidence details of due diligence with opposition spokespeople, but I will happily look into this question that the Member raised, and come back to him with an answer. It may well be that we would also require permission from the Heads of the Valleys Development Company as well.

In terms of the considerations that will form the due diligence process, this will be carried out over the forthcoming weeks once we’ve got all of the information required. It will encompass all information that is being provided to Welsh Government. All of that information will be considered. We will follow the process that is normal for a project of this scale, and I’ve outlined, in the written statement, some of the points that will be examined as part of that process.

In terms of demand from potential investors for the technology park, well, of course, this will form part of the due diligence process and assessment of the likely demand and the likelihood of automotive clustering taking place. I can’t go into any details of the latest business plan that’s been submitted, I’m afraid, so I can’t give any details at this moment about what the exact proposals are concerning a potential automotive cluster, but that will form part of the due diligence process.

Cabinet Secretary, I think your decision to issue the Heads of the Valleys Development Company with that two-week deadline two weeks ago—two weeks ago today, or two weeks yesterday—was exactly the right thing to do and I made that clear in the business statement yesterday. I also agree with you on the issue of due diligence. It’s clear now that that will play a vital role in the next part of this process.

Cabinet Secretary, it’s clear that the HOTV company—. Well, it now appears clear that they have the money in place to proceed at this point, and that the private finance part of this package is the majority part of the overall financial deal with the Welsh Government underfunding coming in as a minority. Can I ask you, first of all, are you fully satisfied that that private finance is in place, and if so—and I believe you are—how quickly will the Government be in a position to give the green light to this project, as long as the due diligence checks out? Because I understand that the private finance involved is of a type that can be fluid, and given that you now feel that this part of the deal has been met, it would be sad if this project was lost as a result of unnecessary delays from this moment on.

Can I thank the Member for his question, and also welcome the fact that he recognised that the two-week deadline was significant and important? I decided to issue the two-week deadline for a number of reasons. One was that we were assured that the Heads of the Valleys Development Company, back in July, would be able to come to us within a matter of weeks with a revised proposal. So, I felt in the new year it was important to lay that deadline. But above all, I felt that the people of Ebbw Vale had shown considerable patience in waiting for the proposal to come forward. And I felt that in the new year it was necessary to give the company that deadline. It has now been met. We are examining the private finance details under a non-disclosure agreement. I can’t comment further, I’m afraid, on the examination of the private finance that’s taking place.

In terms of the due diligence process that will commence upon us receiving all of the information, it will enable us to begin that process. We expect it to take place and be completed in approximately four to six weeks, which is a normal time frame for a project of this scale, upon which Cabinet will then be able to consider it.

As the Cabinet Secretary knows, I’ve been a strong supporter of this proposal all along, and whilst I do understand the necessity for doing proper due diligence in proposals of this kind, this is a transformational project. If it succeeds, then it’s going to completely transform the economy of Wales, certainly in the south-east and mid Wales. It’s important, I think, to point out that there isn’t actually any public money going into this development, apart from the £9 million that’s already been committed for development funds, but all that’s been sought is a guarantee of less than half the private capital that is going to be invested. The Government will actually be paid £3 million a year for that guarantee, so the Government is actually getting something in exchange, and the guarantee itself will not actually become executable until the assets are actually built on the site. So, there will be solid security, as and when the guarantee might, as we hope not, ever be called. Consequently, this is a very good deal, I think, for the Welsh Government, and for the people of Wales, and so he should give it as fair a wind as he possibly can.

Can I thank Neil Hamilton for his question, and for recognising that the deal that is on the table is certainly better than the one that was presented back in July? I think it justifies the position. I recognise they came under a lot of criticism back in July, but it justifies the position that was taken back then, when we were presented with a request for guarantees amounting to 83 per cent, which is more than £100 million more in guarantees than what we have been able to drive through with this deal. However, due diligence is required, as normal, as in every project of this type, to give us confidence that the investment, the potential guarantee drawdown, is something that the taxpayer is comfortable with, something that we are comfortable with. And, as I said in my answer to Adam Price, no investor should fear the due diligence process.

Diolch i’r Ysgrifennydd Cabinet.

Yr eitem nesaf yw’r cwestiynau i Gomisiwn y Cynulliad, ac ni chyflwynwyd unrhyw gwestiynau dan yr eitem yma.

Ac felly yr eitem ganlynol yw’r datganiadau 90 eiliad. Darren Millar.

Diolch, Lywydd. This coming Saturday, 11 February, marks the three hundredth anniversary of the birth of that greatest of Welsh hymn writers, William Williams of Pantycelyn. And it’s apt that his anniversary will fall on the very same day that Wales will be playing England in the cauldron of the Millennium Stadium, because, during that six nations game, there is no doubt whatsoever that the Welsh fans will be singing what is probably his most famous work, ‘Guide Me, O thou Great Jehovah’, with great gusto.

William Williams was more than Wales’s most famous hymn writer. He was also one of the greatest religious and literary figures that this country has ever produced. Along with Daniel Rowland and Howell Harris, Williams was one of the leading figures in the dawn of the Welsh Methodist revival, which dominated Welsh religious thinking and attitudes for much of the eighteenth century.

Born in 1717, Williams is often simply known as ‘Pantycelyn’, the name of the family farm on which he lived most of his adult life. His family were non-conformists, and he was educated locally, and then at a non-conformist academy near Talgarth. He intended to become a doctor, but, having heard Howell Harris preach in the churchyard in Talgarth in 1737, he underwent an immediate conversion experience and fell in love with his new-found saviour, Jesus Christ. He became fired with religious conviction.

Despite this non-conformist upbringing, Williams felt that he was being called to the priesthood of the established Anglican Church, and, in 1740, he was appointed curate to Theophilus Evans, a minister in charge of several rural Welsh parishes. But Williams was refused ordination as a priest because of his Methodist leanings.

He was a great preacher, and a great organiser of the Welsh Calvinistic Methodist tradition. So, when Welsh rugby fans sing out ‘Bread of Heaven’ this coming Saturday, they will be paying tribute to a remarkable and fascinating man.

Swansea City Supporters Trust. Firstly, I must declare an interest as a member of Swansea City Supporters Trust. Unfortunately in Britain, professional football clubs—especially at the top level—normally have a very large local fan base, but ownership of the club by one or more individuals, quite often from abroad. I know Cardiff City fans would recognise that situation.

Swansea City is different, because even though a foreign owner has over 50 per cent of the shares, the supporters trust owns over 20 per cent of the club. The supporters trust has one member on the club’s main board, an opportunity for the views of supporters to be raised in the club’s boardroom. The supporters trust has direct contact with supporters, and is representative of us.

With the supporters represented on the main board, Swansea City have avoided the arguments over kit colour, team name, club badge and ticket pricing that have beset other clubs. Direct supporter involvement is, I believe, crucial to keeping the football supporters and the owners working together. A club in the Premier League, owned partly by the supporters, is, as far as I am aware, unique. But, having a supporter representative on the main board is both unique and also is desired by supporters of other clubs.

This shared ownership stems from the dark days of Swansea City nearly going out of the football league. The supporters trust’s success owes much to the hard work and dedication of its officers and those who have served on the football club board. A team partly owned by its supporters, playing in the Premier League, is a huge success—one I hope continues into next season—and something that I hope will become more common in the future for other clubs.

On 6 February 1952, King George VI sadly passed away. Princess Elizabeth, next in line to the throne, returned home, stepping off the plane as our Queen. That was 65 years ago this week, and not a day has gone by that our sovereign has not put our country and its people first. She is our longest reigning monarch and the first of the United Kingdom to reach a Sapphire Jubilee—a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother to a family, many of whom have served our country valiantly during times of conflict. It’s an incredible reign that has seen her appoint 13 Prime Ministers, from Winston Churchill to Margaret Thatcher, and, of course, the Rt Hon Theresa May MP. She has undertaken state visits to 116 countries, to include those across the Commonwealth, with style, grace and elegance. She is patron to over 500 charities, having raised over £1.4 billion. Supreme Governor of the Church of England, she is loved the world over and no more so than here in the United Kingdom, and by all generations. Congratulations, Ma’am, and God save the Queen.

