National Assembly for Wales

Good afternoon and welcome to this afternoon's Plenary meeting. The first item on our agenda will be questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government, and the first question is from Samuel Kurtz.

Diolch. We are committed to using all available levers to ensure we maintain a viable private rented sector in Wales, offering high-quality and choice of accommodation. We have a number of grant schemes that are available to landlords or tenants and provide guidance and information through Rent Smart Wales.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. Recently, I had—well, I can’t call it an honour—I visited some housing stock in my constituency, which is owned by a private landlord, and the conditions, which the tenants live in, I can only describe as squalid.  And I’m thankful to Carmarthenshire County Council and Pembrokeshire County Council—this landlord owns properties in both local authorities’ areas—because I’m working with them now to try and help these tenants because of the situation that they find themselves in. But one thing that really took me aback was that Rent Smart Wales has the ability to deter good-quality landlords from the sector, but not then hold those rogue landlords to account at the same time. So, what are you doing within your role and with other Cabinet Secretaries to make sure that Rent Smart Wales has the teeth to go after rogue landlords that are taking advantage of their tenants, but also to make it as welcoming and forthcoming as possible to get more private landlords into the sector to provide those high-quality, affordable homes that you mentioned in your opening response?

Diolch, Sam, and I'm sorry to hear about the issues that your constituents have. Rent Smart Wales is responsible for the registration and licensing of landlords, ensuring that they’re trained and meet requirements in respect of being fit and proper persons. If the landlord is in breach of standards set out in the Renting Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) (Wales) Regulations 2022, then the tenant should report this to the relevant local authority's environmental health team, who have the responsibility to investigate those breaches. So, if a landlord is in breach of their contract, then any notices that they may serve in the future, including for rent or a no-fault eviction, may be invalid. So, I’d very much make sure that your constituents are raising that with the local authority.

Unfortunately, rogue landlords are probably not a rarity in Cardiff, which they may well be in Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire—I hope so. But I’ve got a tenant who has been living in this property for quite a long time with a young child, and we all know how difficult it can be to get a tenancy when you’ve got a child. And they’ve just been suffering for years and years from the landlord refusing to do the necessary repairs. They’ve now been issued with a compulsory improvement order by environmental health, but, frankly, they should have been taken out long before now, because this landlord owns the majority of the flats in this large block and this is not the first situation of this kind that I have experienced. And I think that there’s a disconnect between environmental health and the licensing system, because environmental health needs to be reporting to Rent Smart Wales that they’ve had this problem with the licensee and, therefore, there needs to be a massive question mark over it. Rent Smart Wales just seem to lack the teeth that we need to make the licensing system have more effect.

Thank you for that question and for raising your constituent's concerns and their situation, as well as Sam's in his initial question. Again, if a landlord is in breach of standards set out in the fitness for human habitation regulations, then the tenant should report that, as your constituents have, to the relevant local authority. The local authority then should inform Rent Smart Wales of any enforcement or improvement notices that have been served on a landlord or, if they fail to rectify that issue, Rent Smart Wales can issue fixed-penalty notices and consider revoking a landlord's licence, which would mean that they could no longer legally manage the letting and would need to appoint an agent. A tenant may also be entitled, under the new occupation contracts, to withhold their rent if they have reported issues affecting the habitability of the property and the landlord has failed to rectify the issue. So, there are ways to make sure that tenants have recourse to this.

But I would just like to put on record that we do have the White Paper on adequate housing, and we’re keen to look at annual check-ins that will confirm whether landlords and properties are active in the sector to ensure that we’ve got up-to-date data rather than waiting for the end of the five-year registration or licensing period, so we've got a better understanding of who's in that. So, we do have the White Paper at the moment. And I'm also keen to see how we can support good landlords who provide high-quality, safe and affordable accommodation, so that people feel safe to stay and invest in the sector for the future.

Diolch, Luke. Available evidence on rent controls in the private rented sector indicates such measures would likely to be ineffective or may even have negative impacts on affordability. As such, and as set out in our recently published White Paper, we are not currently proposing to take forward national rent control measures.

I have to say it is very disappointing that the Welsh Government is retreating from the idea of rent controls, despite the clear power imbalance that exists between tenants and landlords. Now, the White Paper on adequate housing that was launched on 24 October cites an insufficient evidence base for taking forward rent controls—you alluded to that in your answer. But there is a clear evidence base of immediate affordability challenges for tenants, and we can say for sure that private rents have increased dramatically in recent years. There are plenty of examples of places in the world where limits on rent increases have worked to stabilise housing markets. So, I wonder if the Cabinet Secretary could therefore clarify the Government's intentions? Does this mean that the Government is planning to revisit the idea of rent controls when sufficient data is gathered, or has it dismissed the concept altogether, because there is a space and there is a clear need in Wales for a well-designed rent control system?

Diolch, Luke. The evidence from the Green Paper consultation, and evidence from the national rent cap in Scotland, indicates that rent control measures are unlikely to be effective and may have an adverse impact on the affordability and supply. Scotland have now lifted their national rent cap and are now taking forward legislation that will require the collection of rent data and provision for local authorities to apply for specific areas to be designated a rent pressure zone. We've always been clear that we would not introduce rent controls without an understanding of the potential unintended consequences of rent control on the private rented sector. So, we've considered a range of evidence, which has informed the White Paper, and, as I said, that evidence available at the moment indicates that rent control measures would likely be ineffective, and, as I said, may have that adverse impact on affordability.

I don't think the Welsh Government's position on rent controls is clear, because you have flirted with rent controls in the past, and have consulted on this topic, with the idea, thankfully, being ruled out, albeit tepidly, from the Government. But I'd appreciate if the Welsh Government could actually make their position clearer on the subject and confirm to the Senedd that the Welsh Government does not have plans to follow Scotland's disastrous lead by implementing rent controls, which end up exacerbating the very problem they are designed to remedy, with thousands of landlords taking their properties off the rental market. I'm sure they wouldn't have done that if the Welsh Government's messaging on this matter were clearer. The National Residential Landlords Association said that rent controls would serve only to decimate this sector further and would be a disaster for tenants. And looking over to Dublin and the Republic of Ireland, we can see the real-world effect of this well-meaning but foolish policy, which has greatly exacerbated their housing crisis. So, could the Cabinet Secretary outline whether the Welsh Government's position remains one of rejecting the idea of rent controls, and whether that is also the position of the UK Labour Government, and that the Welsh Government will instead focus on house building, to ensure an adequate supply of housing in the social and private rented sectors? I think we need less ambiguity and more clarity around this subject. Thank you.

Thank you, Gareth. As I said in response to Luke Fletcher, in our recently published White Paper, we are not currently proposing to take forward national rent control measures. As I said, the White Paper is looking to approve the affordability of the private rented sector by exploring how to achieve better and more localised rent data, to improve our understanding of the market rents. We confirmed to social landlords back in May that the current rent settlement, CPI+1, would be extended to cover the next financial year, while we're working with the sector to develop our proposals for a future social rent policy, thereby providing them certainty for 2026. We're going to consult on our proposals for a new social rent policy for Wales next summer.

I now call the party spokespeople. First of all, the Welsh Conservative spokesperson, Mark Isherwood.

Diolch. Labour Welsh Governments slashed funding for housing from 1999, ignoring repeated warnings of a housing crisis, and setting in train the housing supply crisis, which has led to almost 140,000 people on social housing waiting lists now. The 2012 UK housing review stated that, by 2009-10, the Welsh Government had by far the lowest proportional level of housing expenditure of any of the four UK countries, and the Welsh Government has continued to lag ever since. North Wales housing associations have highlighted now the Audit Wales report, which found that, without additional funding, the Welsh Government will miss their 20,000 target by up to 4,140 homes. As the Bevan Foundation states, the delivery of new social homes is lagging behind the Welsh Government’s aspirations, as well as the reality of growing demand. And as Community Housing Cymru states, what they really need is a longer term, sustainable multi-year settlement. What assurances can you therefore provide that the affordable homes funding, which the Welsh Government will receive in consequentials from the UK Government—and, hopefully, more—will be fully allocated to affordable housing in Wales?

Thank you, Mark. In terms of your point on affordable homes, I think affordable housing is, and really should be, a priority that we all support in this Chamber. In terms of the work we’re putting in on building more homes, we have—. Over the summer, I wrote to all local authorities, all registered social landlords, and asked them specifically what were the red flags in their programmes in terms of building more homes to rent in the social sector, and we’ve got that information now. And, again, I’ve announced a taskforce as part of that, which will look at the specific blockages within that.

So, I think we are doing everything we can, and I really feel that there is that pace behind it. We all know that we need to build more houses, and that is something that we’re looking to do, as we have done in the past, and we want to see where these blockages are and make sure we do what we can to unblock them.

Thank you, but the question was: what assurances will you provide that the allocation for affordable homes funding you receive in consequentials from the UK Government will be fully allocated to affordable housing in Wales?

Following on from that, last week, Shelter Cymru published a new report showing that, in 2023-24, the total cost of temporary accommodation in Wales reached £99 million, more than double what it was in 2020-21, highlighting the significant increase in temporary accommodation in Wales, and the human impact of this, with over 11,000 people, including almost 3,000 children, now living in such places. Their research also shows increasing reliance on private sector provision. How, therefore, do you respond to calls by the National Residential Landlords Association for Welsh Government action to tackle an acute shortage of homes for private let, with demand outstripping supply, not only putting upward pressure on rents, but also undermining tenants’ purchasing power in the market, making it more difficult to hold bad and criminal landlords to account, and to the statement by Community Housing Cymru—the voice, as you know, of housing associations in Wales—that, as we come up to Welsh Government budget time, there is a need in particular to at least sustain the housing support grant in real terms and to keep people in their homes?

Thank you, Mark, and I can assure you that I’ll be making that argument around the housing support grant around the Cabinet table. I’ve heard directly from people and organisations, as you’ve outlined in your question, and we know that the housing support grant has been really, really important, and the uplift that we’ve managed to put in that. We’ve done as much as we can possibly do in the last budget round, but I really think that the work of people who work in the sector is incredible, and, without that, we just put more pressure on other parts of the system.

Going back to the first question—apologies—that you did raise around the UK Government budget, again, this is something that we’re looking at very carefully. We have our budget-setting process going on, as you know, at the moment, but we’re doing all we can to fix—. We’re seeing a UK Government who want to fix the foundations of the country, after the budget and the last 14 years of economic mismanagement we’ve had by the previous Government. We know that we need to build more houses. As I said, we're looking at what more we can do, and I can assure you that I, the First Minister and the Minister for Delivery, and our new taskforce will be very much focused on that, because we know that there are too many people in temporary accommodation. You mentioned the human cost of that, and I do feel that myself very strongly. We often see numbers and we see those statistics, but behind those are individuals.

Thank you for answering some of the questions, but you didn't respond to the question about the National Residential Landlords Association highlighting an acute shortage of homes for private let and calling for Welsh Government action accordingly. And, of course, the previous Conservative Governments dealt with the largest deficit in the G20, a global pandemic and a global cost-of-living crisis, and still left a deficit, as a proportion of gross domestic product, at two and a half times less than had been left by the UK Government in 2010. But that aside, I was trying to avoid those sorts of comments today.

The Home Builders Federation stated last month that Wales continues to face a housing affordability crisis, caused in part by a lack of new supply of housing over many decades. Indeed, they say, the latest Welsh Government data on housing supply confirms that new dwellings built in Wales in the 2023-24 financial year was the second lowest on record. Furthermore, the Welsh Government's 'Future Wales: The National Plan 2040' estimates that on average 7,400 additional homes were required annually from 2019-24, with the majority for market sale or rent. However, the average number completed over the last five years was just 5,498. They also—.

You need to ask your question, please, Mark.

Well, noting the statement earlier by yourself on support for housing delivery, issued only 50 minutes ago, do you agree that we need a whole-market solution to the housing crisis in Wales? And if so, how will you co-produce, co-design and co-deliver solutions with housing providers, including private landlords and house builders, with social landlords and local authorities across the whole sector?

