National Assembly for Wales

Good afternoon and welcome to today's Plenary meeting. The first item this afternoon will be questions to the First Minister, and the first question is from Vaughan Gething. 

We've already set up a working group across the Welsh Government to go through the review on the regulation of nuclear power—the Fingleton review—and decide what works for Wales, particularly in areas where we have devolved responsibilities. We'll work with the UK regulators to speed things up where we can, but what we won't do is to lower standards. And this matters because of Wylfa on Anglesey. This is a huge opportunity for Wales. It's being driven by a UK Labour Government—[Interruption.]—working in partnership with a Welsh Labour Government—I don't know why you find that so difficult to understand—thousands of skilled jobs, billions of pound of investment and a real boost to the local economy. We're already seeing that pipeline starting, with contracts being awarded and supply chains building here in Wales. So, this isn't theoretical; it's happening now, and our job is to make sure Wales is ready to take full advantage of it. 

Thank you for your reply, First Minister. Energy security and sovereignty has never been more important. We will need more power, not less, to secure well-paid work for communities across Wales in the industries of the future that are, of course, identified in the UK industrial strategy. We'll need both renewables and a generation of new nuclear to secure power for homes, businesses and jobs. And it is fantastic news for Wales that the small modular reactor programme for the UK will be led from Wylfa. The Rolls Royce SMR programme should provide real opportunities and work for the wider Welsh supply chain in both north and south Wales. If we want the work in Wales, we have to support the sector. The Fingleton review sets out a path to regulate the sector, based on the technology of today, rather than nuclear developments from the 1960s and 1970s. It makes a case for change that is essential to the success of this sector, and the high-value employment it creates and supports. I don't want to see extra barriers to nuclear investment in Wales that are not supported by the evidence. Can you set out this Government's ambitions for the nuclear sector here in Wales, and, referring to the taskforce that you announced half and hour ago, can you set out how this Government expects Wales to enable and respond to the Fingleton review, to ensure that Wales is indeed the best place in the UK for this sector to invest and succeed?

Diolch, Vaughan. We'll need three times more electricity in Wales than we use today by 2050. And if we've learnt nothing else in the past few weeks, we know that we can't rely on an unstable power source from abroad, and that's why the development of nuclear energy on Wylfa is so critical. So, I want to reaffirm my support for the acceleration of the delivery of nuclear infrastructure projects, and I have set that out in a written statement. 

It's important that both the planning system and the regulatory processes operate smoothly and swiftly to enable businesses to operate effectively. Now, we've prioritised £5 million of investment in Natural Resources Wales to make sure that they can speed up the consenting process. But, what we won't do is to dampen down anything when it comes to safety—the safety of the people who work there and the safety of the people of this nation.

First Minister, nuclear power has the capability of transforming our grid, providing reliable baseload energy and increasing the demand. But let's not underestimate the role of the previous UK Conservative in advocating for Wylfa—full-scale nuclear at Wylfa, rather than just SMRs. In your initial reply to Vaughan Gething, you mentioned the ability of this Welsh Government to look at what is within its powers around nuclear power—that being the skills provision for the local workforce. So, how are you working to ensure that the local workforce across Wales are able to maximise the opportunities that come from nuclear here in Wales?

I can't believe a Tory is talking to me about what you did for nuclear. The people of north Wales, of Anglesey, waited. They were promised jobs—[Interruption.] They were promised jobs. We trained them up, ready to take those jobs. Hundreds of apprentices were promised things on your watch, and you failed to deliver—you failed to deliver. Do you know what that meant? [Interruption.] Do you know what that meant? It meant that people, people in Anglesey, were trained up, they wanted to work in their local communities, they wanted to stay at home, to be able to speak in their native language, but no—no, you made them leave because you didn't follow through. But under Welsh Labour, under Welsh Labour, under the UK Labour Party, working together, we are going to deliver £2.5 billion of investment—new jobs. And do you know what? They're already happening. I was visiting one just yesterday—Halton in Ebbw Vale, which is already making equipment for the nuclear sector. They are eyeing up those opportunities there are—they are eyeing them up in Wylfa. And so is Boccard, where we visited last week, in north Wales. It was wonderful to be there for the launch of the north Wales Labour Party campaign. And Boccard was there, understanding what stability means—the need to look to the future, to make sure that we can present opportunities for the people in those areas. And in Ledwood, in west Wales, they are already working for the nuclear power sector. You failed these people; we will deliver for them.