Nid oeddwn yn mynd i ddilyn hynny, mae’n rhaid i mi ei ddweud, ond fel rhywun sydd yn pregethu ar y Sul mewn capeli anghydffurfiol, roeddwn i hefyd yn mynd i dalu teyrnged i Williams Williams Pantycelyn o Lanymddyfri, sir Gaerfyrddin. Un o’n prif emynwyr ni, ganed ef 300 mlynedd yn ôl i ddydd Sadwrn yma sydd yn dod. Un o arweinyddion y diwygiad Methodistaidd yng Nghymru, ysgrifennodd tua 820 o emynau Cymraeg, gan yr oedd y mwyafrif helaeth o’r boblogaeth ar y pryd yn uniaith Gymraeg, a rhyw 120 o emynau Saesneg: ‘Bread of Heaven’ neu ‘Cwm Rhondda’, yr un mwyaf adnabyddus. Ac, wrth gwrs, mi fydd hwnnw’n cael ei floeddio allan yn Stadiwm Principality ddydd Sadwrn yma.

Erys toreth o farddoniaeth fendigedig yn ei emynau Cymraeg, fel,

‘Iesu, Iesu, 'rwyt ti'n ddigon, / 'Rwyt ti'n llawer mwy na'r byd’.

Rydym i gyd wedi dysgu honno yn ein hysgolion Sul. Ac un arall:

‘Pererin wyf mewn anial dir,/ Yn crwydro yma a thraw’.

A’r geiriau bendigedig, pan rydych yn poeni am rywbeth neu’n teimlo ychydig bach yn isel:

‘Mi dafla' 'maich oddi ar fy ngwar / Wrth deimlo dwyfol loes; / Euogrwydd fel mynyddoedd byd / Dry'n ganu wrth dy groes’.

Felly, y Sadwrn yma, tra byddan nhw’n bloeddio ‘Hen Wlad fy Nhadau’, ‘Calon Lân’ ac, ie, ‘Bread of Heaven’, wrth yrru ein harwyr rygbi ymlaen i fuddugoliaeth haeddiannol dros ryw bobl dros glawdd Offa, cofiwch am ben-blwydd William Williams Pantycelyn.

Yr eitem nesaf ar ein hagenda ni yw’r ddadl ar gynigion deddfwriaethol Aelodau. I gynnig y cynnig cyntaf o’i fath, Suzy Davies.

Diolch, Lywydd. Could I also thank the Assembly for the chance to be the first Member to make use of this new piece of business? I’d also like to thank my former office manager, Mark Major, who brought the whole subject to my attention when I first became an Assembly Member.

A six-year campaign began with a statement of opinion in 2011, seeking support for the mandatory teaching of emergency life-saving skills in school and then a short debate in which the present education Secretary, as well as Plaid and Labour Members, spoke in its favour. Support came from every party in the fourth Assembly, and it seems that every party in this fifth Assembly also supports the principle. I want to thank all of those of you who have already tabled your support for the proposal today, the core of which is the right to be trained to save a life. In so doing, you’re supporting a principle that has been fought for over many years.

The introduction of mandatory life-saving skills onto the school curriculum is supported by the British Heart Foundation, St John Ambulance, the British Red Cross, but also the College of Paramedics, the Royal College of Physicians, Cardiac Risk in the Young, British Cardiovascular Society Education, the Association for Physical Education, the NT—in England, anyway—Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome UK, the Royal College of Nursing, the Arrhythmia Alliance UK, the British Medical Association, the Welsh ambulance service, the Atrial Fibrillation Association, the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, the Royal Life Saving Society and many others. I’ve had e-mails of support and social media support for this for the last 48 hours. It’s been utterly amazing.

You are also supporting the wishes of parents and young people. The British Heart Foundation found that 86 per cent of UK parents want emergency and lifesaving skills taught in schools—it’s actually 88 per cent in Wales. Seventy-eight per cent of children themselves wanted to learn it in school, and 75 per cent of teachers, who already have a crowded curriculum, want this taught in our schools. You are also supporting the wishes of Labour MP Teresa Pearce. Ms Pearce had cross-party support for her Bill on a similar theme, but it was talked out—a process we don’t have here—by that infamous Conservative MP, Philip Davies. In this ongoing campaign, Cabinet Secretary, I wonder how comfortable you would find yourself to be on the same side of the argument as the infamous Conservative MP Philip Davies.

So, why legislation? Well, first of all, I want to congratulate all schools who have given their time voluntarily and used school time to give their children a chance to save lives. I want to congratulate those charities—I’ve mentioned some already—the public services, the military cadets, Heartstart and Reactive First Aid, who can provide training of all kinds, and charities like Cariad who help provide defibrillators. Hats off to Shoctober, Defibruary, Save a Life September, Staying Alive—you all remember Vinnie Jones on that one—defibrillators in old phone boxes, and all the awareness campaigns. This is excellent work and, without it, our poor survival rates for cardiac arrest outside the hospital environment would be even worse. Around 90 per cent of those victims will die—perhaps even more, according to one source—and even though most of these victims will have somebody with them when they suffer their event, they will still die. Without circulating blood, it takes only six minutes for a victim to have permanent brain damage. After 10 minutes, it’s basically too late. So, shouldn’t a child grow up with the right to know how to intervene—how to help save a life?

In 2013, only 20 per cent of children in England and Wales had had a minimum of one lifesaving skills lesson in the whole of their school life, and one lesson is nowhere near enough here. You can tell, because only 4 per cent of them had the confidence to intervene—4 per cent. Yet, 94 per cent of secondary schoolchildren said that they would be more confident if they had updated training relatively regularly. I wish nothing but the best for the Government’s cardiac plan, but if you can’t guarantee whole-population level uptake, competence and confidence, step one of that plan will fail because of the random occurrence of cardiac arrest. And on the basis that you say we still need a mapping exercise to know who provides CPR; that you still have to go to page two of Google to get anywhere near the ambulance service’s list of defibrillators; and that Donaldson’s curriculum change is some time away, I don’t think we have time for good will and good work to give us that whole-population level change.

Eight thousand people in Wales will have a heart attack outside a hospital setting this year, and most of them will die because of bystander ignorance or fear. So, who has that whole-population uptake, competence and confidence in first aid skills—and it’s not just CPR? Well, let’s have a look at the screens: Norway, 95 per cent; Germany, 80 per cent; Austria, 80 per cent; Iceland, 75 per cent. Even France is at 40 per cent. Now how did that happen? Because of a legislative obligation to receive mandatory lifesaving skills training at various periods in the lives of those citizens. In Denmark and Switzerland, you can’t even get your driving licence unless you’ve done this training. And which countries have the highest rate of survival for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest? Some of them are at well over 50 per cent—that’s compared to our 3 to 10 per cent. Well, I’m sure that you can guess.

This legislative proposal is not just about cardiac arrest, about CPR and defibrillators; I want our children growing up with the confidence to intervene when they encounter a person who is bleeding, unconscious, fitting, choking, who’s been electrocuted, or shows signs of drowning. A new scheme in the poorest part of northern Bangladesh has acted on this last point, and nine-year-olds there are having to learn CPR and how to save a life after a potential drowning. And these are just proposals, of course. They’re not fully developed, but they’re certainly not difficult or expensive to deliver. They don’t clash with Professor Donaldson’s suggestion that legislation should be used to define a broad set of duties. You could start consulting on these tomorrow. So, Members, I think this is an occasion where the Norway model definitely is appropriate for Wales, and I recommend these proposals to you and to the people of Wales.

A gaf i atgoffa Aelodau taw cyfraniad o dair munud yn unig yw’r eitem yma? Dai Lloyd.

Diolch yn fawr, Lywydd. Can I commend Suzy Davies for her initiative, and I wholeheartedly support the intention of getting cardiopulmonary resuscitation on the school curriculum and to be more widely acknowledged and trained for the general population. Also, we need defibrillators everywhere and people confident and not afraid to use them. Because that’s what I find, as a general practitioner—I’ve been unfortunate enough to do CPR on a number of occasions over the years, occasionally successfully, most often not successfully, and, with the use of defibrillators, what you find is that lots of people in the out-of-hospital situation are afraid to use a defibrillator. Get away from being afraid: with modern defibrillators, you cannot do any damage. Somebody who’s collapsed in cardiac arrest in front of you has basically died—you can only do good, even if the success rate is only eight per cent. That’s eight per cent of people who would have just died. So, my message is: get with it, people, don’t be afraid and you can’t do any damage; you can only transform a life. Diolch yn fawr.