Thank you, Mark. We do have a proud record of delivery in difficult circumstances here in Wales in terms of housing. We've provided record levels of funding to support the delivery of social housing in this Senedd term; it's more than £1.4 billion allocated. Despite the challenging budgets that we have seen over the last 14 years, we have protected the budget for social housing. In 2023-24, we awarded an additional £61 million on top of the original £300 million budget for that social housing grant, but there is always more to be done. You know, I'm very acutely aware of that, and I'm really focused on what more we can do together. And that's why one of the reasons I wrote to all the registered social landlords, and wrote to local authorities, to see what more can be done. And I will work in partnership across all elements of the sector to see how we can do this, because it is really important we come together. We all have this ambition, and I think we need to really focus on how we can deliver for people in Wales.

Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Peredur Owen Griffiths.  

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. 'Austerity has ended'—these were the words of the First Minister yesterday. I know it will be news to the councils across Wales that are in the midst of a financial crisis, facing a £559 million shortfall. They need a 7 per cent revenue increase just to maintain the current services, let alone investment in improvements. I'd be interested to know if the Cabinet Secretary also believes that austerity is over. The UK budget announced funding of £1.7 billion for Wales. Could the Cabinet Secretary provide a timeline for this £1.7 billion spend and let us know how much she is requesting for local authorities, when in discussions with the financial Secretary, and will it be enough to cover the whole of the £559 million gap? 

Diolch, Peredur. You know, we have to remember here that we've got that £22 billion black hole from the previous UK Governments that the new Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachel Reeves, has started to have to fix. The position of the new UK Government that we've inherited cannot be turned around in one budget, and I think we have to be aware of that, and it's going to take time for public finances to recover. The budget is welcome and it's a welcome investment in Wales, its people and its communities, local businesses and public services. You know that the wider financial context remains challenging, remains difficult, but the budget does represent vital first steps forward to fixing that damage that we have inherited.

In terms of local authorities in particular, I obviously meet local authority leaders regularly, I speak to them regularly. And this is all about how we work in partnership to deliver the best that we possibly can, because local authorities have been under a huge amount of pressure over a number of years now, and we’ve done the best we can here in Wales to protect our local authorities. They’ve been under that pressure, as I say, for a number of years, and I’m very acutely aware of that and I hear that directly from them.

Diolch. It is disappointing that that assurance isn’t there at the moment. I’m sure you are listening to local authorities. I’ve been speaking to them as well, and they are making those asks as to how much of that £1.7 billion will be coming their way to help the most vulnerable in our societies. We also heard yesterday that the changes in national insurance contributions will be fully funded, separate from the £1.7 billion, based on the ONS definition of public sector workers. Could the Cabinet Secretary clarify this definition and confirm whether it includes third sector workers contracted to local authorities? Does the Cabinet Secretary acknowledge that employer national insurance increases will have a huge impact on the third sector and the services that they provide on behalf of local authorities?

Diolch, Peredur. HM Treasury have acknowledged that the change to employer national insurance contributions from April will increase costs for public sector employers, and they’ve said that they’ll provide funding to the public sector to support them with additional costs associated with these changes. We’re working with HM Treasury to clarify the details, and I can assure you that we’ll provide further information as soon as we possibly can.

Okay, that’s not quite as positive as what the finance Secretary said yesterday, but I know there are lots of things to be worked through. I’ll look forward to getting that update from you.

Finally, can the Cabinet Secretary assure us that consequentials from the social care spend in England will go directly to Welsh councils rather than being absorbed into the Welsh health budget, to ensure that councils are able to fund the vital services?

I can certainly make sure that we write to you further on that, because this is something that I know local authorities are very concerned about. Again, I speak to them regularly, and social care is one of those challenges that comes up time and time again. I’ve heard the pressure that they’ve been under and face, and I know that the finance Secretary is very much aware of that as well. I can make sure we write to you with some further information specifically on that.

Diolch, Adam. Through our funding programmes, we're working with local authorities to redevelop empty properties, including empty commercial properties across Wales, with many of these disused properties being revitalised for mixed-use development, including residential housing.

I'm grateful to the Cabinet Secretary for her response. There is a dire need in terms of homelessness and social housing in the Ammanford and the Amman Valley area. For example, there are around 400 people on the council’s housing waiting list in Ammanford alone, with most of them on the highest level in terms of need, namely band A. Many of them need one-person accommodation, which is very scarce, of course.

In discussing with the food bank locally and with the council in terms of how we can be innovative in responding to this need, we have been having discussions with Habitat for Humanity, a charity that is currently developing pilots in England in order to turn empty buildings into social housing. They're interested in doing something in Wales. There are empty buildings in Ammanford, and the council is interested in being part of such a pilot scheme. So, what support can the Welsh Government provide in order to facilitate that and to make it a plan that can be emulated in other communities across Wales?

Diolch, Adam. I do very much understand the situation of our town centres, in particular, are facing, and when we see empty properties in those town centres I think we all look at them and think, 'Could they be used for businesses or accommodation?' I know of some places like in my own constituency, actually, where they've worked really hard to put—. The local registered social landlord has actually bought up some of those properties and created extra housing in the city centre, which has been really successful to bring people to the high street as well. So, this is something we are obviously keen on and looking at, and working with local authorities and RSLs to ensure that that happens.

We do have a number of loans and grant schemes that are available that might be useful to know, and different funds. We've got our land and buildings development fund, which is about low-carbon homes through a strong, short supply chain to make use of modern methods of construction. We also know that we've got our empty homes grant. Just for you to know, we've had 904 valid applications for this scheme to date and 122 of those properties completed. But I can write to you on specific funds, and perhaps you could write to me about that particular scheme that you mentioned as well, because I'd be very interested to hear about that. 

I thank my colleague Adam Price for raising this really important issue, because for years we've discussed the shortage of affordable homes. I will declare an interest in this matter and refer Members to my declarations of interest. We have so many empty properties in our constituencies within town centres. One only has to look at towns like Bangor and Caernarfon; those high streets now look really sad because there are so many closed-down properties. It's a fact that the commercial market is shrinking and many ground-floor retail properties are suitable for easy conversion back to homes, but this is of course dependent on an innovate-thinking local authority planning department. Too often, such applications struggle to obtain the necessary change-of-use class allowing conversion to make these homes. So, will you, Cabinet Secretary, perhaps work with or send out guidance notes to local authorities to almost suggest to them that one way they could lower the increase in temporary accommodation spend would be by turning some of these commercial units back into lovely homes, and that planning authorities should see it now as a new direction for some of these town centres? Diolch.

As I say, I do agree and I've seen where it's started to be done really well. Earlier this week I visited Torfaen County Borough Council, and just across from where they are they're redeveloping an empty property within Pontypool town centre, which will be for assisted accommodation, assisted living, which is really, really interesting. So, I look forward to that scheme opening, but that's just another example, perhaps, on our high streets of seeing a building that isn't suitable or no longer used being brought back to life with people living in it.

I'd also like to take the opportunity to mention our Leasing Scheme Wales campaign. I try to encourage it as much as I can when I go to all local authorities, and I just think if every Member here could also look into the Leasing Scheme Wales campaign that we have got going on—. That actually looks at some private landlords who might actually be looking to leave or give up their property, or perhaps have a property that's empty, and that's a scheme that local authorities administer, so they can contact their local authorities. And I think it's just something that we can help promote. There is a video on Welsh Government website with Rent Smart Wales. Rent Smart Wales, I believe, have sent out information to landlords who might be interested in Leasing Scheme Wales. It started off small. It's only been announced recently, but we are making some really good progress. Some local authorities have only just brought it online, so I know, when I was speaking to Torfaen, that that's just come on. But I really would encourage Members to share that video as much as possible, and perhaps I could write to all Members to make sure you've all got that information.

Diolch, Tom. Welsh Government has awarded £2.65 million of grant funding to Bridgend County Borough Council for remedial works on affected homes in Caerau. My officials recently met with BCBC and we will receive an update on progress to treat the affected properties in early December.

I'm grateful to you for your response. Obviously, what has happened in Caerau I think is one of the biggest injustices that we've seen in a long, long time. What we saw was one of the poorest communities in Wales receive remedial works—or not even remedial works, works to insulate their properties, in the first instance—through a Welsh Government project, delivered by the local council, who then contracted a company where a sitting Labour councillor was its director and found shoddy workmanship that meant those houses were in a much worse condition than before they had the work done. Now, it has taken over a decade for work to even begin on fixing the damage done. This is a huge problem, and it has really damaged the faith, I think, that people in Caerau have not only in the scheme but in politics and in politicians. Now, I asked this question alongside Luke Fletcher just over a month ago of the First Minister, and the First Minister said in response to me,

'I know that my colleague the Deputy First Minister has been making sure that the lessons are being learnt.'

Now, that will have been news to me and all of us, I think, and the first time we would have heard that, so can you inform us exactly what that work entails? Is that a formal piece of work commissioned by the Welsh Government, and when can we expect to hear the lessons-learnt exercise from the Deputy First Minister?

Diolch, Tom, and, again, I'd just like to put on record that I recognise and understand the frustration of home owners in Caerau. I know this, as you say, has been a long-standing issue, and I know that residents are being kept informed of progress now. I know that drop-in sessions happen at least weekly, and I know that there will be opportunities to meet an appointed co-ordinator. Bridgend County Borough Council have appointed that community liaison manager to answer any queries from concerned residents, so I just hope that everybody could share that as well with residents in Caerau to make sure that they are aware of those weekly meetings.

And in terms of the lessons learnt, some of the things from the lessons learnt, from those legacy issues at Caerau, have influenced our new Warm Homes programme, in which we have incorporated a higher standard of quality assurance. Just to say, officials are in regular contact with the local authority and we will receive progress updates on a quarterly basis, but I will also ask my officials to update Members of the Senedd as well. But there are some lessons to be learnt as well as that Warm Homes programme, for example, reducing potential conflicts of interest by letting separate contracts for our advice and referral provider and our delivery provider, introducing key performance indicators for complaints received. So, there are lessons that we definitely need to learn, and I can assure you that that is what we're doing.

Luke Fletcher.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd, and I appreciate you allowing me to come in on this. Tom Giffard is right, the residents in Caerau—or at least the feeling I'm getting—have lost complete faith in politicians and organisations to resolve this issue after over a decade or more dealing with it. One resident's daughter has lived in these conditions for as long as she's been alive. Now, I wouldn't accept those living conditions; you wouldn't accept those living conditions; nobody in this Chamber would accept those living conditions.

I just want to pick up on one thing that was said in your answer to Tom Giffard, which is that residents are being given a timeline and a timetable for when works are going to happen. That's not what we're hearing on the ground. A number of residents have approached me over the last couple of months with different dates in hand about when works are going to start, so there's a real communication issue here. So, what I would impress on the Government is that they need to co-ordinate how they're communicating with residents a lot better, because right now that is equally causing as much frustration as the works begin to progress.

Diolch, Luke. I know of yours and Tom's, and, I know, the Deputy First Minister's, interest in this area. I think, from my perspective, it's hopeful and helpful to know about the new community liaison manager who answers queries from residents, and I think it's important that I can feed that back and that that is fed back to the community liaison manager as well, because I think, as you say, communication is so important, isn't it, if residents have been living with this for such a long time. I think that we can make sure that communication is as clear as possible for residents. So, I'll take that information back as well. But I think it's important that there is somewhere for people to go. There is a drop-in session that happens, as I say, at least weekly, and I would encourage residents to go to that as well.