First Minister, Wales needs energy that is affordable for households, reliable for industry, and secure for the long term. For too long, Welsh energy policy has been driven by ideological net-zero targets, without regard for cost, reliability, rural impact, or democratic consent. Yet, despite huge subsidies for onshore wind, Welsh households still face some of the highest bills in Europe, whilst the grid grows more unstable. Reform will change that. Our approach will be straightforward: energy policy in Wales will serve people, it will serve jobs, it will serve national resilience. A Reform Government will act as an active enabler of nuclear development, not a passive bystander or blocker. We will work constructively with Westminster and fast-track the infrastructure needed. Does the First Minister agree with me that we should not allow ideological opposition by Plaid to frustrate or halt nationally important nuclear developments and that we should end these ridiculous net-zero targets that are bringing our Welsh economy to our knees?

I'll tell you what we are opposed to, it's ideological positions that fail to recognise that climate change is real. Climate change is happening. Have you not looked at the scientific evidence just this week—just this week? Human-made climate change is real and you're continuing to deny its existence. And let me tell you that I am interested—[Interruption.]—I am interested, and I am concerned about the people in this nation who are suffering at the moment because of increased energy prices. We need to do something to stabilise, to look to the future, to make sure that there is security of supply. What's the best way of doing that? Renewable energy, and, here in Wales, we have plenty of it. We are the only party—the only party—in this place that is dead serious about developing renewable energy, recognising that we need the infrastructure to go with that in order to create jobs, to make sure that we have a reliable source for the future, which will bring prices down for the people who today are suffering because of the vagaries of the market and because of what's going on in the middle east. We are paying a price. We need to be organised. That's what we are doing in the Labour Party—we are organising a Government for the future, and an independent energy policy for Wales. That is our promise to the people at the next election.

Our universities are central to Wales's economy. They train our workforce, they drive innovation and support local jobs right across the country. You see that in places like Swansea, where the university is working with industry, on everything from advanced manufacturing to green energy. Now, I know this is a difficult time for the sector and I recognise the real anxiety for staff, including in Swansea, where people are worried about their jobs. That's why the Welsh Labour Government has backed our universities with additional investment of over £40 million in capital funding to help them adapt and plan for the future.

Thank you, First Minister. I want to stress the importance of higher education in growth areas such as computing and life sciences, while also generally providing a highly educated workforce, which is what employers need. If you examine the economically successful areas in the world, they all have major universities. Be it Swansea's twin city in Mannheim, Silicon Valley or Cambridge, the universities drive the economy and the high economic growth in the area. Universities provide the opportunity for high salaries and economic growth. What support is the Welsh Government giving to the Welsh universities so they can compete with the best in the world?

If you look at the most successful economies in the world, they are built around strong universities, and that's exactly the model that we're backing here, because universities don't just educate, they drive innovation, they support high-value jobs, and they anchor growth in places like Swansea and elsewhere. That's why the Welsh Labour Government is investing directly in the sector. Through Medr, we provided over £150 million to universities last year, alongside tens of millions in capital funding, to help them modernise and to reduce costs going forward.

We know that universities are very important, and growing the economy is also very important. If we want a workforce that can reflect and communicate with other economies in the world, modern foreign languages are absolutely at the heart of that, in my view. I'm sure you'll be as concerned as I am to see that the number of students studying modern foreign languages over the last five years has decreased by about 20 per cent, which is concerning not just for those courses, but for the impact that that would have on our economy instead. Clearly, that is something we need to reverse, and, no, not in the way Reform suggests, by making Welsh a foreign language. Instead, we need to properly reverse that trend, First Minister, if we're going to have a skilled workforce both today and in the future. So, how does the Welsh Government ensure that foreign languages are at the very heart of this and the next Welsh Government strategy, not only in universities, but longer term down the pipeline as well for GCSE and A-level courses?