I’m delighted to support this initiative. I’d just like to talk about the strength of the voluntary sector in this area, because there is so much to draw upon that I think makes this proposal even more viable in terms of improving policy in this area. Can I talk about St John Cymru in particular? I’m proud to be associated with that marvellous charity, and I am indeed wearing their tie, as a very observant leader of the opposition has just spotted. Just to mention a couple of their schemes: the young lifesaver scheme is aimed at children in after-school programmes, and it’s often delivered by a teacher who has been specifically trained. An estimate that’s been made by St John is that around 130,000 accidents happen in UK schools, and they offer a one-day course for teachers, so that they can help children who have suffered an accident, as another area where vital work is being done. And it’s also high-tech—there’s a free bilingual app on first aid; don’t ask me how you use it, but I’m sure those that know will be able to advise.

St John are just one of many charities and non-governmental organisations that do valuable work in this area. I think many of us are aware of the British Heart Foundation’s CPR training programme, which is available in the workplace. We’ve had it here in the Assembly. I’ve gone on it, Presiding Officer, and I’m pleased to say the dummy survived. And I think we all should undertake that training; it’s really, really important. The figures that we saw earlier on the bar graphs speak for themselves, because if you get trained for the workplace, you also have those skills if you’re at home, if you’re on public transport, whatever. It’s essential. The need to install defibrillators in main public places, again, is really, really important. And if you’re trained and you’re out shopping, you’re in a shopping mall, whatever, you will be one of the people that could use it. And, as Dai Lloyd so poignantly said, if you don’t intervene, the outcome is pretty certain. You need to have the confidence to intervene. So, I do think, Presiding Officer, this Bill, if it could be brought forward, would be of great benefit to the people of Wales.

I’d like to thank Suzy for proposing that we legislate to ensure that everyone in Wales is provided with the basic skills to save a life. Yesterday, we discussed the heart conditions delivery plan in this Chamber, during which I highlighted the fact that, each month in Wales, 720 people will go to hospital with a heart attack and, sadly, 340 of those people will die. Without CPR and defibrillation within the first 10 minutes, the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest are virtually nil. Given that over 80 per cent of cardiac arrests take place in the home and the number of red category ambulance responses that take longer than eight minutes to arrive, it is vital that we have people on hand with the skills to save a life. It takes minutes to learn CPR, and using a defibrillator can be taught in a single morning. Despite this, how many of us can honestly say that we have the skills to save a life?

I fully support Suzy’s campaign, and would like to see every child in Wales spend just one morning a year learning how to perform CPR. We could also explore other options for improving the number of people equipped with lifesaving skills. Should CPR and emergency firs aid form part of learning to drive? Should having these skills be a requirement for having a public service vehicle licence? Can we insist that all front-of-house staff in public buildings know CPR and how to use a defibrillator? These are the considerations we must make if we are serious about ensuring that as many people as possible have the skills they need to save a life. We are very lucky in this building as many of the security staff and ushers are trained in first aid, we have a number of automated external defibrillators, and our staff have responded to emergencies both on and off the estate. People aren’t so lucky in other parts of Wales.

I urge Members to support Suzy’s call to ensure that lifesavings skills training is available to all and that AEDs are made more widely available in Wales. By taking these small steps, we can ensure that chances of surviving a cardiac arrest, whether at home or in a public place, are greatly improved. I would also urge everyone in this Chamber to learn CPR if they have not done so already. Diolch yn fawr.

Mewn ychydig iawn o eiriau mi wnaf innau ddweud fy mod i yn cefnogi'r cynnig yma. Rydym ni yn barod wedi clywed am bwysigrwydd cymorth cyntaf mewn sefyllfaoedd brys. Rydym ni’n gwybod pa mor bwysig, wrth gwrs, ydy hi fod offer fel ‘defibrillators’ a ‘kits’ cymorth cyntaf a ballu ar gael.

Mae’r arolwg diweddar gan Sant Ioan—rydym ni wedi clywed amdanyn nhw yn barod—yn dweud stori glir wrthym ni, sef bod 69 y cant o blant ysgol yn dweud na fydden nhw ddim yn gwybod sut i drin aelod o’r teulu neu gyfaill iddyn nhw pe baen nhw’n ffeindio eu hunain mewn sefyllfa lle byddai angen hynny; mae 72 y cant o ddisgyblion yn dweud y byddent yn dymuno cael y sgiliau hynny; ac 83 y cant yn dweud y bydden nhw yn llawer fwy hyderus yn gweithredu i drio achub bywyd rhywun, neu roi gofal i rhywun, pe baen nhw wedi cael yr addysg.

A gaf i roi sylw i sylwadau a wnaed gan Lywodraeth Cymru wrth y BBC, yn dweud bod disgyblion yn cael dysgu am dechnegau gofal brys yn barod fel rhan o addysg bersonol a chymdeithasol. Mae’r sylwadau hynny yn awgrymu i mi, rydw i’n meddwl, fod yna gryn wahaniaeth rhwng yr hyn mae’r Llywodraeth yn meddwl sy’n digwydd a’r hyn sy’n digwydd go iawn yn ein hysgolion ni. Mae ymchwil yn dangos bod yna anfodlonrwydd ynglŷn â’r hyn sy’n cael ei gynnig ar hyn o bryd, ac yn ogystal â bod y plant eu hunain yn cyfaddef ac yn dweud nad oes ganddyn nhw'r sgiliau a’u bod nhw’n dymuno cael y sgiliau, mae athrawon hefyd, yn ôl arolygon ac ymchwil, yn dweud bod ganddyn nhw ddiffyg hyder yn y sgiliau y maen nhw i fod i’w pasio ymlaen i’r plant.

Ond, gadwech i mi gloi efo’r cwestiwn yma i’w ofyn i unrhyw Weinidog sydd yn gwrando, ac unrhyw swyddog hefyd: pe baech chi allan yn mynd am dro rhyw ddiwrnod ac yn dioddef ‘cardiac arrest’ ac mai’r unig berson sydd gerllaw ydy person ifanc 15 oed, a fyddai’n well gennych chi bod y person 15 oed hwnnw wedi mynd drwy system anfoddhaol o ddysgu rhai sgiliau fel rhan o addysg bersonol a chymdeithasol, neu a fyddai’n well gennych chi bod y person 15 oed hwnnw wedi mynd drwy system addysg sydd wedi dysgu'r sgiliau iawn, a hynny wedi ei seilio mewn deddfwriaeth? Rydw i’n gwybod beth ydy’r ateb o fy rhan i, a dyna pam rwy’n cefnogi’r cynnig deddfwriaethol yma.

I carefully cut the grape in half and I fed one half very carefully to my precious child. She sucked out the contents and then proceeded to choke on the skin. I was utterly terrified. My CPR training—learnt when I was a rescue diver, in the days when I was younger and fitter—completely went out of my head. Thankfully my husband was present and he saved our little girl’s life. Today she is 14. I can tell you now, she does not and has not learnt any lifesaving skills at school, but she’s learnt them from her mummy and her daddy, and she will grow up to be an adult who, perhaps, won’t panic if the same thing happens to her—if her child were to choke on a grape.

I utterly support this campaign, as a mum and as a parent. I also support it with a bit of an education hat on, because I believe really firmly that we need to build resilient children. This is a debate that Lynne Neagle will be bringing to the Chamber later on today. When they’re at school, the more little skills we can give them, the more little bits added into that jigsaw puzzle, it builds confidence, builds resilience, builds determination. I think that this is something that we can easily add into the curriculum. I’ve heard before the cries of, ‘The curriculum is already really crowded’. But it’s about putting in priorities and it’s about really cleaving to Donaldson’s new six strands, and this would fit very well into those six strands. It’s a skill that, once you have learnt it—providing the panic doesn’t set in—you can use time and time again. But I would emphasise that we also need to build in constant re-teaching. It’s been a long time since I had to do CPR on anyone and I wouldn’t mind learning again. I think this is a wonderful idea and I do hope that the Government will allow Suzy Davies the opportunity to take this forward and explore it in more detail. Thank you.

Galwaf ar Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet dros Iechyd, Llesiant a Chwaraeon, Vaughan Gething.