Diolch, Mark. Local authorities are democratically accountable to their electorate. Responsibility for regulating and enforcing the Equality Act 2010 and the public sector equality duty falls to the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

Thank you, and, of course, they have limited powers to pursue individual cases. But, for over nine years, I've worked with disabled people and others across Flintshire seeking to work with Flintshire County Council to remove all barriers along the Wales coastal path, managed by the council, allowing access for all. The campaign includes TCC, a charity that supports 40 member groups in tackling social justice issues within north-east Wales, Cycling UK, TheFDF Centre for Independent Living, Sustrans Cymru, Disabled Ramblers UK, Wheels for Wellbeing, Chester Wheelers, and people with lived experience of the impact of these barriers on them. The current situation contravenes both the UK Equality Act 2010 and the legal and policy frameworks of the Welsh Government and Flintshire County Council itself. Age Cymru also contacted me in the context of the Equality Act after respondents to their annual survey noted that public spaces were becoming increasingly inaccessible for older people due to the disappearance of public toilets, benches, dropped pavements and other essential pieces of infrastructure. What actions can you therefore take when breaches of the legislation such as these are identified by external bodies and people with lived experience?

Diolch, Mark, and thank you—I know you've raised these sorts of issues over a number of years now—and for the work that you do with disabled people's groups as well. I know that you have a long-standing history of that.

The Welsh Government does take a leadership role in promoting the Equality Act across the public sector, including in social partnership, through the workforce partnership council, and the workforce partnership council has promoted the Disability Confident scheme across the public sector, social partners, and produced a variety of statements and reports on diversity, monitoring and things like the gender pay gap. So, there is work ongoing, and I think that it's really important that we also find where there are areas of best practice and how we can share that. There are opportunities where that happens. It includes events such as the one being planned for spring 2025 that showcases best practice and develops new approaches to encourage greater diversity in local democracy. So, there are ways, but we do take that very seriously.

Diolch, Mike. We're committed to supporting the development of co-operative and community-led housing in Wales. We have increased funding through Cwmpas to £180,000 annually between 2022-23 and 2024-25. Cwmpas is prioritising support for 41 community-led housing groups seeking to deliver affordable housing in Wales.

Thank you for that answer, Minister. In terms of co-operative housing, Wales and the rest of Great Britain have substantially less co-operative housing than Europe and North America. Why is co-operative housing so popular in places as diverse as New York City and Scandinavia, but has failed to become a standard form of accommodation in Wales and the rest of Great Britain? As we all know, John Lennon lived in the Dakota building, a co-operative apartment in Manhattan. Some progress has been made, but I believe Vancouver still has more co-operative housing than the whole of Great Britain. The Welsh Government has prioritised registered social landlords as a means to providing social housing. What further action can be taken to increase the number of co-operative housing units?

Diolch, Mike, and getting John Lennon into a question is no mean feat, so thank you for that. It must be recognised that we do have different models in Wales when compared to some European countries, and our traditional social housing model is one where local authorities and registered social landlords play a central role. The Danish model, for example, has chosen to drive forward community-led housing instead of our more traditional social housing approach. But we do look to learn where we can. Community-led housing is and continues to be an important part of the housing solution in Wales. We're focusing our efforts on our ambition to end homelessness by providing support at both ends, providing more homes alongside early intervention, prevention and support systems. So, we are working with Cwmpas on a future package of support to continue the growing of the sector, and I'm looking forward to the publication of research being undertaken by Cardiff University and Co-op Dan Do to support needs for the sector.

Cabinet Secretary, while we of course welcome any moves to encourage more housing co-operatives, these are only a small piece of the puzzle. We need to urgently address the supply of housing for rent in the social sector and you are a long way off achieving the 20,000 target. So, while co-operative housing initiatives will play a part in addressing Wales's housing needs, and, hopefully, in time, a large part of that need, we have to address the here and now. Cabinet Secretary, what immediate steps are you taking to address the housing shortage and ensure that no families are forced into long-term temporary accommodation? Thank you.

Diolch, Altaf, and, as I said earlier, affordable housing is and should be a priority that we all support. We know that we can't solely continue to deliver homes in the traditional way, which is why innovative housing solutions have been mainstreamed into the social housing grant funding programme. I'd like to encourage all RSLs and local authorities to explore alternative housing solutions, such as community-led housing, as a mechanism to meet the needs of their communities. To support this, we've launched a range of initiatives that will deliver more genuinely affordable homes as quickly as possible to meet that housing need, such as our transitional accommodation capital programme, or as I know it and many in the sector do, TACP, and, as I mentioned earlier, Leasing Scheme Wales. So, we do know that there are lots of things to do on this, but I think this does—. Community-led and co-operative housing certainly has its role, but we know that it's a small sector.

Diolch, Cefin. The Welsh Government will continue to protect local authority services as far as possible, including in rural areas. We're committed to continuing to use and maintain a fair and transparent funding formula for all local authorities, which is agreed with local government.

Thank you. As four leaders in councils led by Plaid Cymru in rural areas noted recently, in a letter to the Chancellor before the budget, they noted many of our local authorities are finding it difficult to provide services in rural areas, particularly in core services such as education and social care. As well, of course, we have to realise the great pressure and stress on county councillors who have to make these decisions, and the WLGA has recognised that recently. And we do have to remember that there is great pressure on councils in rural areas because of the additional cost of providing services, particularly the cost of travelling from one location to another.

Cabinet Secretary, last week, I launched a strategy on rural poverty, and one of the recommendations in the strategy was that we needed to set on a statutory basis rural-proofing of every Welsh Government policy. Would you agree to explore the possibility of legislating for such a duty?

Diolch, Cefin, and thank you for raising the issues within rural communities. We do recognise that there are particular challenges in rural communities, associated with things like the cost of living and poverty, for example. We know that there are those challenges, and I've heard from local authorities on that in particular, and I'm looking forward to visiting Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire in the next week, I think—so, very shortly—and I'm sure I'll hear some of those issues that you've raised today. 

It's not the Welsh Government's intention to develop a rural strategy. We are committed to delivering support across all parts of Wales through a range of policy interventions and funding mechanisms, and we remain steadfast in our core priorities. The Welsh Government does undertake a rural-proofing assessment as part of its integrated impact assessments when developing any policy, and we are committed to eradicating poverty and agree that support should be available to everyone in all parts of Wales. As I said, we do recognise that lived experiences of poverty can be different for many in rural areas.

Question 8, Natasha Asghar.

Thank you so much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Cabinet Secretary, physically, times are tough and we know that our local authorities have been stretched beyond belief. When it comes—. Sorry, I do apologise, I didn't ask my first question. I'm so sorry. 

Local authorities in Wales are democratically accountable bodies. Audit Wales, Estyn and Care Inspectorate Wales assess their performance. This includes consideration of their compliance with statutory requirements and guidance.

Thank you so much, Cabinet Secretary. As I mentioned just previously, physically, times are tough for everybody. Therefore, I'm sure that you would have been appalled, as I was, when hearing the recent revelation that Caerphilly County Borough Council has awarded their ex-CEO a £209,000 pay-off in a deal drawn up behind closed doors. Cabinet Secretary, that's a staggering amount of money and could pay for just shy of seven doctors' salaries per year, including pay increments as well. And I think this figure does put everything into perspective for all of us. I'm sure my constituents in Caerphilly would rather that this money was, in fact, spent on more nurses or doctors or, in fact, anything else that would, indeed, be to the local authority's benefit, but not on just a golden handshake for a soon-to-be ex-employee. So, Cabinet Secretary, do you agree with me that this cloak-and-dagger approach is entirely unacceptable, and will you commit to ensuring that councils are as open and transparent as possible with the people that they serve? After all, public funds are, indeed, their money.

Diolch, Natasha. Local authorities make decisions. They are accountable for their decisions, so I do agree that local authorities make those decisions and are accountable for them.

And finally, question 9, Russell George. 

We are in the early stages of the new Warm Homes programme, which is an ambitious programme to tackle fuel poverty and the climate emergency. Officials are undertaking a six-month review to ensure the scheme meets the requirements of Welsh householders.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary, and I'm pleased to hear that officials are taking that six-monthly review. Care and Repair tell me that their caseworkers and home energy officers have experienced difficulties in successfully referring their clients into the scheme. Secondly, there's also an issue that has been encountered where there are serious challenges when it comes to meeting the heating needs of their most vulnerable clients. Many of them, of course, have inefficient homes and complex health needs as well.

So, given these challenges, I wonder if the Welsh Government would consider reviewing the eligibility criteria and the funding criteria of the Warm Homes programme to better accommodate the urgent and particular heating needs of the most vulnerable, particularly in cases where like-for-like replacements are essential for their health and well-being.

Diolch, Russell. We're investing more than £30 million this year in the new Warm Homes Nest scheme to reduce the number of low-income households living in cold, damp homes. Eligible households will receive a bespoke package of measures to insulate and decarbonise their home, leading to lower energy bills and moving them out of fuel poverty. We are targeting the least well-off, and so that income threshold has been introduced, rather than relying solely on that means-tested benefit.

The new Warm Homes programme does respond to the current cost-of-living crisis and it takes a fabric, worst and low-carbon first approach to improve the long-term energy efficiency of the least thermally efficient low-income households in Wales. It’s going to take a two-pronged approach, through an advice service and through physically improving the homes of the fuel poor. The scheme is in its infancy and my officials are reviewing progress to ensure that the programme meets its primary objectives. Free energy savings advice is available to all householders in Wales and I’ve also introduced a crisis route for vulnerable households without heating and hot water on 7 October, and I’m pleased that this service has already helped 26 vulnerable households.

 I thank the Cabinet Secretary.

We'll move now to item 2, questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education, and the first question is from Julie Morgan.

I am committed to ensuring equality of opportunity, encouraging a culture of science literacy and learner progression. We provide support from nursery to higher education and beyond, prioritising STEM across the Curriculum for Wales, pledging £1.6 million for STEM enrichment activities, and promoting initiatives such as the science education scheme Wales.

 Thank you for that response.

We know that getting young people, especially girls, into STEM and ensuring that they pursue it into further and higher education means that it has to start at an early age and should be reinforced at every level of education. So, since April, Sacyr, the company that is building the new Velindre Cancer Centre in my constituency, has delivered STEM engagement sessions relating to construction to more than 1,400 young people in secondary schools across south Wales. They’ll also be providing STEM education activities for pupils in as many as 19 local primary schools that are close to the new Velindre centre. Sacyr is also working with Cardiff and Vale College to encourage STEM subjects, and this is so important at every level of education. So, what more can the Welsh Government do to encourage this type of partnership working in education, to make sure that young people continue with STEM in further and higher education?

I’d like to thank Julie Morgan for that supplementary question, and I know from my own work as a local MS that when construction projects like this deliver these tangible educational benefits, then it can really help our learners to understand how studying STEM subjects can lead to practical and well-paid career opportunities. And I would add as well that I’m also working closely with the Minister for skills, because this is a cross-cutting area, and one of the key things that we’re working on is to agree how best to progress some of the recommendations made by Hefin David MS in his report on transitions to employment, which of course emphasised the importance of effective partnerships between our schools, colleges and employers, alongside, of course, the recommendations made in the vocational qualifications review.

Minister, I welcome the announcement today, actually, but my question was just asked by Julie, so I just want to say that I really welcome what you said today. Not enough has been done at all when it comes to STEM subjects to date. You’ve had a whole host of opportunities to do things, but I’m looking forward to this Government hopefully now stepping up and at least becoming parallel with what’s going on in England, because they are streets ahead, particularly as they’ve kept their triple separate sciences in their schools, whereas we’ve moved to the double science thing, which immediately puts our children and young people at a disadvantage when going into STEM subjects, and it sends the wrong message, when it's STEM subjects are where they should be focusing for the jobs of the future. I do think it’s completely unfair that we’re disadvantaging our children like that. But it was promised that STEM industries—local, particularly—would engage with schools, so as Julie said, I really look forward to hearing more examples, and I want to hear what you’re going to do to ensure the whole of Wales can benefit from those STEM industries, not just Cardiff. Thank you.

Thank you, Laura Anne Jones, for your supplementary there. And I would disagree with what you said there; I think the Government has got a really strong track record of investing in STEM. A £1.6 million commitment will reach across the STEM portfolio to deliver a range of enrichment activities, and also professional learning opportunities for teachers, because that’s important too, all encouraging the take-up of STEM subjects at GCSE and A-level. And, of course, that additional £1.1 million that was announced this year will improve attainment in literacy, maths and science as well.