[Inaudible.]—modern foreign languages at universities. I think this is an important thing for us to promote, and that's why we're doing it very much in our schools. You can't do it in university unless you've done the groundwork in our schools before, not just in secondary but primary schools, getting that interest in young people right from the beginning. But, let me say something else about universities, in particular when it comes to incentivising people to learn modern languages: there was more of an incentive when there was an opportunity to be able to go and work in the European Union. That is the truth of it, and your party helped to lead the campaign that took us out of the EU. Let's be absolutely clear that, when it came to university funding, we had a huge amount of support from the EU, not just for research but also for infrastructure, and that helped us to be able to compete with places like the south-east of England. That is far more difficult now. Your party promised not a penny less. That promise was hollow, and the people of Wales have heard it.

Mike Hedges is absolutely right, the universities in Wales are not only important seats of learning but they're also drivers of economic growth in their regions. But your mismanagement of the higher education sector over 27 years has left the sector in serious financial difficulties. As we've seen recently, they've had to cut jobs and cut courses. Your record in supporting them has been absolutely woeful. Only 32 per cent of young people in Wales go to universities, compared to 40 per cent in the rest of the UK. Only 21 per cent from deprived communities go to universities, compared to 27 per cent across the UK. So, your response has been closing your eyes and pretending that there's nothing wrong. What Plaid Cymru are actually proposing is to set up an independent review of the university sector, which is what the sector wants. So, can I invite the First Minister to support Plaid Cymru in setting up that review?

Look, there's always more we can do. There's always more we can do to support higher education. I know how important they are as institutions that anchor economies, particularly in those areas like Bangor and Aberystwyth, where they are fundamental to those places, which is why it was shocking to hear Nigel Farage talk about closing universities because he didn't like what they were discussing there in Bangor.

Look, let's talk about Plaid's plans for higher education, because, yes, you'll have a review, but the policies you've actually put out already, a new report from the Higher Education Policy Institute has concluded that they would

'be difficult to implement in practice, in the absence of cuts elsewhere in Welsh Government’s spending.'

So, these are promises again—promises again—without any practicalities; no sense of where that funding is going to come from. And let's be clear also about the other thing that Plaid is suggesting. They are suggesting proposing a system where young people from wealthier backgrounds would have a free choice in terms of where they go to university, while those from lower incomes would have their choices limited. That is the truth—that is the truth—of the Plaid policy, and we will make sure that the people of Wales hear that in the forthcoming election.

Universities add significant value to Wales, benefiting local communities as well as boosting the national economy. In my constituency, Wrexham University is incredibly proud of their highly skilled graduates and the institution is moving from strength to strength. Last year, it launched CanfodAu, a multi-million pound research and innovation centre and, just this month, the university was awarded research degree awarding powers. It's also developing a business gateway and working very closely with Wrexham AFC regarding new opportunities in the region. Collaboration is crucial, and many of these projects have been delivered through very strong partnership. Of course, the Welsh Government has always been a key component there. So, First Minister, I'm sure you'll agree with me that it's essential the Welsh Government continues to provide the necessary support and investment so institutions like Wrexham University can continue to drive economic growth, strengthening both the regional and national economy.

I agree with you, and I think Wrexham University is having a really instrumental role in transforming Wrexham as a city. It was great to speak to and be with the vice-chancellor of Wrexham last Friday, but also it was an opportunity to thank him, because he hosted the Cabinet in his university just a few weeks ago. It is important to make sure that we all have an understanding of how Wrexham is driving growth in that part of the world. I do think that that business gateway is going to make a huge difference.

The really interesting model for me, in terms of Wrexham, is this understanding that it's not just about coming straight out of school and going to university. This is about lifelong learning, and what Labour is promising in this election is that there will be a lifelong retraining guarantee. And that was something that I was able to discuss with the vice-chancellor last week, because that is something where they need to understand that things will be different in future. We need to adjust and adapt, and recognise that people may not need to do, or be willing to do, or able to do three-year courses. They may need to do things differently—bite-sized courses that fit around people's lives. That is the kind of model that I'd be very keen to see in that lifelong retraining guarantee that we will deliver when we are returned to the Senedd as the leading party.