Thank you, Presiding Officer. I am pleased to have the opportunity to set out again what we are already doing to improve survival from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, which includes many of the aspects in Suzy Davies’s private Member’s Bill proposal. However, whilst I do support the ambitions in the proposal in principle, I can’t support the motion as I don’t believe that imposing a statutory duty is the right approach to take at this time in delivering improvements across Wales. In particular, the impact on the school curriculum is not one that the Government can support, and I’ll hopefully explain that in some helpful detail.

I set out in my written statement in December the excellent work that took place across schools last October, when approximately 17,000 children were trained with a variety of life-saving skills. That type of approach can work well in our school system using the existing platform of personal and social education. But, looking further ahead to when we do have a new curriculum following the Donaldson process, the best evidence has shown us that using legislation in the way the motion urges us to has led to an overloaded and complicated system. We should not dismiss that argument out of hand. Donaldson was very clear about this. We want to use legislation sparingly, and I do really understand the well-meant intent, that the motion is seeking to add life-saving skills as a mandatory part of the curriculum. On this, I don’t agree with Suzy Davies’s view that this would not undermine the approach we are taking that flows from the Donaldson review. I really do think that those of us who support this significant review, and the prospect of a coherent curriculum cannot then cut across that Donaldson approach by making discrete bids for mandatory additions to the new curriculum before it’s actually been completed and implemented.

Now, work has already commenced in developing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest plan, which will look at ways to improve CPR and access to defibrillation—common themes in the debate today. We’re already starting to make progress in Wales, particularly in relation to access to defibrillators through the register, with over 2,000 registered since I launched ‘Be a defib hero’. That campaign started in February 2015. We should also make the most of the similarities between the emergency services and their shared commitment to keep people and communities safe. Almost all fire appliances now have defibrillators, and firefighters are trained in life-saving skills. I’ve agreed with the Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children to a set of priorities to help focus fire and rescue service support for the NHS. The priorities that we’ll be working to deliver in 2017-18 include support for an emergency medical response.

It is, though, worth noting that, in Wales, following the changes that we made to our ambulance response model, the average ambulance response time to a cardiac arrest in Wales is now between four and five minutes. That’s a significant improvement because we’ve refocused our ability to get people to those really life critical calls. Now, for the out- of-hospital cardiac arrest plan to become embedded, I think that we do need to build on that momentum that we’re already making prior to taking a decision about introducing a mandatory requirement. That plan is being developed with partners across the NHS family, emergency services and the third sector. As with other Members, too, I want to recognise and welcome the work of the campaign in the third sector, with a wide range of volunteers and the training they provide. I know that every Member has the opportunity for them and their staff to receive first aid training from a number of different organisations, and I recognise the work they are already doing. They are very much part of producing our new plan and seeing it through to reality. We do recognise that life-saving skills and emergency aid procedures are clearly extremely important, and the Welsh Government fully supports the work of those organisations in raising awareness and helping people acquire those skills.

Last week, as Members have mentioned, the Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust launched their latest defibrillator campaign, aimed at raising awareness of what a defibrillator is, where to find the nearest one, and what support is available to obtain one. I hope Members will take the opportunity to support that campaign and, in particular, to listen to the words of Dai Lloyd that, with modern defibrillators, they talk you through what you need to do and, if someone is in cardiac arrest—you’re absolutely right—you can only help. I hope that’s a message people do take on board and take seriously.

I do accept that it’s of the utmost importance that the population of Wales is given the opportunity—every opportunity—to survive cardiac arrest and are provided with knowledge and resources, like defibrillators, that will enable the efforts being made to save lives. We are committed to working with organisations across Wales to achieve this, but, at this point, I’m not persuaded that this requires legislation. Now, if this were a Stage 1 debate, then the Government would oppose the motion. However, the Government will abstain today and backbenchers in my party have a free vote. But, in abstaining, the Government wishes to signal its support for continuing to improve life-saving skills and our view that legislation is a potential future option where it is clear that it is either the best way forward or the only way to make further progress. But we will continue to make progress with our out-of-hospital cardiac arrest plan. We want to see what comes from that and then we’ll continue to work with stakeholders, including Members in this place, regardless of what party they’re in, to try and save lives and review what our next steps should be as we move forward in trying to improve lives and, of course, to save lives.

Galwaf ar Suzy Davies i ymateb i’r ddadl.

First of all, can I please say thank you to everyone who’s supporting this today, and thank you also to the Cabinet Secretary, because I’m not against what he’s planning to do? What I’m saying is it’s going to take way too long. It takes two hours to train a child to save a life; it takes 10 minutes to kill a cardiac arrest victim. So, I’m disappointed that you haven’t been able to show support for this today. Dai Lloyd is quite right: nobody in Wales should be dying of ignorance or fear, and that’s what lack of population-level life-saving skills could mean for Wales. However, I’m determined to do my little bit before you all leave, and so, if you’re happy, we’re just going to do a little bit of life-saving training now. Thank you.

Y cwestiwn yw: a ddylid nodi’r cynnig? A oes unrhyw Aelod yn gwrthwynebu? [Gwrthwynebiad.] Gohiriaf y bleidlais o dan yr eitem yma tan y cyfnod pleidleisio.

Yr eitem nesaf ar ein hagenda ni yw’r ddadl ar adroddiad y Pwyllgor Plant, Pobl Ifanc ac Addysg ar ei ymchwiliad i waith ieuenctid ac rydw i’n galw ar Gadeirydd y pwyllgor hwnnw i wneud y cynnig—Lynne Neagle.

Thank you, Llywydd. I’m very pleased to open this debate on the first report of the Children, Young People and Education Committee’s inquiry into youth work in Wales. I’d like to place on record my thanks to the 1,500 young people from across Wales who gave their views to the committee. Their evidence was very clear that youth services are very important to many young people and can make a significant difference to their lives.

I was also delighted to see the positive response that this inquiry received from stakeholders across Wales. We were very grateful for their honesty in helping us, as a committee, understand what the challenges are, and for their enthusiasm in engaging with the committee’s work.

I’d particularly like to thank the Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services for their support in bringing so many of those people together at our excellent round table event with stakeholders. The commitment and enthusiasm of those who attended made a real impression on me, and I’m sure that the same is true of other committee members.

Youth work is genuinely life-changing, not just for the children and young people but for the countless staff and volunteers who make it happen every day across Wales. Members will be familiar with services in their own constituencies and know how they can shape young citizens of Wales and set them up with skills for life.

Through the course of our inquiry, we had evidence of young people who have benefited from youth services, and also those who have had them removed. One young person who had previously accessed services said:

‘Without youth workers I wouldn’t be the person I am today… it is a young person’s right to a safe space and somewhere to have fun, play and participate.’

Another told us that ‘I feel like they’—youth services—

‘are really good for people with fewer friends as it gives a chance to make friends.’

And another said that it has:

‘Given me so much confidence, experiences and life skills that I would not have been able to gain anywhere else.’

These were just some of the positive experiences that were shared with us. When youth services are in place, they can really change lives.

I want to thank the Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language for his consideration of our findings. It was very welcome to see the Minister broadly accept all 10 recommendations made by the committee. Our findings were very clear: when youth work disappears from a young person’s life, the impact is considerable. Whilst cuts in funding are not exclusive to youth services, in a difficult financial climate for local authorities it can often be youth services first to bear the brunt. The total amount of expenditure on youth services by local authorities, including funding through the revenue support grant, has reduced by almost 25 per cent over the last four years. Evidence from the voluntary sector suggested they had also faced severe reductions in funding, and that this has had a considerable impact, with intensified competition for scarce resource.

The committee recognised the difficult decisions faced by local authorities. However, we feel that developing youth services is an essential investment in the future of the nation’s young people. These services are often a catalyst to help young people develop skills and confidence and make better choices in their lives. Whilst their impact may not often be apparent in the short term, young people told us of the longer term impact services can have to help them achieve their potential.

During the course of the inquiry, the committee identified several key issues that needed urgent and radical action by the Welsh Government. These were a lack of strategic direction and leadership from the Welsh Government, the sector and young people not being sufficiently involved in developing policies, and the need for greater collaboration between the statutory and voluntary sectors to make the most of scarce resource. Deputy Presiding Officer, an area of major concern was in the balancing act that local authorities faced funding open-access services and targeted interventions for specific groups who require additional support. We were told that the diversion of funding to target young people who are not in education, employment or training has posed a serious risk to open-access services. We also heard that this shift fundamentally undermines the principle that young people’s engagement with youth services must be based on their own choice rather than a requirement that is placed upon them.