I'd just like to pick up on the point you raised there about science. It has been proven through stakeholder engagement and through all of the professional channels that there is no dumbing down of the science qualifications here in Wales.

The north Wales regional safeguarding board have commissioned a child practice review. We need to allow the CPR to run its course before considering what action is needed. The outcome of this review will therefore inform our next steps.

I've been informed of constituents' concerns in relation to the communication process for parents and young people who wish to share information with the north Wales safeguarding board as part of the child practice review that you've just mentioned, following the conviction of former headteacher Neil Foden for sexual offences against schoolchildren. Are you confident that the response is appropriate and timely for those who wish to provide information or share concerns? Secondly, has the remit of the child safeguarding review yet been published? This is crucial to ensure transparency and confidence in the process. If it hasn't been published yet, when will that happen and what is the reason for the delay? I remain convinced, as do an increasing number of people, that a public inquiry would be the best and fairest way of dealing with this situation, particularly given the further allegations that came to light in a recent television programme. The power to call a public inquiry is in your hands—

Siân, you must conclude now, please.

The power to call a public inquiry is in your hands. Will you do that, please?

Can I thank Siân Gwenllian for her supplementary question, and can I say that my thoughts remain with the young people and the families affected by the horrendous abuse perpetuated by Neil Foden? Siân Gwenllian raised several points there. I'm aware that some Senedd Members have raised concerns over the process for communicating with the child practice review. I understand that a letter was issued before half term with an e-mail address that people could contact if they wanted to contribute to the review, and that children, young people and their parents do not have to go via the local authority or school to make contact. I will follow up with officials to check, and maybe you could write to me about specific concerns if you're talking about the timeliness of a response. Obviously, this is a review that's being undertaken under the auspices of the north Wales safeguarding board, so it's not our Welsh Government review, but I would be very happy to follow up any particular concerns you've got over the responses that are coming from the child practice review to families.

In terms of the publication of the remit, I can certainly ask officials to follow that up with the north Wales safeguarding board as well. I think it's important that everything is as transparent as possible.

If I can come to your substantive point, really, about a public inquiry, we do need, I think, to allow the child practice review to run its course before we consider what further action is needed, including the possibility of a public inquiry. You'll be aware, Siân, that public inquiries are lengthy processes that will also prolong this process. I think it's right that we wait to see what the child practice review reports, and then Welsh Government will consider next steps.

This individual is one of the most evil sex offenders in Welsh history, and there was a litany of failures, negligence, red flags that were missed that allowed this abuse to continue unchallenged.

Perhaps the most shocking of the allegations is that Neil Foden gave advice to the Welsh Government. He was also disgracefully defended by the Plaid Cymru leader of Gwynedd Council, who refused to apologise to Foden’s victims after the disgraced headteacher’s conviction. Thankfully, the leader of Gwynedd Council has now stepped down, following pressure to do so from his own party. But there remain questions that need to be answered as to why he remained in the employment of Gwynedd Council when his trial started. And questions also arise regarding the thoroughness of Welsh Government vetting, given that the Welsh Government were unknowingly taking advice on education policy from a prolific paedophile.

Neil Foden was also reprimanded by the teaching regulator and kicked out of his union in 2020. Yet, a year later in 2021, he was given more responsibility as a strategic superhead overseeing two different schools in north Wales. So, clearly there are huge deficiencies—

You need to ask a question, Gareth, please.

—in the reporting process, in communications between agencies and in Welsh Government vetting. So, what is the Cabinet Secretary doing to ensure that these deficiencies are identified and fixed as soon as possible so that these mistakes are never made again?

Thank you, Gareth. I do think it's regrettable to bring party politics into a subject that is this serious, whether that's—[Interruption.] I think that that is a regrettable thing to do. This is a really serious issue. A prolific offender has flown under the radar and we have to take that very seriously.

As I explained, we're having the child practice review, which is being undertaken by the north Wales safeguarding board. I have not had any advice from Neil Foden. Like many headteachers, he would have had contact with the Welsh Government previously. In fact, he gave evidence to the Children, Young People and Education Committee when I was Chair, because he was a senior official for the NUT at the time. Obviously, all headteachers are subject to really stringent procedures around safeguarding, so there could never have been any inkling at Welsh Government level, or even at the committee level, that he was the kind of prolific offender that he was.

I think that it’s really important that we let the child practice review take its course. If, during the review, the reviewer, the panel members or board members identify any issues with regard to individual professionals or agencies that need to be explored further, these issues will be remitted to the relevant organisations and they will take any further action required. So, any organisations that have learning from this case have to do that.

The child practice review will involve asking all agencies that are represented on the board, and any other agencies that have had contact with the victims and their families, to prepare a timeline of their involvement, and this information will be merged to create a multi-agency chronology of all known contact with agencies. That will be scrutinised and challenged by the independent reviewers, chair and panel members, sense-checked with practitioners in a learning event, and then there’ll be further challenge and scrutiny at regional safeguarding board meetings.

As I said in response to Siân Gwenllian, when we’ve had the information from the child practice review, we will then consider whether there is any further action that we need to take. But you can be assured, Gareth, that I want to make sure that we are as thorough as possible in the interests of having justice for the young people who have suffered at the hands of this man.

Questions now from the party spokespeople. First of all, the Conservatives' spokesperson, Tom Giffard.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Dirprwy Lywydd. Yesterday, as part of your statement, I asked you whether the pay rise you announced for teachers—. Sorry, I was asking the Cabinet Secretary, not the Minister. 

I've been notified that the questions are to the Minister.

I believe Cefin's questions are to the Minister and mine are to the Cabinet Secretary.

We were notified that both sets of questions were for the Minister. 

Right. There's clearly a misunderstanding here somewhere that has happened.

Well, we are telling you what we were notified.

Okay. I'm not sure what's gone wrong there. I haven't got a question prepared, I'm afraid, for the Minister. 

I'm happy to take the questions.

The Cabinet Secretary will take the questions.

I'm grateful to you, Cabinet Secretary, for taking the questions. Thank you, and I apologise for that if it's an administration error on the part of the Welsh Conservatives.

Yesterday, you announced the 5.5 per cent pay rise for teachers in Welsh schools. I asked you whether that would be funded in full by the Welsh Government and that no schools or local authorities would have to find that from within their own budget. Can you confirm today that no school and no local authority in Wales will have to find the money to pay for that pay rise from within their own budgets?

We've already made provision, Tom, for some of that pay rise in the money that's been allocated to local government. Thankfully, because we have a UK Labour Government now in Westminster that is really committed to protecting our public services, there will also be additional money that will be coming to enable us to go further than the independent Welsh pay review body recommendation, which was 4.3 per cent, to take us to 5.5 per cent. So, I think we are making very good provision. That is not to say that I don't recognise the pressures on schools, and I've been very clear with you before that we have done what we can to protect the money that goes to schools through the revenue support grant. And obviously, we're going through a budget process at the moment to look at the budget allocations for next year. But the Welsh Government, in partnership with the UK Labour Government, has made good provision for that pay rise.

I'm grateful to you for your response. Obviously, I read your written statement that was sent out about an hour ago, and what was made very clear in that statement was that this pay rise would not be funded in full by the Welsh Government. I think there's probably an expectation from the public and from schools that, if you announce something, you should pay for it. Schools at the moment are making really difficult decisions. We've seen schools cut back on subjects in curricula, cut back on school trips, school improvements, even some teachers are being made redundant. Without the announcement that this is going to be funded in full by the Welsh Government, schools will have to take a decision as a consequence of the announcement that you made yesterday to make further cuts in their budgets, let alone the decisions local authorities might have to make. So, on that basis, what do you advise that schools should cut?

Thank you, Tom. I think I've been very clear that we've made funding available to meet the pay increase that we have allocated. We've also protected the funding that has gone to schools as best we can. And can I remind you that we were in the situation of school budgets, and indeed all public services, being under pressure because of the actions of your Government in Westminster, who consistently short-changed this Government in terms of funding of public services? This is a Government that protects public services, and, by working in partnership with the UK Labour Government, we have identified funding for the pay rise for our school teachers.

Under a Conservative Government, we consistently saw the largest ever budget settlements given to the Welsh Government, and what did the Welsh Government do with it? They spent money on more politicians, they spent money on 20 mph zones, propping up airports—the list goes on and on. And yet, at the same time, schools were struggling to make ends meet, letting teachers go, cutting back on subjects, and delivering the worst education outcomes anywhere in the United Kingdom. You can blame the last UK Government all you want; you are in charge on both ends of the M4, and yesterday we heard the First Minister say that austerity is over. So, will you now commit—given that austerity is over—to funding the thing that you announced yesterday in full, so that schools will not have to cut back any further as a consequence of the announcement that you made?

Well, the UK Labour Government has been in power since July—it's a matter of months. It's absurd, really, to—. I'm incredibly impressed by what they've done already. Your Government had 14 years of raining destruction down on our public services. We have made provision, in partnership with the UK Labour Government, for a pay rise for teachers that is above what was recommended by the IWPRB. You could be a bit more graceful and welcome that money that's been made available to teachers. And what's more, Tom, I'm confident, following the budget last week, you heard the huge amount of additional funding that's being made available to us here in Wales, which is the biggest boost that we've had since we last had a Labour Government in Westminster. This is a Government that will be spending that additional money on our priorities, and education is one of our priorities.  

Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Cefin Campbell. 

Thank you very much, Dirprwy Lywydd. On Monday, the education Secretary of the UK Government announced that students will pay more for going to university in England next year, with tuition fees rising to £9,535. Setting aside the fact that Keir Starmer has broken his promise on this, it is clear that this will certainly have an impact on Welsh universities, as well as our students.

Both have been let down over the last few decades by Conservative and Labour Governments that haven’t put a clear strategy for the sector in place, and by a lack of funding, investment and support, and cuts to research and innovation. Plaid Cymru believes in the principle of universal access to our universities, but it is clear that we have to put our education institutions on a much more sustainable footing before we can do that.

So, in the wake of that announcement, could I ask you, Minister, will the Welsh Government increase fees in the same way as has been announced in England? And if so, does the Welsh Government accept that, even with any increase, universities will still face a financial crisis? And finally, what steps will you take to support access to higher education for those from the most disadvantaged backgrounds?

I thank Cefin Campbell for those questions. I will begin by saying that I recognise that our universities, just like universities across the UK and beyond, are under significant financial pressure. I’m working with my officials to consider the impact of the UK Government decision to raise tuition fees by £285 per student per year. I think it’s important to look at the impact of that, both on the higher education sector and on students. I want to make a decision on that swiftly, with an informed evidence base, so that we can provide certainty both to the universities and to the students themselves.

I can confirm today that all Welsh students on courses at regulated institutions will have the full cost of their undergraduate tuition fees met by the Welsh Government through the student finance system, whether they choose to study in Wales or elsewhere in the UK. This continues our long-standing policy of no Welsh student paying upfront costs for their undergraduate tuition.

Dirprwy Lywydd, I’m not sure if the Member asked all his three questions in one go.

I will remind the Member that he has three questions. He doesn't have to put all three into the first one and go over time. I'm sure he didn't intend to, and I'm sure he won't do it in the future either. 

Is that all three of your questions?

No, I'll give him the credit to ask more. He won't do it again. 

Thank you very much. I look forward to that statement about whether you intend to raise fees in the same way, and I’d like to hear some kind of timetable about when that’s likely to happen, because there is great uncertainty in the sector at present.

Another announcement in the Westminster budget in recent days was the increase in employers’ national insurance contributions. This is also going to have a great financial impact on our universities, and the estimate is that this is going to add about £20 million to costs.