Questions now from the party leaders. Leader of the Welsh Conservatives, Darren Millar.

Thank you, Llywydd. Do you agree that the clip by Nigel Farage last week that described the Welsh language as a 'foreign language' is an insult to the people of Wales—and it's clear that Nigel Farage doesn't care about Wales at all—and that this clip demonstrates that Nigel Farage is ready to say anything for money?

Well, well, Darren, you've been hiding your Welsh for five years. [Laughter.] It's about time that you used your Welsh language skills, and I give you credit for doing so. But there will be pressure on you to do more of that in future, now that we all know that you're able to speak Welsh. But I do agree with you. I do think that it was an insult to the language and to our nation in terms of the way that Nigel Farage spoke of our language. The fact is that he will do anything for money, anything at all, and that is something that he shares with his dear friend Trump.

We must also bear in mind that he has no understanding whatsoever of how we live here in Wales. He wants to reopen the pits. That's what he talked about. He wants to re-establish steel in Port Talbot. That shows that he has no understanding at all in terms of how we live our lives here in Wales. 

Well, I'm glad we agree on something. [Laughter.] It's been difficult to find areas of common ground over the past number of years. So, if I can now move back to our usual jousting, to something that we might disagree on, First Minister, last week your Government issued a statement on the cost of living. It made for remarkable reading, because it told us next to nothing. It mentioned £3.8 million-worth of UK Government funding to support people in Wales who use oil for heating and hot water, but it gave absolutely no indication as to how that money will be deployed. And it also ignored the many other cost-of-living pressures that have been heaped upon the shoulders of the people of Wales—council tax through the roof over the past five years, water bills up by hundreds in recent years too, and of course the very recent spike in the cost of petrol and diesel on forecourts across Wales. What on earth are you doing issuing a statement on the cost-of-living pressures that buries your head in the sand when it doesn't discuss those particular pressures clobbering every single household in Wales? And can you tell us: have you petitioned the UK Government to ditch the planned fuel duty increase later this year? Why are you standing idly by, not using your powers to cap council tax increases when councils are hiking their council tax by eye-watering amounts? And when and how are people going to be able to access that extra money for their heating oil costs? 

Well, I can't believe I'm getting lessons from the Tories on how to support people when it comes to poverty. You threw people on the scrap heap when your Government was leading in Westminster. Let's remember the years of austerity, the years of cuts, the years of not protecting people who needed protection. And let me tell you what we did in Wales. While you were cutting in England, we were protecting here in Wales. We made sure that people over 60 could use their buses free of charge; we made sure that we introduced new bus regulation to make sure that we can take more control and we can charge people a decent amount but not too much. And that's why £1 fares for young people has proved massively successful and why, when we are back in government here after May, let me tell you, we will be introducing a £2 cap when it comes to bus fares, making a difference—a real difference—to the cost-of-living challenges that people are suffering.

And let me be clear: we understand they are under pressure. People in Wales are under pressure and that is why we want to stand by them. That is why we are going to go even further when it comes to support for energy insulation, for supporting them in their homes, and why also we are supporting the people who are really struggling on the lowest wages. That's why, when we come back here in May, we will make sure that those people who are working in our classrooms, who are support staff, get paid throughout the year. That will make a real difference to over 30,000 people in our communities. That's the kind of difference that a Welsh Labour Government will make and has made.

It must be very, very miserable all the time to be you, Darren, always talking down Wales—talking down Wales. Let me tell you what we are doing in terms of delivery. Waiting lists down last week—eight months in a row. And I want to pay tribute to Jeremy Miles, who has taken that additional money—. He's taken that additional money that we didn't have under your Government, that we now have, and it's delivering. Massive improvements in rail services across Wales; 100,000 apprenticeships; free school meals in every primary school; and new schools built across the whole of Wales. And that's before we start talking about the 20,000 people who are now in social homes built by the Welsh Labour Government.

I'll tell you what the Conservative Party did to help people with the cost of living: we had a furlough scheme that got millions of jobs and livelihoods saved during the pandemic. We gave people a bigger increase than 75p on their pensions, with the triple lock. And of course, we never took away—or snatched away—in advance of the winter, the winter fuel allowance for our pensioners.