Contributors to our inquiry also expressed concern that the impact of the reduction in funding is being felt disproportionately by certain groups of young people. One example that was cited by many contributors was the impact on Welsh language provision. We felt strongly that the Minister must address the need for more strategic and joint working between the statutory and voluntary sectors. We feel this is a significant barrier to delivering a universal youth work offer. It is also preventing the best use of increasingly scarce resources.

I was pleased to see that the Minister has already committed to refreshing the statutory guidance in place and, in doing so, undertaking a review of the current strategy. It is also welcome that the Welsh Government will develop and publish a detailed action plan by March 2017. The committee was clear that an action plan is necessary to translate the high-level policy ambitions into reality. Deputy Presiding Officer, an updated youth work strategy is a step in the right direction, and I hope it will create the much-needed framework for local authorities and the third sector to work together effectively. This will be a major step towards creating the service that our young people are entitled to.

As part of developing that common purpose for youth service delivery, the committee recommended the Minister develop a national model for youth work. We heard compelling evidence making the case for a national model to drive forward youth work policy and implementation. This is something we believe would create greater collaboration, reduce duplication and enable better workforce development opportunities. The Minister has responded positively to this key recommendation, and we look forward to hearing further detail as plans develop as part of the refresh of the national guidance.

Members recognised the importance of localism in designing services around the needs of communities, and we are confident this would achievable while striving for greater consistency. In the vein of driving greater collaboration, the committee were eager to see an effective mapping exercise taking place to understand where gaps in provision occur. We hope Welsh Government will further consider the use of local sufficiency assessments taking place at local authority level and informing the national approach. Making sure that all young people in Wales are able to access well-resourced youth services is crucial to support them to reach their full potential.

I want to conclude with a striking comment from a young person, who told us:

‘There should be more of them across Wales. Need more money to grow more services—too many being cut by councils. Not all my friends can attend them as they live in the sticks. Youth workers are amazing and they really help us—they are life-savers.’

I think you will agree that this makes the need for radical change all the more real. In closing my statement today, I would just like to thank again the huge numbers of young people who took the time to respond to our survey. Members were so moved by the enormous contribution made by people who work in youth services across Wales. I very much look forward to Members’ contributions this afternoon and to revisiting this vital issue regularly with the committee in the course of this Assembly. Thank you.

I’m pleased to take part in this debate, and I want to commend the Chair and the committee clerks for all the work that they have done in helping to produce what I think has been a very robust report, with a list of very clear recommendations directed at the Government. I was very pleased to see the Minister’s response to the report. I think it is fair to say that we had a few tussles with the Minister during the course of the inquiry, and we were a little surprised by some of the actions that were taken while we were still receiving evidence as part of the inquiry. Notwithstanding that, there has been a positive outcome from the inquiry, and I’m very pleased that we’ve managed to establish that.

Like the Chair, I, too, was impressed at the engagement that we received from the voluntary sector, in particular, and the way in which they provided some access to the direct views of young people. I am very much hoping that the establishment of a youth parliament in Wales will help to facilitate the views of young people, not just to our committee but to other committees in the future. I think we ought to put on record our thanks to the campaign for the youth parliament, which, of course, has again been here in the Assembly today.

We know that statutory youth services have been pressure, under some financial pressure, but what has impressed me, I think, during the course of the inquiry, is to see the different ways that local authorities have been helping to meet their statutory obligations. It’s quite clear that some local authorities have focused very much on local authority directly provided youth services, whilst others have used their limited resources, and their shrinking resources, to invest in the capacity of the voluntary sector in order to aid them in the provision of youth work. Clearly, some local authorities have done a good job in helping to grow the capacity of the voluntary sector, whilst others appear to have pretty much ignored the voluntary sector to a large extent, and I think that that’s been quite disappointing. I think this issue of trying to map the services that are available was a critical issue that we identified. It was very clear from all of the evidence that we received that there was no detailed understanding of the services that were available around the country, particularly from the many voluntary organisations such as the Scouts, faith groups and even sports organisations, which may be delivering aspects of statutory youth work that we’re not always able to see. I think that the key recommendation in the report is that one that seeks to ensure that local authorities have a very clear understanding on the ground in their local areas as to the youth services that are available for young people to engage in.

The other big concern I think that I had in receiving the evidence was that it was very clear that, because of the diminished budgets, there’s an increased focus on small groups of young people with particular problems, and that that was causing the other young people to suffer, because there was no universal offer available to them in their localities. I’m very pleased that the Minister has given a very clear commitment to wanting to ensure that there is a universal offer available and that all young people can access youth services that they might be able to benefit from.

I know that we had a debate within the committee on this, but I don’t think that the level of spending on youth services necessarily reflects the quality of the youth service and the availability of the youth services within each local authority. So, whilst there were arguments around whether there should be hypothecation of the RSG in relation to youth services to local councils, I’m not sure—I think that was a bit of a red herring, to be honest, because I know that, in the two local authorities that my constituency straddles, we’ve got excellent provision, but quite low levels of spending compared to the amount allocated in the RSG. That’s because of the way those two local authorities worked in partnership with the voluntary sector and with the third sector to provide high-quality youth services.

So, in summary, Deputy Presiding Officer, I’m very pleased with the outcome of the report. I think it gets the Government onto the right page in terms of its approach to youth services, and hopefully we’ll see a universal offer across Wales and we’ll have a better understanding in future years of the services that are available from those other partners that are providing them across the country.

Rydw i yn meddwl ei bod hi’n hen bryd i ni fel Cynulliad fod yn trafod y sector yma a’r gwasanaeth ieuenctid oherwydd mae’r sector wedi dweud wrthym ni eu bod nhw’n teimlo yn ynysig ac wedi’u tanbrisio yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf yma. Pan rŷch chi’n gofyn i bobl, wrth gwrs, mae pawb yn cytuno bod gwaith ieuenctid yn beth da, ond efallai nad ydyn nhw’n sylweddoli pwysigrwydd gwirioneddol y sector a’r teimlad nad yw hynny yn cael ei adlewyrchu o reidrwydd yn y gwaith y mae’r Llywodraeth ac awdurdodau lleol ac eraill yn ei wneud.

Nawr, rŷm ni’n gwybod bod gwaith ieuenctid, wrth gwrs, yn ymbweru pobl ifanc, yn rhoi profiadau cyfranogol iddyn nhw, a mynegiadol hefyd—‘expressive’—a phrofiadau addysg. Ar ei orau, mae gwaith ieuenctid yn creu gwell dinasyddion mwy hyderus, wedi’u harfogi â sgiliau bywyd, ac unigolion mwy cydnerth—llawer o’r hyn sy’n cael ei drafod yng nghyd-destun Donaldson a diwygio’r cwricwlwm o fewn addysg ffurfiol. Mae gwaith ieuenctid yn gwneud llawer o hyn. Yn sicr mae’n ychwanegu gwerth i addysg ffurfiol, a hefyd yn ymgysylltu â’r rhai sy’n troi cefn ar addysg ffurfiol, sydd yn wasanaeth pwysig iawn yn ei hun.

Mae’n enghraifft ardderchog o wariant ataliol; hynny yw, buddsoddi yn gynnar i osgoi costau yn nes ymlaen o safbwynt cymdeithasol, o safbwynt iechyd, o safbwynt y gwasanaeth cyfiawnder, ac yn y blaen. Fel rŷm ni wedi clywed yng ngeiriau’r Cadeirydd, un o’r canfyddiadau mwyaf arwyddocaol hyd a gwelaf i yn yr adroddiad gan y pwyllgor yw ein bod ni wedi codi’r llen ar y dirywiad sylweddol sydd yna o ran ariannu, o ran staffio ac o ran darpariaeth yng Nghymru dros y blynyddoedd diwethaf. Mae’r gwariant sydd wedi’i gyllidebu trwy’r grant cynnal refeniw, yr RSG, i awdurdodau lleol ar gyfer gwasanaethau ieuenctid wedi lleihau bron 25 y cant dros y pedair blynedd diwethaf—nid yr unig ffynhonnell i leihau, wrth gwrs, a rŷm ni’n cydnabod hynny, ond yn fy marn i, un o’r mwyaf arwyddocaol. Nid yw’n unigryw i waith ieuenctid, ond mae’r effaith yn sgil hynny ar bobl ifanc, yn anochel, yn sylweddol iawn.