So, could you, Minister, provide clarification to us as to whether you believe universities in Wales could receive any support under the UK Treasury’s plans or not? Because we heard the Cabinet Secretary for finance yesterday saying that the public sector was free from those payments, but the universities sector is part of the private sector. So, could you explain to us whether the staff in universities come under the public sector or the private sector, and, if there is no support available—

Thank you, Cefin. 

—are you concerned—

Cefin. 

—that there won't be any—

Cefin. 

—financial support for you? Thank you very much. 

Thank you, Cefin Campbell, for the question. I acknowledge that the Chancellor's announcements of changes to employer national insurance contributions from April next year will increase costs for our universities, and I'm currently working with my officials with the affected sectors to understand the scope of these new costs. We're considering the impact of employer national insurance contributions on all public sector employers and public sector services in Wales, and I look forward to being able to provide an update in due course.   

So, even before this most recent kick in the teeth for Welsh universities—having to deal with rises to national insurance contributions—Welsh universities have been on the financial brink for a while, with cumulative deficits upwards of £100 million. Now, a fortnight ago, I asked the Minister had she or the Cabinet Secretary for Education had discussions via official correspondence with individual Welsh universities regarding the transformation fund that she mentioned. Now, the Minister responded by saying, 

'Yes, I have started that already'. 

So, I've contacted all Welsh universities directly, asking them what correspondence they've had between themselves and the Welsh Government regarding this transformation fund or any other potential support package. I'm afraid the answer that I've had so far paints a different picture to the one painted by the Minister just a fortnight ago: Trinity St David's, no correspondence; Aberystwyth University, no correspondence; Swansea, no correspondence; Cardiff, no correspondence. It seems, yet again, Welsh Government Ministers are saying on the floor of the Senedd one thing, which doesn't seem to match the reality from our evidence. So, the question remains, therefore, what steps have the Welsh Government actually been taking at a ministerial and official level to develop this transformation fund and any other support packages for Welsh universities in conjunction with Welsh universities?

Thank you, Cefin. Correspondence, as I'm sure you're aware, is written correspondence. All of my dealings with the universities to date have been through face-to-face meetings and discussions, and I've been really pleased to be able to meet with so many vice-chancellors, Universities Wales, stakeholders from across the sector, and I'll be continuing to do that as I tour each and every higher education institution in Wales. And I explained to the Senedd that the Welsh Government is continuing to explore what, if any, potential support mechanisms are feasible to support the higher education sector in Wales. Those discussions, as I've outlined twice, both in writing and here on the floor of this Chamber, are at an early and exploratory stage and will need to be considered in the context of our wider budget priorities. But, as I've said before, and as I know the Member is aware, the funding that the Welsh Government provides to our HE institutions comprises 10 per cent of their overall funding, and so it is really important that each and every university looks at the rest of their funding streams. And I know that that is exactly what they are doing—exploring innovative ways of working, greater collaboration with the FE sector in particular, which can only be of benefit, so that they can explore ways that they can cut costs and meet these challenging opportunities. The Welsh Government's Digarbon fund, that I mentioned here previously, has had £33 million-worth of applications from our HE institutions, and that shows just one way in which they are exploring different ways to cut costs and to make those savings. 

Before I move on, I do expect all backbenchers to continue to keep to their time and ask their questions within their time. I expect the same from spokespeople as well, and, if they have multiple questions, spokespeople have the advantage of having the ability to ask more than one question. So, please, in future, keep to your times to ensure that everybody has a fair opportunity to ask their question, including backbenchers. 

We continue to support recruitment into initial teacher education programmes through a range of activities. These include providing incentives to support recruitment to priority subjects and for Welsh-medium trainees, expanding the subjects available through the salaried PGCE programmes and the Teaching Wales marketing campaign.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. Unfortunately, teacher morale is at an all-time low. Decisions being taken by local authorities to cut school budgets, leading to lay-offs of teachers and teaching assistants, are increasing the workload on the remaining teaching staff, with many warnings that class sizes are set to grow, adding to the pressures. But, the biggest threat of them all is the behaviour of the pupils and the lack of support given to teaching staff who are subjected to abuse and physical violence. Cabinet Secretary, teachers in my region have had to strive to get their voices heard regarding attacks on staff. I note your earlier statement regarding the school social partnership forum and the steps you’ll take to address pupils’ behaviour. However, it does little to protect staff in the here and now. Cabinet Secretary, what immediate steps will you take to protect staff in our schools? We politicians get issued with panic alarms; have you considered issuing these to our teachers?

Thank you very much, Altaf, for your supplementary. You raised a number of points there. I would like to assure you that we take the issue of teacher recruitment and retention very seriously and that we recognise the huge pressures teachers are under, and also the link between workload and their well-being. It’s essential that teachers are able to maintain an appropriate work-life balance, and there’s a commitment from all stakeholders to make tangible, impactful changes that will make real positive change for teachers.

We’ve worked in the last year in particular with our stakeholders and our partners around the issues of workload, and we’ve had an independently chaired strategic workload co-ordination group, membership of which is drawn from key stakeholders and representatives from across the education system. I issued a written statement updating on our efforts to tackle teacher workload a few weeks ago.

In terms of the points you raise about behaviour in schools, as I made clear yesterday in answers to question, I am really worried about what schools are dealing with. They’re dealing with a really complex range of societal issues that are now presenting in schools, because they are the places that are there all the time, and teachers are focusing on those issues when they want to be focusing on teaching and learning.

You’ve seen my letter, so you know that I have the meeting with the trade unions coming up next week, and that we have the headteachers conference with secondary heads on Friday, where we’re going to be focusing on behaviour. Local authorities and schools are under a legal duty to make sure that schools are a safe place to work. But what I will do is, following those meetings, I’m very happy to consider the issues arising from those. I mean, things like panic alarms, that may be raised—I don’t know. I want to listen to the people who are at the front line when we consider how we can help with this, and that’s, of course, in addition to the other things that we’re doing like the behaviour toolkit and the research that we’re doing on behaviour.

My priorities for schools in South Wales East include raising levels of attainment, attendance and closing the gap for our poorest learners.

Thank you so much, Cabinet Secretary. The Ebbw Vale Institute in Blaenau Gwent is a cherished community asset that currently provides an array of services, two of which are work experience programmes and volunteering opportunities. Both are, indeed, a vital part of building a well-rounded education as well as setting people up from all ages and backgrounds for work and building self-esteem, additionally benefiting the local community. But, Cabinet Secretary, just like so many various prosperous local assets, the Ebbw Vale Institute community hub offering these services has relied quite a lot on levelling-up funding. However, in the wake of the new Government taking over management of the site, I'm naturally concerned about the future. So, Cabinet Secretary, what assurance can you give me today that you will work with the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government to support brilliant hubs like this to ensure a holistic approach is indeed taken in education, where both young people and adults can enhance vital skill sets whilst benefiting their communities at large? Thank you. 

Thank you, Natasha, and you raise a really important point about work experience. It's good for all young people to get those opportunities, but, in my experience, it's often our most vulnerable learners who get the most from those opportunities to do things in a slightly different way, and to experience the real-life world of work. I wasn't aware of the funding issues at the Ebbw Vale Institute that you've referred to. Obviously, the levelling-up fund and other funds are in a state of transition at the moment, but I do give you my commitment that I will talk to Cabinet colleagues, not just the local government Minister but also the Cabinet Secretary for finance, about the issues that you've raised, and I'm very happy to write to you about that. 

We want to ensure all our young people are able to positively engage with a world increasingly driven by technological and digital innovation. This financial year, the Welsh Government is providing over £1.6 million for STEM activities in schools, with a focus on encouraging girls into STEM qualifications and careers.

Diolch, Minister. Women and girls are still hugely under-represented in STEM subjects, and they are still often stereotyped as subjects for boys. I was delighted to see that Pembrokeshire College and Pembrokeshire County Council are trying to address this bias by joining forces with local industries like RWE Renewables, Blue Gem Wind, Floventis Energy, Port of Milford Haven and Ledwood Engineering. At the end of last year, they created a careers initiative called SPARC to help inspire a more diverse workforce in STEM industries, and these industries are also massively under-represented by females and, of course, this often starts with the subjects that they study at school or in college. Cabinet Secretary, do you agree with me that initiatives like these are crucial if we are going to ever address the imbalance of girls and women studying STEM subjects?

Dirprwy Lywydd, I'd like to thank Joyce Watson for that supplementary question, and I absolutely agree with her about the importance of initiatives like that. And, in fact, I'm undertaking a joint visit to Pembrokeshire College in just two weeks' time with the Cabinet Secretary for economy, so I really look forward to hearing more about this work when I'm there. Building partnerships between schools and industry can inspire our young girls to follow their passion for STEM subjects, and, of course, that can lead them to rewarding and fulfilling careers. As part of our funding to the Engineering Education Scheme Wales, we're supporting the Girls into STEM initiative, and this is helping to break down barriers, giving girls the opportunity to visit employers and universities, and encouraging them to follow STEM qualification and career pathways. In the last financial year, 390 girls were involved in the Girls into STEM initiative, visiting a range of industry partners. And you'll be aware, Joyce Watson, that, on Tuesday, the Cabinet Secretary announced as part of her oral statement additional investment in the Engineering Education Scheme Wales, including to further enhance the Girls into STEM initiative. That brings our total investment in this work to £196,000 in this year alone.

I met with SPARC at Pembrokeshire College recently, at the launch of the skills transition hub, which has been part funded by Shell. On Friday, in Pembroke Dock, I'm meeting with Cymbrogi as they're doing an event with four schools in the area, advocating for STEM subjects for young boys and girls in secondary school to show not only are they able to go into fantastic careers using STEM, but the other opportunities that are out there in the workforce to stay locally in the areas in which they were born and raised, which is really important, especially in west Wales where we're seeing a demographic shift of young people, unfortunately, leaving, and the age demographic shifting and putting pressure on those care sectors. So, if it's okay with you, Minister, would you be able to meet with Cymbrogi in the future, as they've got some really exciting plans about how they're having that outreach into our education establishments, getting people thinking about careers in STEM and the alternatives that come in fields such as engineering, mathematics and science? Thank you.

Thank you, Sam, for that supplementary question. I absolutely agree with everything you said there. It's so important that we don't just look at these skill sets, but at how they can enable our young people to stay in the communities that they are born and raised in and to have a positive impact on those local economies. And that's exactly the kind of cross-cutting work that I'm looking into with the Minister for skills, and I'd be delighted to receive more information about that project. I look forward to finding out more and hopefully visiting in the future.

E-sgol is an innovative project delivered across Wales. In September I launched an e-sgol partnership in Monmouthshire and saw how it enables learners to access subjects that might not otherwise be offered. E-sgol is currently delivered in three authorities in South Wales East for pupils in years 12 and 13.

Thank you for that response. During the last few weeks, I've been having discussions with the education profession on the use of e-sgol in my region. As you said, this resource was established online originally to help with the provision of sixth form in rural areas, but it's an option that's been favoured in some areas and certain subjects rather than face-to-face teaching. As you've mentioned, teaching Welsh at A-level in Monmouthshire is one of the examples of this.

Although this kind of learning does have its merits, it shouldn't become the norm at the expense of face-to-face teaching. In my view and the view of many educators, nothing can replace face-to-face teaching in terms of providing a rich and varied experience for pupils. Can you, therefore, provide a pledge that this Government will tackle the shortage of teachers in certain areas and certain subjects, so that e-sgol doesn't become more common, particularly in the context of the provisions of the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill and the main objective of having all pupils as being confident Welsh speakers by 2050? Thank you.

Thank you very much, Peredur, for that question. Without e-sgol there is, unfortunately, a distinct possibility that Welsh A-level wouldn't have been delivered for the nine A-level students in Monmouthshire—two in Caldicot School, two in King Henry VIII school and five in Monmouth Comprehensive School. And I do believe that e-sgol can help rebuild Welsh language provision in Monmouthshire, so that the numbers increase again. There is some face-to-face provision as part of the project, and I was assured of that when I went to see it; they do get opportunities to meet together, face to face.