Now, First Minister, let's get back—let's get back—to the cost of living. Every single Welsh Conservative knows that the best way to help people with the cost of living is to put more money into people's pockets and to reward hard work. That's why we have proposed a tax- and waste-cutting agenda for Wales: a plan to cut 1p off income tax to save the hard-working family £450 per year; council tax increases to put an end to the scam of paying more every single year, but getting less in return; an extension to free childcare—30 hours a week for working mums and dads—and, of course, our plans to scrap stamp duty on main homes to get our housing market moving and support the jobs that depend on it. So, will you agree with me that the only way to address the cost of living and to deal with poverty in Wales, the only way to fix Wales and get Wales working is for the people of Wales to ditch Labour, ditch Plaid and vote Welsh Conservatives on 7 May?

I think the people of Wales—[Interruption.] I think the people of Wales have had enough of the Conservatives. That's why they rejected them massively during the last general election. How many MPs did you say you had? Oh, no, let's forget that.

But let's remember also about the fact that, actually, you are indistinguishable these days from Reform. That is the truth of it. Those two, which party were you in before? I think you might find it was the Tory party. What does your manifesto look like? Oh, it looks exactly like theirs. And do you know what they have in common? Do you know what they have in common? Cuts to public services. That's what you have in common. You have cuts to public services.

Let's just think about what you're promising. You're promising deep cuts to public services to scrap business rates—£300 million that'll cost, £300 million. Where's that coming from? Who's paying for that? It'll be the health service, it'll be the education service. You want to give farmers an extra £100 million on top of the £350 million they're already receiving. Where is that money coming from? It's cuts to public services. And on top of that—[Interruption.] And on top of that, you want to rebuild and start building the M4—£1.6 billion right there, £1.6 billion. Your accountant needs to have their head examined. That is the truth of it. You have been drinking from the Liz Truss Kool-Aid, and you need to make sure that, when you make an offer to the Welsh public—when you make an offer to the Welsh public—you deliver.

Leader of Plaid Cymru, Rhun ap Iorwerth.

Thank you very much, Llywydd. Well, at the end of another parliamentary term, and with you in the Chair for one of the last times, may I start by thanking you for presiding over us so firmly and for your commitment to the Senedd and its work for Wales?

I don't think I'm proving to be that strong and effective a Llywydd today. I've adopted a kind of laissez-faire, let-it-all-go, last-week-of-term approach to this, to see if it strikes a different chord. It seems to be working so far. [Laughter.]

As well as thanking the Llywydd, I'm sure we would all like to thank all our support staff and all the Commission staff for being so willing to go that extra mile in supporting us in our day-to-day work. And as others sit in this Chamber on their penultimate day, may I sincerely wish every one of those people well, all those people who have said that they won't be standing in the election in May?

It is the people of Wales who will decide if this is the last session in which a Labour First Minister answers questions from opposition leaders. If that does indeed prove to be the case, what does the First Minister think will have driven that loss of faith in her party's ability to deliver for Wales and to stand up for our country?

I think the people of Wales will take their time to consider what we've delivered for them over the past five years—and boy have we delivered. And we have delivered in the face—in the face—of a pandemic. Do you remember, coming into this election, we weren't even allowed to campaign properly for the first three weeks? We were in the shadow of a pandemic, Brexit was just about to happen, and we also had inflation, massive inflation, as a result of the Ukraine war. And we've had four Prime Ministers during that time. That's not conducive and not easy for us to really drive the kinds of changes that we wanted to see, but do you know what? We had a programme for government and we have delivered on the vast majority of that programme, despite—despite—all those hurdles in our way.

And what we need to do now is to recognise, and we need the public to recognise, that what Wales faces is a choice: a choice between a Government that now has the finance, the money to make that transformation in our public services, as is already happening, witnessed by that eight months in a row of waiting lists coming down. Look at the potholes being filled on our streets: 200,000 and more. Think about those women's health hubs that have been opened across the whole of Wales. Think about those 20,000 homes that we've delivered. Think about the 100,000 apprenticeships that have been created in Wales. All of those things have been delivered on our watch.