Mae cwymp wedi bod o 20 y cant mewn capasiti staffio mewn dim ond un flwyddyn, a chwymp mewn aelodau cofrestredig darpariaeth gwaith ieuenctid awdurdodau lleol—o 20 y cant o bobl ifanc yn 2013 lawr i 17 y cant ymhen dwy flynedd o hynny. Mae CWYVS, wrth gwrs, Cyngor Cymreig y Gwasanaethau Ieuenctid Gwirfoddol—ac mi ddylwn i ddatgan diddordeb fel un o lywyddion anrhydeddus y corff hwnnw—yn dweud nad yw tua 30 y cant o’i aelodau ddim yn rhagweld parhau y tu hwnt i’r flwyddyn ariannol nesaf yn yr hinsawdd sydd ohoni.

Felly, gydag ystadegau fel yna, mae’n rhaid inni sylweddoli bod y gwasanaeth ieuenctid ar ymyl dibyn, mewn gwirionedd, ac mae angen gweithredu ar fyrder. Felly, mae’r adroddiad yma yn gwbl amserol. Mae gennym ni Lywodraeth gymharol newydd erbyn hyn, yn sicr Gweinidog newydd, ac mae’r pwyllgor bellach yn cynnig arweiniad ac argymhellion o ran rhai o’r diwygiadau rydym ni’n teimlo sydd eu hangen wrth ddatblygu’r sector yma. Mae angen, yn sicr, ailddatgan pwysigrwydd gwasanaethau ieuenctid, rhoi cydnabyddiaeth ddyledus i’w cyfraniad pwysig a chanolog i fywyd yng Nghymru ac adlewyrchu hynny ym mlaenoriaethau’r Llywodraeth, awdurdodau lleol a chymdeithas yn ehangach.

Mae yna ymrwymiad, wrth gwrs, gan y Gweinidog i ddarpariaeth mynediad agored dwyieithog sydd ar gael yn gyffredinol, hynny yw, ‘universal open access’. Mae’n ddatganiad o fwriad calonogol. Mae’n fan cychwyn addawol iawn ond yn eithriadol o uchelgeisiol, ac mi fydd cyflawni hynny yn heriol iawn, rwy’n siŵr. Ond, fel y mae ar hyn o bryd, ac fel rydym wedi clywed fel pwyllgor, mae yna loteri cod post o safbwynt darpariaeth. Mae’r mynediad sydd gennych chi i wasanaethau yn rhy aml o lawer yn dibynnu ar lle rydych chi yn byw. Felly, i wyrdroi hynny, mae angen, yn sicr, gweithredu ar rai o’r mesurau mae’r pwyllgor yn eu hargymell ac roedd y cadeirydd yn eu hamlinellu.

Yn sicr, mae angen dod â’r sector sydd wedi’i gynnal—y ‘maintained sector’—a’r sector wirfoddol yn nes at ei gilydd, a mwy o gydweithio, nid dim ond ar lawr gwlad ond ar lefel strategol yn rhanbarthol ac yn genedlaethol. Mae angen, fel rydym ni wedi clywed, adolygu’r strategaeth gwaith ieuenctid cenedlaethol, adnewyddu’r cynlluniau statudol a chreu cynllun gweithredu manwl. Mae angen gwell ymgysylltiad hefyd rhwng y Llywodraeth a’r sector, yn enwedig trwy’r grŵp cyfeirio gwaith ieuenctid, ac wrth gwrs y sôn yma sydd nawr am gael fframwaith atebolrwydd ar gyfer defnydd awdurdodau lleol o arian ar gyfer gwaith ieuenctid drwy’r grant cynnal refeniw. Ac wrth gwrs, drwy hyn oll i gyd, mae'n rhaid inni wneud yn siŵr hefyd bod llais pobl ifanc yn ganolog i’r drafodaeth yma ar bob agwedd o ddarpariaeth y gwasanaeth ieuenctid.

Mae llawer mwy yn yr adroddiad, wrth gwrs, a bydd cyfle yn y misoedd i ddod i gychwyn taclo rhai o’r heriau pwysicaf yma a chreu sylfaen i adeiladu gwasanaeth ieuenctid cenedlaethol o’r radd flaenaf a fydd yn hygyrch i bawb, ym mhob rhan o’r wlad, ym mha bynnag iaith. Mae pobl ifanc Cymru, a chymdeithas ehangach a dweud y gwir, yn mynnu hynny ac yn haeddu dim llai.

Thank you very much. Julie Morgan.

Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Thank you for calling me to speak in this very important debate about the report from the Children, Young People and Education Committee into youth work.

I found it very concerning indeed to hear from people in the youth work field about how the provisions for young people have diminished so much. I personally believe, and I think it was the belief of all the committee, that youth work is absolutely vital because it does reach people outside the formal school setting. I think we all know that, particularly, the teenage years are very stressful and difficult times for young people.

I was reminded of that when we noted that this week is Children’s Mental Health Week. There have been figures from the NSPCC that show the growth of mental health problems amongst young people, which have been shown in the number of calls to Childline. It seems children and teenagers aged 12 to 15 make up a third of the calls that are received, and girls are almost seven times more likely to seek help than boys. I think we’ve all heard about the great concerns that many girls have about body image in particular. Those are just illustrative of the difficult issues that children and young people have to grapple with at this time.

So, it’s absolutely and vitally important that they have the opportunity to have contact with skilled professionals, really, because that’s what youth workers are, in an informal setting, where these issues can be raised in a non-threatening way. So, I think it’s absolutely essential that we put more impetus into the youth services.

In my own area, I can bear witness to the reduction in services. At one time, there was a full-scale, five-day-a-week youth club operating in the youth buildings in the grounds of Whitchurch High School. This has now been reduced to one evening a week, run by the YMCA in the Ararat church. I’m very grateful to the voluntary sector and to the Ararat church for providing this service, but it’s only one night a week and it’s hugely oversubscribed. There’s no doubt—you have to accept the fact that the service for our young people actually has diminished. When the proposals came to change the service, I had quite a number of meetings with the young people involved and they said they just wanted somewhere where they could go, somewhere where there was no pressure on them and somewhere where they could have fun. I am very concerned, as several Members have mentioned, about the diminishing services for open access, because I think it is the entitlement of every child and every young person to have the opportunity to go somewhere where they aren’t going because they have a particular issue or problem, but is open for everyone to go. Hopefully, in those circumstances, if they do have particular issues or problems, those can be helped to be addressed.

I wanted to mention in particular the Scouts and the Guides, because in the inquiry the Scouts and the Guides were mentioned as providing youth work. I’d like at this point, really, to use the opportunity to pay tribute to the Second Llandaff Scout group who are very strong operators in Cardiff North. They’ve been the occupants of a church hall in Llandaff North for many years. They’re actually under threat of losing their premises because the land is being sold. They’ve just had another three-month extension to try to raise the extra £100,000 to buy the premises. They’ve already—it’s a small group—raised a staggering £150,000 through the efforts of dedicated volunteers, which I think is absolutely amazing. So, I wanted to pay tribute to them during this debate today, but I can say that the work they do with the young people in the area, many of whom come from disadvantaged homes, is really absolutely tremendous.

I think it’s absolutely vital that the Welsh Government gives more direction to the youth service. Looking at the evidence that we received, I do feel that there is a danger that it is withering away in the way that we’ve always known it. I hope that the Minister, as a result of our report, will give a renewed impetus to this service. We certainly need that in this area. I think that the other very important issue is to give young people a voice in the service. Several speakers have already mentioned that. But I hope with the new shaping of the service, if that is what will happen, that young people will be consulted about how the service should turn out and that they should be a pivotal part of developing the service.

In conclusion, I think we all felt it was an absolutely vital service. We can’t let it wither away. We know that there are pressures on all the services within the local authority, but we have got a lot of goodwill in the voluntary sector and it’s absolutely essential that we get the voluntary sector and the statutory sector working together effectively.

I would like to thank and congratulate the organisations and specialists who gave evidence to the committee during the inquiry for their willingness to say it as they see it. Stakeholders in both the statutory and voluntary sectors talk about a lack of leadership and strategic direction from the Welsh Government. The Council for Wales of Voluntary Youth Services—CWVYS—reports that 30 per cent of its members don’t think they will be able to exist beyond this next financial year. The Minister’s response to comments made by CWVYS was to attempt to undermine the credibility of CWVYS and cast their view as a minority one. Well, the organisation’s members include the British Red Cross, Mencap, NUS Wales, Race Council Cymru, Alcohol Concern, Police Youth Volunteers, the Scouts, Shelter and many other brilliant and well-respected organisations. They represent the interests of far more people in the sector than a single AM does. Well, regardless of what the Minister thinks of these organisations, they’re saying that the strategy is wrong.