I think you raise important issues, though, about the numbers of young people who are taking A-level Welsh and I'm keen to look again at the A-level to ensure that we've got a qualification that motivates more young people to choose to do the subject at A-level. More work is going to be done with schools, pupils and parents to showcase the e-sgol provision and its quality to give them the confidence that it provides high-quality teaching and a good experience for learners. And you may find it reassuring that the initial pupil questionnaire came back with a 94 per cent positive response in relation to the provision. I know that the local authority have undertaken a lesson observation cycle recently and had very positive feedback. As I said, I went to see it in action with the Spanish lessons in September and had the opportunity to talk to the young people. It seemed to be going really, really well and they were happy with how it was working. I think the academic results are encouraging as well. The 2023 A-level results show that 15.2 per cent of learners achieved A* grades through e-sgol, compared with 13.5 per cent across Wales, and similarly, there's a slightly higher achievement of A to C grades with e-sgol, compared to the rest of Wales. You'll also, I'm sure, be assured that Estyn have recognised the e-sgol provision in their post-16 partnership report.

The strategic head of e-sgol is very happy to come and meet with Members of the Senedd to talk to you about your concerns if that would be helpful. You do make an important point about the Welsh language and education Bill, and I hope that the work that we're doing, not just through the Bill but through our Welsh in education strategic plans and through our workforce plan, will mean that we will increase the stream of young people that are coming forward to do A-level Welsh, because, clearly, what is creating the challenge here is the fact that there aren't that many pupils, and we need to address that.

It's really good to hear about advancing technologies, such as e-sgol, and how they're connecting classrooms across Wales. I hope you enjoyed that visit to the Spanish class in Caldicot, and we know that that, as you've shared, is sharing provision with Monmouth comprehensive, and it's great that Monmouthshire is taking a lead. It is great that these technologies exist to ensure that pupils can maximise their attendance but also learn new subjects that might not have been available, whilst also ensuring that no child is left behind.

Unfortunately, though, Cabinet Secretary, pupils in Wales are still being left behind, based on the 2023 Programme for International Student Assessment scores. I note your predecessor stated at the time the results were released that plans had been launched to raise standards. Can I therefore ask, Cabinet Secretary, what progress has been made on improving the standard of education systems in Wales, and on ensuring that the gap between Wales and other UK nations is not just narrowed but eliminated altogether?

Thank you, Peter, for your supplementary. Indeed, the e-sgol project was a pleasure to visit; I think it has got lots of potential for subjects where there aren't that many learners who are opting to do it. There's good evidence now that we're starting to see it being rolled out in primary schools, where young people are getting opportunities they would never get otherwise to work with things like the Goethe-Institut, so, you know, it is a really good opportunity and I commend the council for their work on it.

Obviously, you went on, then, to make a wider political point about the school standards in Wales. I did make a statement yesterday on that, which I would refer you to. That set out that it is a Welsh Government priority to increase attendance and attainment; that we're going to have an absolute focus on literacy and numeracy. I went into considerable detail in the session yesterday about how we are going to do that, so I would refer you to that statement, which sets out our plans in some detail. 

Our approach in Wales is on early help and prevention, providing support to families from an early stage to help ensure children experience a smooth transition to school.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. A new report released last Friday by Child of the North and the Centre for Young Lives explains that in 2022-23 a third of children were not considered school-ready, with concerns around speech and language development and arriving to school whilst still wearing nappies. Even a report from some 10 years ago revealed that at least half of primary school staff observed an increase in children unable to successfully take themselves to the toilet during the day. In speaking with my own headteachers locally, concerns of children arriving in nappies now are growing.

Over half of children who are not school-ready perform below expectations in their key stage 1 reading assessment, so there is some direct correlation here. What guidance, Cabinet Secretary, can you provide to parents and families? Also, what resources will you be able to provide to headteachers and schoolteachers, because, clearly, any time spent changing nappies is time away from the classroom? Obviously, there is some guidance needed on this now, because it's an ever-growing problem. Diolch.

Can I thank Janet for her question? Indeed, I've heard myself from some headteachers that they are seeing children coming to school who aren't toilet trained, and how challenging that can be. It's part of what I've described in the Chamber about schools picking up a wider range of issues that are not education related, and that's putting a lot of pressure on them. We do have our ‘Parenting. Give it Time’ campaign and a Teulu Cymru campaign and webpages, which provide vital information for families including parenting tips, advice on parenting concerns such as behaviour, tantrums, bedtimes, mealtimes and potty training, and which signpost parents to sources of further support. The ‘Parenting. Give it Time’ campaign has worked with the Children's Bladder and Bowel Charity to co-brand two of their resources, one called ‘Thinking of wee & poo now you've reached the age of two’ and one called ‘Thinking of wee & poo now you're on your way to school’, to explain the importance of healthy bladder and bowels.

You'll be aware as well of our Flying Start, which we've maintained in Wales despite it not being in place for so long over the border. Our transitional guidance for Flying Start families takes a holistic approach to ensure that children experience positive transitions in the early years, and promotes the importance of understanding the needs of children, including toileting.

And finally, question 8, Laura Anne Jones.

Investing in our sports facilities is a programme for government commitment and we work closely with Sport Wales to improve and renew facilities across Wales. Since 2022-23, our £60 million community-focused schools capital grant programme has delivered sporting facilities and improved access to our school sites for the community.

The Welsh Government made a shiny announcement about a year or so ago that twenty-first century schools would then be named ‘community schools’, but unfortunately they haven't lived up to their name, have they, Cabinet Secretary, as many schools do not open past school hours and provide the community with access to those brilliant sporting facilities that are on offer there? This is a particular problem in rural areas where we are sporting facilities poor across Wales, and the schools could provide that unique opportunity to encourage children, young people, the entire community to carry on using sporting facilities out of school hours. The things that are holding the schools back from opening are safety concerns, but also the inability to pay for someone to open and close the school after school hours due to already stretched school budgets, as you can imagine. What action will you be taking to try and get over those hurdles? Thank you.

Thank you, Laura. Well I have to disagree with you that this isn't an area where we've made good progress in Wales. As I said, you know, by the end of this financial year, 2024-25, we'll have invested £60 million in community-focused schools. That's on top of the billions of pounds that we've spent on new school buildings et cetera, so I think our track record in Wales on investing in school buildings is one that we can be proud of.

In terms of South Wales East, we've invested specifically £9.5 million for projects in the South Wales East area. That supported sports facilities in the area through other capital grants, such as the new 3G pitch in Torfaen at Ysgol Gymraeg Gwynllyw and a new sports hall in Newport in Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed, delivered through the Welsh-medium capital grant funding, and almost 30 per cent of this funding is specifically targeted to deliver and improve a wide range of indoor and outdoor sports facilities.

Now, the Member does make a valid point that not all schools do this, and many schools in Wales do accommodate extended school and community services including sports, but it is down to the governing body, which plays a crucial role in controlling use of these facilities, both outside and inside school hours. The decision to facilitate wider community use normally sits with the governing body and the headteacher, and it's really important that there's a clear vision communicated by senior leaders and governors at the school. In sharing resources, the right fit between schools and other partners will vary depending on the nature of the community, and school leaders need to be clear about how the role of the school is nested within wider initiatives at a local level, and develop the partnerships most relevant to them.

Obviously, in addition to capital we've also this year invested £6.5 million in family engagement officers to work with families and communities around schools, and that's an important contribution to this as well. But we're also continuing to fund a trial of community-focused schools managers who will work on developing better engagement between schools and their communities, and, hopefully, that will lead to a more consistent application of people being able to benefit from this funding.

I thank the Cabinet Secretary.

Item 3 is the topical questions, and the first will be from Hannah Blythyn.

Thank you. I met with representatives of the WRU on Monday and issued a written statement later that afternoon. My aim now is to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the recent contract negotiations for women's players and how improvements to existing processes can be taken forward more positively in the future.

Thank you for that update, and I obviously very much welcome that you promptly met with representatives of the WRU, following the most recent allegations. And I'm sure we were all shocked and saddened to see these allegations when they appeared in The Telegraph last week, and I want to pay tribute to the journalist Fiona Thomas who broke the story, and of course to the women who had the courage to come forward.

For me, the most appalling revelation relates to how the players were threatened with disciplinary action, and the potential of the team being withdrawn from the world cup, if they did not conform to the WRU's will and sign their new contracts. Can anyone in the Siambr imagine the men's team being subjected to such treatment? And subsequently, at a hastily arranged WRU press conference on Friday, it was reported that the WRU apologised profusely and was sorry for not treating their women players as employees and for any stress and hurt caused, but denied claims of sexism.

Minister, the definition of sexism is prejudice, stereotyping or discrimination, typically against women, on the basis of sex. I think it's clear to many that what the national team has experienced is the very definition of sexism. Do you agree with me that this is what the women's team have experienced? And whilst I'm sure the apology was appreciated by the team, we've been here before, and words aren't enough. An apology is not, and cannot be, the end of it. It's not about individuals; it's institutional.

So, as well as the WRU's own review, what further action will the Welsh Government take? Will you review the Government's relationship with the WRU, and that there needs to be greater transparency and accountability? I would also urge the same caution here as I've done previously regarding your offer to meet the players. They must not be put in a position where speaking out potentially risks not just their professional career but their mental health too, and they must be protected.

Any cosy establishment consensus must end. We can't hold people to account if we're sharing information or a hospitality box with them, and, this time, there has to be tangible and meaningful cultural change. We owe it not just to the women of the international team but to all young girls wanting to play rugby in Wales.

Presiding Officer, can I thank Hannah Blythyn for tabling this important question and for the way in which she contributed her supplementary question this afternoon? I think it's fair to say that all of us in this Chamber were shocked and saddened at last week's revelations in The Telegraph, and I join Hannah Blythyn in thanking in particular the players for having the courage to come forward too because of that process.

As I set out in my statement on Monday to Members of the Senedd, Presiding Officer, I met with the WRU as a matter of urgency, following the media focus over the weekend on the allegations of sexism faced by the women's national team in their contract negotiations. I left them in no doubt of my disappointment that, once again, Welsh rugby was in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, especially given the context of recent years. In my meeting with the WRU, and as Hannah Blythyn has pointed out already, it is clear that the WRU has already accepted some failings of the process and is looking for areas of improvement that need to be followed. The WRU themselves are looking to meet with the players to issue that apology, and, as I said again in my statement on Monday, the review of the process is taking place, and that report is yet to be published. Therefore, I have not had sight of the report, but I'm hoping to do so in the coming weeks to get a full picture and full understanding of what has taken place and what action needs to take place to address the issues, because I agree with Hannah Blythyn that words aren't enough.

My view on any allegations of this nature is clear: the Welsh Government will not be a bystander to any form of sexism, bullying or abuse, and that women and girls should be and should feel safe in all aspects of their life, including in their workplace, and we expect the same level of commitment from all our partners and stakeholders and citizens in Wales, including the WRU.

Presiding Officer, what's most important to me in this process is how the women themselves feel about this, and if they feel they have been treated differently. I take the Member's point around the men's team, and I'm sure many in this Chamber will feel the same way as she does and as I do, that the men's team would not have been treated in this way, with the prospect of not going to the world cup being an option on the negotiating table. That's why I'm seeking to meet with the authors of the review's report in due course, and indeed the players of the women's national team, and I'm seeking to do that in a space in which they feel comfortable and protected, and those meetings will take place in confidence. Presiding Officer, in closing, the players can do that either through the WRU themselves or directly to me, either themselves collectively or through their representative bodies, so it's a safe space where they feel comfortable sharing what they want to share with me, so that I have the full understanding of what action needs to take place.

I should say, Presiding Officer, in all of this, we all want this issue to be addressed because we do in Wales want rugby to thrive in the future.

Thank you, Hannah, for tabling this question. Less than two years ago, wasn't it, we saw the BBC documentary into the toxic culture and sexism that existed at the heart of the Welsh Rugby Union, and, in the wake of that documentary, we were assured that lessons had been learnt and that things would change at the Welsh Rugby Union. But I think the report we saw in The Telegraph at the tail end of last week shows that there is still quite a long way to go in terms of tackling sexism at one of our premier institutions in Wales.