And let me tell you about the options and what's ahead of them, and the choices that are ahead of them. Do you know what? Part of the problem we have from Plaid is that, actually, if we just examine two of their proposals, there are massive, massive consequences for every other part of Government. Let's just look at childcare: £400 million. That's how much it would cost to deliver Plaid Cymru's childcare proposal. We would all love to see better childcare in Wales. We all have to make tough choices. You also want to spend an extra £1 on care workers—£164 million right there.

So, let's just take those two. That will mean massive, massive cuts in public services elsewhere, because there is no more money. You have to make choices in Government. You wouldn't know because you've never had to do this before, but that is the reality of governing. And do you know what? We've been scrutinised in this place week after week, and that is a good thing; it makes democracy better, it makes us accountable, but do you know what? You've started to be scrutinised, and you are crumbling and falling at the first hurdle, because your sums don't add up. The people of Wales are clocking it, and they will, I hope, come to us and understand that we, when we say we're going to deliver, we actually do.

There is no response that the First Minister could give today that would hide how much the people of Wales have become disillusioned by the lack of ambition of the Labour Party. There isn't an answer that the First Minister could give that would hide the fact that the people of Wales are ready for new leadership. That's what Plaid Cymru offers: new ideas, new energy, new ambition after 27 years of Labour First Ministers.

The First Minister knows as well as I do that the people of Wales are viewing this election through a new lens. The sense of inevitability, of a repeat of what has gone before, is gone. We in Plaid Cymru have taken seriously our role of holding Government to account, but it's also been about influencing Government, getting things done from opposition—free school meals. We lost count of the times Labour voted against that, but Plaid Cymru never gave up. The north Wales medical school, an idea once dismissed outright by Labour, is now a reality after the long Plaid Cymru campaign. I'm proud of the stance that we as a party took on the Gaza genocides, ensuring that Wales's voice was heard loud and clear. When Wales has been bypassed or shortchanged by UK Government, it was Plaid Cymru calling it out, with Labour backbenchers only joining in when it was politically expedient to do so.

That is just a flavour of how a Plaid Cymru Government would show new leadership. Why is it that so often on policies that matter to people, as well as the polls where Plaid Cymru leads, Labour can only follow? 

You talk about ideas. Where are they? Where are they? I was expecting something big. I was expecting something special. You have had five years to develop these ideas, but do you know what you're going to do? In the first 100 days, you're going to have a little think. You're going to have a little think about what might come next. But, frankly, it doesn't matter what you come up with, because you won't be able to implement any of it, because there will be no more money, because you've already spent it. You've already spent it on two policies.

So, let us be clear that the people of Wales are scrutinising you for the first time. Let’s just think about the Welsh Development Agency, the new Welsh Development Agency. There's no plan, there's no remit, there are no costings, there's no timetable, but we'll have a little think. We'll have a little think in the first 100 days. The business community is not going to buy that. Jobs matter. Business matters. And do you know what? More than anything, Wales and its people matter.

Lots of people are watching this session today and the tone of the First Minister does her as much disservice as her lack of action for the people of Wales. It would be easy for me to just stand here and criticise the record of this Labour Government. Too easy. We have rehearsed the state of the NHS, schools and the economy so many times, and the excuses are like a broken record.

The First Minister often talks of experience in Government, but longevity isn't the same as delivery. Recent comments by anonymous Labour sources have betrayed the fact that, for them, it's party before country. Saying you don't want something devolved because you're not sure if you're going to be in power to deliver on it, that is profoundly undemocratic. So is claiming that a future First Minister of Wales can't have an effective relationship with a UK Prime Minister if they don't belong to the same Labour party. This arrogance is why people are so fed up of Labour and why Welsh voters are crying out for new leadership and new ideas. Labour's deference to Wales has held Wales back for too long.

Doesn't the First Minister agree that it's high time our nation had a Government that says 'no' to subservience, 'no' to squandered opportunities, and 'yes' to a confident, compassionate and thriving Wales? And if she does indeed believe that, she must concede that Labour can't be the party to lead that Government after 7 May.