Sadly, in terms of deciding the future of youth provision, the Minister cannot be dismissed as easily as he will attempt to dismiss the comments of organisations like CWVYS. He says there is a national youth work strategy and funding allocated for its implementation. Well, allocating funding and coming up with a posh document isn’t the same as co-ordinating its implementation in statutory and voluntary sectors across Wales. The views expressed by the Minister and the organisations are so different that it is tempting to assume that either the Minister doesn’t communicate with these stakeholders, hasn’t listened or is in denial. The report recommends that the Minister must harness the expertise and understanding of the principal youth officers group and CWVYS. I would urge him to work with those groups to improve youth work across Wales.

The report goes on to identify a need for Welsh Government to better understand the levels of provision across both sectors in Wales, effectively exposing that the Welsh Government may not be entirely sure as to which youth services are on offer or where. The Welsh Government has overseen a reduction in youth service funding by almost 25 per cent over the last four years, a reduction in registered members of youth work provision, from 20 per cent of young people in 2013-14 to 17 per cent of young people in 2015-16, and local authorities are reporting the loss of 148 full-time equivalent staff across the statutory sector in 2015-16.

The Welsh Government may claim in their own defence that the funds sent over from England aren’t sufficient. But it’s a question of priorities, and I would certainly question whether the Welsh Government has its priorities in the right order here. The report expresses the concern that there is a lack of accountability for the use of funds allocated to local authorities via the revenue support grant, and states that the Minister must ensure that mechanisms are in place to hold local authorities to account for the use of those funds for youth work. I would be interested to hear whether the Minister will implement this, or provide proposals regarding how he will implement it.

The Welsh Local Government Association has called into question whether Welsh Government statistics on the use of funding through the revenue support grant are reliable. This is a particular worry. If the Welsh Government doesn’t ensure that they obtain the right data, what they say about youth work strategies is potentially meaningless. There’s no way of knowing whether local authorities are spending money on other things, and no-one is accountable.

So, to recap, we have a Minister who dismisses much of what the stakeholders have to say, doesn’t seem to know where and what the current provision is, and is possibly using questionable data. We and the people of Wales simply cannot give any credibility to what he says on this important issue. Decent youth provision can transform lives and change young people’s futures. Every youngster should have access to youth services, if they wish to avail themselves of them. My big question is, therefore, whether the Minister will implement the recommendations of this report, or otherwise act upon it. Thank you.

Speaking as the youngest member of the committee—[Laughter.] These things are all relative, you know—I don’t claim to have any special insights, other than what we learned from the inquiry. And I agree with the Chair, with Lynne Neagle, that that stakeholder event was a great thing, a real chance to tap into the thoughts and the experiences of those people delivering those services, and it was a really important part of the whole process.

It was my first inquiry, and I’ve got a copy of the Minister’s response, and he’s accepted—or accepted in principle—all of the recommendations. And I don’t know whether that happens all the time, but it seems like a good thing. Where does it go next?

I’d like to focus on one specific recommendation, which is recommendation 8. And I’m very pleased that the Minister’s accepted that one in principle, which asks the Minister to develop an accountability framework for local authorities’ use of funds for youth work, via the revenue support grant. And it isn’t agreeing to hypothecate funding, as other Members have already noted. But what it does say is that the Government has begun the process to undertake a review of all these youth work funding streams to identify the true impact, and to support future thinking for youth work in Wales.

And my mind turned to youth work in my constituency, and Julie Morgan’s mentioned open access—well, in Senghenydd—where Julie just told me that’s where she’s originally from—the Senghenydd youth drop-in centre, was visited by the Minister, and is an open-access youth group, and it’s massively important, but also facing a very, very uncertain immediate future. And given the changes that are likely to happen with regard to Communities First—and I know there’s been criticisms of Communities First for the funds not going where they’re supposed to go; I understand that there’s been criticism in a minority of cases—I suspect a good deal of youth work, particularly there at SYDIC, has been partly funded by overspill from Communities First.

So, given that the Minister has proposed to consider the changing nature—sorry, to consider the future thinking for youth work in Wales, and the Cabinet Secretary for communities is looking at the changing nature of resilient communities, I’d like the Minister to particularly consider that impact. What will be in that review that is recommended in recommendation 8 and what will be the impact of the Welsh Government’s new resilient communities policy? I think there must be—there must be—an overlap so that youth work doesn’t suffer as a result of any changes that take place.

But what I’d say, from my experience, is that the Minister’s taken a hugely constructive approach, as seems to be expected of this Minister, which is great, and I look forward to seeing what happens next after the recommendations have been made.

Can I first of all thank Lynne Neagle for presenting the report and the committee for the work that they’ve done? It was clearly a very wide-ranging inquiry and the contributions here today, I think, setting out the work that’s been done have been quite exemplary, so thanks everybody for that. In many respects, I guess the whole thrust of the report is probably neatly summed up by the opening paragraph, which you alluded to, Lynne, when you talked about one of the comments from the contributors, talking about youth workers as life-savers. I think that’s probably worth just repeating, because it’s on that particular aspect that I wanted to primary focus my contribution this afternoon.

First of all, I’d like to comment on the challenges faced by our youth services, as that has a direct impact on the areas that I want to talk about. While I don’t want to rehearse again the arguments about the impact that Tory austerity policies have had on Wales and on our public services and our communities, the continual reduction in funding to the Welsh Assembly has inevitably had an impact on the way in which these services have been funded.

At this point, can I just take a moment to commend the finance and local government Secretary, Mark Drakeford, for the work that he has done in delivering a settlement for local government this year, which sees an increase in funding for the first time since 2013-14, despite the overall pressures on Welsh Government finances? However, you know, we cannot escape the fact that the overall cuts in funding to local authorities have left them with, not just difficult decisions, but actually sometimes nigh on impossible decisions.

I’m very grateful to the Member for taking the intervention. You weren’t on the inquiry and you didn’t take part in it, but one thing that was absolutely evident was that there was no direct correlation, actually, to the quality of youth services on the ground and the amount that’s being spent on them by local authorities, as I indicated in my remarks earlier. Conwy is a local authority, for example, that has a very low rate of spending, and yet the services are actually very high-quality because they’ve embedded them within the voluntary sector and supported the capacity of that sector to provide them.

And I’m sure that there are examples of that, and I don’t doubt what the Member is saying, but I think, as a general rule, if you keep starving a service of funds, then inevitably it begins to impact, and I would say that there are more examples of the opposite than the kind of examples that the Member refers to. But it is about local authorities having to prioritise, and there’s no getting away from that. Of course, it’s not just about the services that are directly provided by local authorities—as we know, many third sector providers rely heavily on the funding that they also get from local authorities and that’s also been the subject of cuts that they’ve had to face.

If I could just take a moment to talk to you about some of the organisations in my own constituency. We have some incredible originations and schemes, such as the Forsythia Youth Project and the Dowlais Engine House to name but two. As Hefin David has already mentioned, these receive significant amounts of funding through the Communities First programme. That, to a large extent, has plugged the financial gap from local authorities and the money made available to them. So, while I’m not today going to open the debate about Communities First, because I know that the Minister responsible for that is going to be making a statement in the near future, I have to say that, if Communities First funding is to go or is to be phased out, then it’s crucial that we look at ways that youth schemes, like the ones that I’ve mentioned, continue. And I ask myself why that is so crucial. Well, I’m absolutely in no doubt whatsoever that if it were not for the likes of those services, provided by some of the projects like the ones that I’ve mentioned, many of the young people served by them would end up roaming the streets. They’d then be engaging in anti-social behaviour, possibly falling into dependency on drugs and alcohol, or even becoming young offenders. In some of these areas, the closure of those facilities wouldn’t result in their parents just paying them to go and use other facilities because they are generally in areas where those families would not have the money available to do that. So, when the Minister reviews the national strategy for youth services, I hope that recognition will be given to those projects such as Forsythia Youth Project and the Dowlais Engine House that I’ve referred to, and others that provide that early intervention that is so important, particularly in the most deprived areas in our society, and that we will give consideration as to how these schemes can be maintained in the future, regardless of the decisions surrounding the future of Communities First.