I think one of the remarks after the publication of the report that concerned me the most was, when asked if this was a failure of one individual at the Welsh Rugby Union or whether it was collective, the Welsh Rugby Union said it was a collective failure, which does raise questions about whether those lessons have been learnt and about whether things have changed. So, I wonder what assessment you had prior to the publication of this report about the culture at the Welsh Rugby Union, whether you felt that it was a welcoming place, a safe place to work, and that people who engaged with it were treated with the respect and the dignity that they deserved, and what action you've taken since that report has been published to ensure that it lives up to the standards that all of us in Wales expect it to.

Can I thank Tom Giffard for contributing this afternoon? I think, Tom, it's important, isn't it, that we join forces politically in the Senedd and take action, and make sure that we call out this type of behaviour where we see it, and I thank Tom for doing that as well.

The points the Member makes are important and valid points. I should stress, Presiding Officer, that the report on this allegation has not yet been fully published. I haven't seen the content within that report, but will be doing so in due course. I've asked to see the report; I want to understand the content of the report, but not just see that report—I want to meet with the authors of the report and also Dame Rafferty, who leads the work on the oversight group, which reflects the Member's point around the issues a year ago. I want to do that for two reasons, Presiding Officer: firstly, to get Dame Rafferty's view on where the WRU are up to in terms of changing the culture, the very much needed change of culture that was there a year ago, and the allegations in front of us again, and what further needs to be done and what support can be offered to the WRU to make sure that this does not happen again. I can't stress enough, Presiding Officer, my disappointment, as I said in the written statement on Monday, and I think, just going back to the clear importance and utmost importance in this of the players in the national team, what I find particularly distressing over the most recent period and allegations made in The Telegraph was the lack of acknowledgement of the power imbalance in this situation. These women, Presiding Officer, have worked all their lives to get to the elite level of their sport. To represent their nation on the global stage is the very pinnacle of their careers, and to be treated in the way in which the players were during the contract negotiations is wholly unacceptable, and that's before we even consider the fact that a strict deadline was put into place.

So, I've heard Heledd Fychan’s contribution to the Trefnydd yesterday during the business statement, and I agree with what the Member said during that statement and the request for a further statement from me, Presiding Officer. Once I've understood what is in the report from the WRU, once those meetings have taken place with the authors and the players themselves, then I will come back to the Senedd Chamber and update Members further.

And Heledd Fychan.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. May I thank you for that response? I think you've seen, over the past few years, when the WRU has, unfortunately, been in the headlines, how concerned Members of the Senedd are, and I would like to associate myself fully with Hannah Blythyn’s comment. It is sexism. This would never have happened to the men’s national team. We need to be clear on that. And I would like to associate myself with the tribute you paid to the bravery of those that have come forward, and the journalists as well, because they will be penalised for speaking out unless we call it out as well, because it is institutional sexism. Looking at Jess Kavanagh’s statement, which was extremely brave as a former player, saying,

'It's a shame really because we've heard apologies over the past three and four years, and we are still hearing the same apologies today.'

So, we have to question what's changed, because we're trying to encourage more participation in sport. This will put women off rugby unless the WRU show meaningful change.

I would like to follow up on Hannah’s question to you, because I don't think we got that point of clarity, in terms of the Welsh Government's continued relationship with the WRU. Obviously, they are a key partner, often in terms of our international relations, for instance. They are a key partner as well, as we've seen, in terms of promoting Wales to the world, but also the economic benefits their huge matches have here in Wales. So, they are a key player. So, we've seen, previously, Welsh Government support the WRU, including providing a loan in 2022. Can I ask what the expectations are in terms of that relationship, and how that relationship is progressing?

I'm very glad that you'll be coming back to the Senedd. I'm sure the culture committee will also be taking a keen look at this. We need assurances that the WRU are not just listening, but progressing real change. It's not good enough that we're seeing the WRU hit the headlines once again and that people have to speak out about sexism. We need to be able to move forward and ensure that everybody that plays rugby here in Wales is respected, whichever team they are playing for.

Diolch yn fawr, Heledd. Again, I agree with the points that you've made this afternoon. As I said at the start, yes, I want rugby to thrive, Presiding Officer, but I will not be a bystander in this process. I thought it was important for me, at the first opportunity, to meet with the WRU on Monday, that I did meet with their chair, their chief executive and their executive director where I could express my disappointment to them, but remind them that—. You're right, the partnership that we have as a Government—. And we reminded them, in the renegotiation of their loan, that, particularly, workplace practices should be fair for all, both on and off the field. That remains the commitment of our side. It's the expectation I place not just on the WRU, but it's the expectation I place on all employers in Wales. As I said previously and in the statement, I'm keen to satisfy myself that a robust process will be in place to ensure those improvements to the processes within the WRU to ensure that the culture is changed to support a thriving and inclusive rugby union in Wales.

And I want to have the confidence in that process. It's why I want to speak to the players; it's why I want to speak to the chair, the authors of the review; it's why I want to speak to Dame Rafferty around the oversight group and the recommendations, and it's why I'll be meeting with the chief executive and the chair again to discuss those actions, because they are important actions, as all Members who've contributed this afternoon have recognised. We must have a rugby union in Wales that is supportive of inclusive participation in the sport at whatever level and whatever game the players play.

I'll repeat my disappointment about what's happened in the headlines. I hope that we can get to a better place. Of course, I'll bring forward a further statement to Members of this Senedd, and I'm happy to engage in those conversations with Members outside the Senedd because I recognise that this is a matter of importance to them, and I welcome the scrutiny on this issue as well.

Thank you, Minister. The next question is from Peredur Owen Griffiths.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. Safety is always the main priority for Transport for Wales and Network Rail. They’ve carried out enhanced checks to both the trains and the railway line itself to enable the reopening of the Cambrian line, and I’m grateful to their staff who have worked tirelessly since the incident to resume services.

Thank you for that response, Cabinet Secretary.

Crashes like this one that took place in Powys last month have thankfully become a very rare occurrence. It resulted in the death of a passenger, and my sympathies and condolences go out to his family and friends, but this could have been much worse and I worry that there is a potential for it to become more widespread given the nature of the fault.

Inspections following the crash reveal that hoses meant to spray sand during wheel slippage were blocked. What measures will the Welsh Government take to ensure that the hoses on other Transport for Wales trains are free from similar blockages and similar faults?

Cabinet Secretary, can you confirm whether the system failure occurred on one of the new Transport for Wales trains? And if so, will the entire new fleet be inspected for similar faults, and how would that be funded and what contractual warranties are there in place that can be called into place to fix any systematic faults?

And further to that, what conversations and consultations have you had with rail unions and Transport for Wales staff to talk through some of the lessons to be learnt from this tragic incident?

I'd like to thank the Member for his valuable comments about, first of all, rail safety and how rare, thankfully, incidents of this type are on the UK railway network. The UK has the safest railway network in the whole of Europe. However, incidents such as these are dreadful when they occur and it's vitally important that we give the experts—those rail investigation experts—the time that they require to assess fully what might have gone wrong and what lessons can be learned. And it would be inappropriate for me to speculate over the cause of the incident.

The report that was published is an interim report and provides no further detail than that which the Members have already seen. However, I have written to both the chief executive of Transport for Wales and also the chief executive of Network Rail. I've been asking them to provide me with an update on what they are doing in terms of advanced checks to ensure that the network and our trains that travel across our lines are as safe as they can possibly be. I will, of course, Dirprwy Lywydd, provide an update as soon as I receive a response from the chief executives. 

I've also met with the chief executive of Transport for Wales. Quite obviously, the incident was the primary reason for that meeting and I was assured that Transport for Wales, along with trade unions, are working very closely with Network Rail and the incident investigators to ensure that, where lessons can be learnt, they can be implemented as soon as possible. But I think it would be inappropriate to speculate over the cause of the incident.

In terms of the sanders, these are fitted to trains as standard technology, to ensure that adhesion between the rail line and the wheels can be maximised when the lines are slippery. Now, the new class 197 trains, which the Member has referred to, will be coming into service in the summer of 2025—next summer. But, as I say, we need to give time to the investigators, those experts, who are carrying out very extensive work, and ensure that the lessons that we learn are based on the evidence that they are able to ascertain.

Of course, it's not for us to second guess the investigation into this awful incident, and it is important to remember how rare deaths are on the railways, but the report yesterday suggested that the blockage in the pipe that sprayed sand when there are slippages may point to an issue with maintenance. And there have been historic challenges with the performance of maintenance depots that Transport for Wales sub-contract to. So, separate to the investigation by the Rail Accident Investigation Branch, would the Cabinet Secretary ask Transport for Wales to conduct a review of the performance of the maintenance depots, and whether any steps will be prudently now taken to improve them?

Can I thank the Member for his question? He's absolutely right: none of us in the Senedd are experts in rail accident, and we need to leave this work to the experts, to the bureau that has been invited in to make sure that we can ascertain exactly what happened. I think it's important that we recognise that the sanding systems are standard technology, and that there is a standard that is applied in terms of how and when they are maintained. The rail investigation bureau will be, I'm in no doubt, carrying out all of the relevant investigations regarding the maintenance standards for those trains, and will ensure that they were complied with. But it would be wrong for me to speculate, again, as I stress, it would be wrong for me to speculate over the cause of why those hose pipes were blocked on that day of the incident.

I'd like to thank my colleague Peredur Owen Griffiths for raising this really important question this afternoon. My thoughts remain, as I'm sure do those of my colleagues as well, with the loved ones of David Tudor Evans and all those involved in this horrible incident.

Cabinet Secretary, it is clear from the Rail Accident Investigation Branch's initial findings that the train's emergency braking system, made up of sanding hoses, was blocked—my colleagues have mentioned that already—and I appreciate that you cannot speculate, but I would really sincerely appreciate it if you could look into what actually caused the blockage. I know you mentioned slipperiness—I appreciate all of those things—but I'd like to know why it wasn't actually picked up in the checks before the train journey actually took off.

I'd also really like to know and understand more as to how often safety checks are carried out on all new and old TfW trains, and if any directions have been given by Welsh Government to TfW to increase and strengthen these checks as a result of this tragic incident. And I'm also very curious to know, Cabinet Secretary, if any further issues with other TfW trains have been identified since this collision took place. Because, as I'm sure we can all appreciate, steps must be taken to ensure that passenger safety is paramount and the No. 1 priority is to ensure that something like this never ever happens again. Thank you.

Can I thank Natasha for her questions? I repeat that it's very dangerous to infer from the interim report the ultimate cause of the incident. Yes, those pipes were blocked, but we do not know why they were blocked, and I will not be drawn into speculating over the reason why that was the case. I can guarantee that the trains, as part of Transport for Wales's fleet, are being maintained in accordance with the requirements that are laid out for their safe operation, and enhanced checks are taking place. And as I mentioned earlier, I will keep Members updated when I receive a response from both the CEO of Transport for Wales and the CEO of Network Rail.

Thank you, Cabinet Secretary. The final question is from Sioned Williams.

I’d like to extend my sympathies and condolences to the families of the health and social care workers who tragically lost their lives during the pandemic. Data in relation to deaths as a result of COVID-19 infection are gathered from a number of sources. The evidence heard by the COVID-19 public inquiry yesterday related to the completion of rapid surveillance documentation, which was one such source.

Diolch, Ysgrifennydd y Cabinet. It was extremely concerning to hear that testimony from Professor Fu-Meng Khaw, the executive medical director of Public Health Wales, about those major data failings during the first wave of the pandemic. Around 17 per cent of the data on COVID deaths amongst health and social care workers is missing, while the extent of the impact of the pandemic on ethnic minority communities was significantly underreported, with missing data on more than 1,000 COVID death records. I can’t imagine how distressing this must have been for the loved ones of those affected, to hear these revelations.