So, Llywydd, in conclusion I’m just pleased to be supporting both the motion and the inquiry report, and in doing so trust that the significance of the work done by our youth services and the staff who work in them will be fully recognised going forward.

Thank you very much. I call on the Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language, Alun Davies.

Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I’m grateful to all the Members who’ve contributed to the inquiry and to the debate this afternoon. In many ways, Deputy Presiding Officer, I felt the inquiry was a great example of the Assembly and Government: the correct tension that needs to exist between the two institutions, as referred to—an occasional tussle between us all—but also the committee putting very firmly on the Government’s agenda some issues that are of clear national importance, and the committee reporting in a robust fashion and compelling Government and the Minister to consider the approach that has been taken. And I will say that the response of this committee—Members have generally been quite kind about the response of the Government, but the response, actually, isn’t simply what was written and published in the documentation that we’ve seen and discussed today; the response in many ways was the fact that we were compelled to actually have a debate that probably wouldn’t have taken place without the committee’s investigation, without the committee’s report, without the evidence that the committee took and without the conclusions that the committee made on the basis of that evidence. And compelling Government to actually look hard at its priorities, to look hard at its programme, the way we seek to move forward, has ensured that the words that have been described by Members this afternoon and used by witnesses to the inquiry over the last few months have actually had an impact on changing in policy and in changing the approach and direction of Government. I think it’s right to begin my contribution this afternoon by acknowledging that, and acknowledging the work that the committee’s done over the last few months.

I think there’s broad agreement that high-quality youth work has a crucial role to play in supporting many people to achieve their full potential, and makes a very real difference to the lives of young people, whether it is through different experiences that are opened up to people or the support it offers. It does underpin many of our priorities, from education, health to community regeneration. I’ll decline Dawn’s kind offer to discuss Communities First this afternoon, but we are absolutely clear in our minds that the work of community regeneration and community development is aided and supported by the wider youth work agenda. We recognise that, and we recognise the points that have been made.

I’m pleased to be able to accept or accept in principle all 10 recommendations. I approached the committee report in a way that sought to look at how we can enable these things to happen, not looking for reasons not to accept recommendations, but looking for reasons and ways of accepting those recommendations. I will say to Hefin that that’s not always been the case, I think it’s fair to say, over the years, and I hope that he’s enjoyed his first inquiry, as a member of the committee here. And I certainly hope that he’s found the experience of scrutinising Government in this way as one that’s both been enjoyable and also critical in changing the direction of policy.

Can I respond to some of the concerns that have been raised about the need for a clearer strategic direction? I was very taken by Darren Millar’s contribution in terms of describing the way that the Government does need to establish a far clearer direction of travel. I think that was clear during the evidence session that we had together, and I think I have already committed to refreshing ‘Extending Entitlement’, the statutory guidance that underpins the provision and delivery of youth support services in Wales. A detailed action plan will be developed and published by the end of March 2017. My officials are working with the subgroup of the youth work reference group to develop a plan for the refresh of ‘Extending Entitlement’ and they will meet for the first time in two weeks. This work will cross a number of different ministerial portfolios, and it also includes youth support services more broadly and not simply youth work.

We will also need to review the current national youth work strategy to inform the work of refreshing the statutory guidance. My officials have already begun discussions with members of the youth work reference group on how we will develop this piece of work. I would invite the committee to continue its work and to continue its scrutiny of this refresh, and to play a part and a role in doing so, and that’s something I’d very much welcome if committee members were to do so.

A number of Members have discussed the concerns raised about the lack of engagement with the sector and young people. I recognise the description that Julie Morgan gave in her contribution. I recognise very much the points that you made, Julie, and I think you’re absolutely right to make those points. I met with the youth work reference group on 8 December, and I and my officials will continue to work with the group to shape the future of youth work delivery in Wales. I hope that young people’s participation will always remain central to the work that we undertake, and we will certainly seek to utilise the expertise of stakeholders, including Young Wales, to ensure that we are able to reach some people who are not always a part of these processes. I will certainly be looking at how we can do that and if the committee has further contributions to make as to how we would do that, then I would very much welcome hearing those views.

I understand what is said about a national model, and I know that Llyr Gruffydd has spoken widely on this, in terms of the need to have a national model and the way that we take that forward. I want to give this some further consideration, and I do not, today, wish to pre-empt that consideration. But let me say this: I recognise the comments that have been made. I think Darren made a comment in the debate today about the Government rushing on, taking decisions and implementing decisions whilst the committee is undertaking its inquiry, and I think Llyr has made that point on other occasions as well. There are times when I feel that, as a Minister, I cannot sit back and wait, I have to take decisions and move forward, and there are other occasions—and we’ve discussed the Welsh language in education strategic plans this afternoon—when I feel that it is more important for me to sit back and wait until I am in a position to take a reasoned decision on these matters. This is another example where, at the moment, I wish to take a more reasoned approach and an approach where I would wish to give myself more time to listen to what is said and to understand what the refresh of ‘Extending Entitlement’ and the review of the national strategy tell us before taking a decision on this matter. I hope that Members and the committee will appreciate the reasoning behind that.

But I do listen to and hear the concerns raised by all Members on the closure of open-access provision. Julie Morgan gave us an example in her own constituency, but we’re all familiar with that. It is difficult for local authorities—we know that, and Dawn Bowden has given examples of that, and we’re all familiar with the difficult decisions facing local authorities.

It has a strategic role to play in offering a mechanism to identify potentially vulnerable young people and providing early intervention support. It is clear also that the youth work landscape is changing and open-access provision is also changing. I want to be able to work with local government in order to ensure that we are able to have the sort of provision that we wish to see. Llyr described it, I think, as being overly optimistic, possibly—‘ambitious’ was your word. Very ambitious, yes. I hope that we are able to achieve that, and certainly, what we want to explore is whether sufficiency assessments might be a suitable vehicle to assist local authorities to assess the needs of their local populations and then be able to meet those needs.

There will be a number of different issues regarding funding and the revenue support grant. We know that the RSG is an unhypothecated funding stream, and it is, therefore, a decision for local authorities as to how this funding is utilised. Hefin has discussed that himself and, as somebody who’s served on a local authority, he knows better than most the difficulties that local authorities face in taking these decisions.

I hope that we will be able to undertake a review of all of our youth work funding streams including the revenue support grant, to identify the true impact and to support future thinking for supporting youth work in Wales. I can see that time is against me, Deputy Presiding Officer, and I won’t test your patience any further. What I would like to say in conclusion is that this is a report that has changed the way that we’re thinking. It’s forced us to think twice, think three times about what we’re doing. We will continue to work with the committee to take these matters forward, and I hope that I’ll be in a position to come to this place to make an oral statement on these matters in the near future. Thank you.

Thank you very much, and I call on the Chair of the Children, Young People and Education Committee, Lynne Neagle, to reply to the debate.

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer, and can I thank all the Members who’ve contributed to an excellent debate on our report this afternoon? I’d like to thank Darren Millar for his positive comments about the outcome of the inquiry, which are very much welcome. I also wholeheartedly endorse what he said about the importance of the youth parliament. I, too, was there today to receive the report from the campaign for the youth parliament. What I think is so important is that the reason these services are being deprioritised at a local level is because young people don’t have a voice, and that youth parliament will be absolutely critical in ensuring that they do have a voice. I hope that that is something that we can push outwards across Wales, so that they are reprioritised, those services.

Can I thank Llyr Gruffydd for his remarks? He’s absolutely right that this isn’t an issue that we’ve focused on before, and I’m very grateful that it was Llyr who made the suggestion to the committee that we undertake this inquiry. It was intended to be a snapshot inquiry, and it was certainly, for me, very much an eye-opener, and I do feel that we opened a bit of a Pandora’s box with it. So, I’m really pleased that we’ve done that. Now that we’ve looked at it, I would just like to assure everyone that I’ve got no intention of letting it go to the side again: we need to keep a focus on that. As you rightly say, this is a key preventative service. We talk a lot about prevention here, but in a whole range of ways, this is a key preventative service for young people and therefore is one that deserves our investment.

Can I thank Julie Morgan for her contribution and her support, as always, for universal services for young people, and also for highlighting the important role that