I hope the Cabinet Secretary will apologise on behalf of the Welsh Government, but apologies alone are worth little if lessons aren’t learnt. And this is key, isn’t it, especially when it comes to getting to grips with entrenched health inequalities that cost the NHS £300 million a year, and lead to disproportionately poorer health outcomes for ethnic minority communities. So, any policy making to address this is doomed to fail if we are relying on information that is faulty, even if that’s only in part, and, critically in this context, understates the scale of the issue.

So, can I ask what measures are being put in place to address the data gaps? How soon can we expect this missing data to be retrieved, if at all? And how is the refreshed 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan', which the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice told us yesterday, in emphatic terms, is a cross-Government responsibility, going to address this? It really was shocking to hear that software was classifying ethnicity based on names. Does the Cabinet Secretary accept that a Welsh-specific inquiry to analyse these failings is the best and most effective way for those crucial lessons to be learned?

Well, in relation to the last point, I would, of course, remind the Member that the reason she is asking the question is because of the questioning of a Welsh official in relation to practice in Wales, the very kind of question that I’m sure she would welcome, as do we all.

In relation to the points that the Member made in her question, I think it is important to say that in his evidence to the inquiry, Professor Fu-Meng Khaw from Public Health Wales was asked specifically about the form that was put in place to provide a rapid surveillance picture, in what was obviously a very quickly evolving pandemic. And she will know that the Office for National Statistics produced, separately, official statistics on mortality throughout the pandemic, based on an analysis of death certificates. And in his evidence, Professor Khaw pointed out that the purpose of the surveillance wasn't to provide a comprehensive capture of information, and he referred to the official statistics for that broader purpose.

In relation to the point that the Member makes, which is a very important point, about the capturing of data around race and ethnicity in the health and care sector, I had a meeting this morning, actually, with Professor Anton Emmanuel, who has been head of strategy and implementation for the workforce race equality standard. And as part of the broader commitment that my department is making, as part of the 'Anti-racist Wales Action Plan', there is a clear commitment, and progress has been made to improve the data that is captured across the sector in relation to the ethnic origin of the workforce. And the critical thing now is not just to capture the data, but to be able to use that data meaningfully to improve the experience of workers from black, Asian and minority ethnic communities in our workforce.

Obviously, this is concerning evidence that we will have heard at the UK COVID inquiry yesterday, and one of the most concerning elements we read from the testimony was, to quote, that

'there were over a thousand elements of missing data in the question of key worker status.'

Now, obviously, you will have been using this data as a Welsh Government to make decisions around which restrictions to lift, and pandemic practices and workplace practices during the pandemic, and that will obviously relate not just to health and social care workers, but to other key workers who will have been impacted by decisions made by the Welsh Government. So, as an example, during the pandemic, I know you will have been education Minister, making decisions about restrictions on schools, for example, and their ability to open, and the risk, therefore, that school staff were exposed to during the pandemic. 

So, can I ask, is this a picture that is likely to emerge from across the Welsh Government, from across sectors, that this data was incomplete during the pandemic and the Welsh Government, effectively, was operating and making decisions, if you like, with one hand tied behind its back? Or is this something exclusively limited to health and social care workers and to Public Health Wales? 

I think the Member will have heard the answer that I gave to Sioned Williams a moment ago. Whilst evidence is being given by the Welsh Government in the inquiry, I'm not sure it's particularly helpful for me to provide a commentary on that. Obviously, we're midway through quite an extensive inquiry, and the Member's question, actually, casts the timeline and the scope of that question very much broader. We have a mechanism for giving evidence and for that to be challenged as part of the inquiry. When the evidence is complete, when the inquiry has reached conclusions, there will a separate mechanism for this Senedd to satisfy itself that all relevant questions have been asked, and I think that's the appropriate context in which to reflect on the question that the Member asked. 

I'd like to thank Sioned for asking this important question, because this evidence highlights two of the most fundamental problems that we have within the health service. And it's no surprise to many of those working in health and care sectors in hearing this story, because it is clear that there are grave problems within the health service when it comes to data or rather a lack of data. Last night, I was at the NHS Confederation dinner; today, I was at Cardiff University; committee witnesses have mentioned it time and again. At every turn, people in these places mention the data problems that we face here in Wales. So how can we develop effective policy unless the data is accurate or if there is no consistency in the data collected?

And the second problem is grave deficiencies in the digital infrastructure, never mind the racism that was part of this story, with ethnicity being recorded on the basis of names, which is quite disgraceful. It's about time that we saw a complete transformation in the Government's attitude towards the digitisation of medical records, as well as the habit of gathering data and standardising data. So, would the Cabinet Secretary agree that Digital Health and Care Wales should be funded properly in order to tackle this issue? Will you also conduct a comprehensive audit of the appropriateness of the data sources that we have in Wales currently? And will the Cabinet Secretary recognise, in light of this evidence, that there have been fundamental failings and they continue to exist, and that steps should be taken to address those? 

I have answered some of those questions in my answers to Sioned Williams. I hope that the Member will have found those answers helpful to his questions. Data and the role of digital development in the NHS is a priority for the Government, and it runs as a thread through everything that we try to do in the NHS. But in terms of the circumstances raised in the inquiry yesterday, namely the subject of the first question, I hope that the answers I have already given will have been adequate.   

Can I thank Sioned Williams also for raising this important question in the Chamber here today? And I associate myself with the comments raised by Members in this place already. It particularly piqued my interest because yesterday, of course, Cabinet Secretary, you'll recall the discussion we had here on the back of your statement around escalation processes. One of the points I raised in that discussion on your statement was around the accuracy of the data and the information that you receive to be able to do your role as best as possible.

You've probably answered a number of questions that I had already, but I wonder whether you think there's a role in particular on a broader issue that's been raised by Members here today on data, data accuracy and the information being as helpful as possible. Do you think there's a further role outside of Government that this Senedd could play to scrutinise the data that's made available and support the work of Government, to ensure that people across Wales are being delivered services and policies have been set with the most accurate and helpful information possible? 

We seek to publish data on a regular basis in relation to the performance of the health service and care services in Wales, and that data is available for Members to scrutinise, as it ought to be. It is often used as a basis for how I am challenged appropriately in this Senedd. I think that's in the interests of transparent public services and also improving our delivery of them. So, I very much welcome that.

I thank the Cabinet Secretary. 

Item 4 today is the 90-second statements. There is only one this afternoon. I call on Julie Morgan.

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. Happy fortieth birthday to Friends of the Earth Cymru.

This year marks the fortieth anniversary of Friends of the Earth Cymru. Founded by Margaret and Robert Minhinnick in 1984, originally based in Porthcawl, the organisation became a hub for environmental activists in Wales. Early campaigns focused on increasing awareness of acid rain and recycling. In the 1990s, alongside their growing network of local groups, FOE Cymru was gathering evidence of the Sea Empress oil spill and campaigned to protect rich marine habitats like Cardigan bay. More recently, the organisation has worked on issues such as fracking, bees, sustainable fashion, plastic pollution, active travel, incineration, and got pension funds to shift millions of pounds out of fossil fuels.

The climate and nature emergencies are the most urgent issues facing our planet. In the 25 years since devolution, Friends of the Earth Cymru has helped shape ground-breaking policies and legislation, such as the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015, the action plan for pollinators, and life-saving clean air legislation. Over the past four decades, this NGO has worked tirelessly to make Wales a greener and more sustainable place to live. Alongside their network of activists and groups, Friends of the Earth Cymru will continue to fight for a just and sustainable future for people and the planet. We wish them every success in their continuing work in Wales.

Diolch, Julie.

Item 5 today is the debate on the Standards of Conduct Committee report—the seventeenth report to the Sixth Senedd under Standing Order 22.9. I call on the Chair of the committee to move the motion. Hannah Blythyn.

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. As Chair of the Standards of Conduct Committee, I formally move the motion.

The committee considered the report from the commissioner for standards in relation to a complaint made against Andrew R.T. Davies MS regarding the use of the term 'blanket' to describe the default 20 mph speed limit following the publication of the Standards of Conduct Committee’s eighth report. The Standards of Conduct Committee gave the commissioner’s report careful consideration and our report sets out the committee’s judgment.

The committee received two reports on this matter from the commissioner and agreed to consider them together. Given the number of complaints and the Member’s acknowledgment that he was aware of the finding in the Standards of Conduct Committee’s eighth report, the committee is recommending a censure on this occasion. The facts relating to the complaint and the committee’s reasons for its recommendation are set out in full in the committee’s report.

I would like to take this opportunity, Dirprwy Lywydd, to remind Members of the importance of acknowledging and acting on the findings of the Standards of Conduct Committee. In this instance, the committee had previously advised that Members should take care to not intentionally make statements that are imprecise and inaccurate.

The motion invites the Senedd to endorse the committee's reccomendation. Thank you.

A censure by the Senedd is a solemn thing. None of us should take lightly a rebuke by our peers or a finding against us by the independent standards commissioner. But I’m bound to note a pattern of behaviour from the leader of the opposition, Andrew R.T. Davies. The fact that he’s not here this afternoon, is not on screen—I’m not aware, Dirprwy Lywydd, if he’s offered any explanation—speaks of a contempt about our standards. This is not the first time his words and conduct have been questioned.

Today, he faces two separate reports from the standards committee about his conduct—two. And in the second of them, he did not even reply to invitations to make written or oral representations to the committee’s work in the complaint about him. He intends to keep shrugging them off. This is not the behaviour we are entitled to expect from a Member, let alone the leader of the opposition of our national Parliament.

Describing the change in speed limits as a ‘blanket’ one, when it only applies to a minority of roads, is clearly deliberate and intended to mislead. But this isn’t some jolly jape; lives are at stake, and confusion is sowed by this inaccurate use of language. The Conservative transport spokesperson, Natasha Asghar, has already been censured for her dishonesty.

The Conservatives have said that the change in speed limits has caused tourists to stay away. From comments I’ve seen online, the reason given by people who were put off from visiting is that they are worried that the speed limit is a ‘blanket’ one. It is the misleading terms used by the leader of the opposition that are doing the damage that he then complains about.

But this isn't an isolated incident. He's also claimed repeatedly that there is a ban on road building in Wales. Not only is it not true, he knows it's not true, but he shrugs it off. He suggested children were being forced to eat halal meat, without evidence. Even when the Muslim Council of Wales warned of the real consequences on our streets of what they called

'ham-fisted attempts at dog-whistle racism',

he was still unrepentant. In his finding of fact, the standards commissioner tells us that Andrew R.T. Davies says what he says

'should be tolerated as "an inaccurate exaggeration".'

So, he accepts what he says is not right. He just doesn't think it matters. Well, Llywydd, it does matter. Honesty matters. Accuracy matters. Standards matter. 

I call on Hannah Blythyn to reply to the debate. 

I'd just like to thank the Member for his contribution and once again reiterate the invitation to the Senedd to endorse the committee's recommendation. Diolch. 

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

Item 6 is a debate on the Standards of Conduct Committee report, the eighteenth report to the sixth Senedd under Standing Order 22.9. I call on the Chair of the committee to move the motion. Hannah Blythyn. 

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. As Chair of the Standards of Conduct Committee, I formally move the motion. The committee discussed a report from the standards commissioner on a complaint against Andrew R.T. Davies MS related to a Twitter message that was believed to be misleading and dangerous. 

The Standards of Conduct Committee gave the commissioner's report careful consideration and our report sets out the committee's judgment that although we considered the Member is in breach of the code of conduct, we do not consider that any further action is warranted. The facts relating to the complaint and the committee's reasons for its recommendations are set out in full in the committee's report. 

I would like to again take this opportunity to remind Members that whilst we recognise that social media is a tool that has the potential to be used effectively for communication and debate, it is for Members to determine the accuracy of the information they are posting and that every effort is made to differentiate between actual fact and an expression of opinion. We would also advise Members that quoting or actively repeating or posting social media posts does not absolve them of their du