Do you know what? You're counting your votes already, aren't you? And the people of Wales are clocking that—the arrogance. The arrogance, the taking for granted of what might happen next.

We have fought in every election for every vote. We have said what we're going to deliver, we've delivered what we said we would, and then we've gone back to the public. And that is the same pattern that we will be doing here. And do you know what? When it comes to country and party, I have been clear. I have been clear before and I will be clear again: country over party every single time for me. And when it comes to choice, however, when it comes to choice, I will always side with the people of Wales. I will always make sure that I stand up for the people who need protection.

What will you do? We don't have to ask what you will do because we saw what you did just a couple of weeks ago. When the people of Wales, when this Chamber was asked, 'Are you going to protect shop workers from violence?', what did you do? You voted with the Tories and Reform. You put constitutional issues above protecting the people of Wales. People are clocking that, and we know and they know that that is just a first stop on the road to separatism. What you want is a constitutional fight. What we need is a Government that is serious. Serious times deserve and need serious politicians. They need politicians with credibility and with experience.

Do you know what? Running Government is hard. There’s a lot to do and we know there’s always more to do. But what we will do when we enter this election is offer clear, affordable, costed and deliverable policies. We will be making sure that the Welsh public know who to come to when they need support to tackle the cost-of-living crisis: cheaper bus fares, lower energy bills, expansion of childcare. When they worry about the jobs of the future, who will be there to look after them, to look out for them, to make sure that we create the right environment? It will be Welsh Labour, the Welsh Labour Government, making sure that we are ready, creating an energy-independent Wales and new lifelong retraining guarantees.

What are we going to do about the NHS? Well, now the taps have been turned on, it is already making a difference. But do you know what we'll be doing? We will be investing £4 billion into the hospitals of the future, with same-day mental health support and a continued focus on women's health. And when it comes to protecting our planet—we've heard this week how important it is to protect our planet—we will clean up our rivers and seas, we will grow our national forest and we will crack down on fly-tipping.

But more than anything—more than anything—what we will do is create a fairer future for Wales, ending homelessness, a pay rise for the lowest paid workers and raising school standards. There is a new chapter about to start in the history of Wales with a new generation coming through. This is fairness that you can feel. When we say we're going to deliver, we deliver. 

Devolution is working, and it’s working because of the choices made by the Welsh Labour Government. And let’s be clear: we are the party of devolution. We established it and we’ve made it deliver for the people of Wales: free school meals for every primary pupil, free prescriptions, falling NHS waiting lists, investment in jobs, skills and communities across Wales. That’s what happens when decisions are made in Wales, by a Welsh Labour Government, for the people of Wales.

But, yes, of course, we want to go further. That’s why we backed the constitutional commission, because Wales should have a stronger voice and more control over the future. But do you know what? Devolution isn’t the problem. The pressure has come from years of underfunding from a previous UK Tory Government holding Wales back. Now, with two Labour Governments working together, that new investment is coming through and we are putting it to work where it matters.

First Minister, today seems a time to take stock and see where we are headed. This Senedd is Wales's voice. It was hard fought for, hard won. There are voices in our politics that seek to denigrate and belittle us. How damaging and dismaying it is that the current Prime Minister seems one of them. Keir Starmer, like Boris Johnson before him, seems happy to sideline this Senedd, to rebuff calls for powers over policing, over transport, to deny us the billions we're owed from HS2, to tell his Westminster Cabinet they can spend in devolved areas without the Welsh Government's consent. When Westminster politicians so devalue our voices, it is not an institution they are insulting, it is a nation; a nation of people who deserve so much better than the current settlement they are getting; the nation of Wales, which merits more than being left on a perpetual periphery. So, First Minister, what is your vision and your hope for the future of this place and why do you think it's taking us so long to get there?

My vision for Wales is one where we see our economy growing, so that people can live a good life, which is also something where everybody can be valued, that they can make the most of their opportunities, and we need to make sure that we also look after and protect our country. And let me tell you that that's precisely what we've been doing. We've been making sure that we now work with the UK Labour Government, and that's how we have had the biggest investment we've seen in decades, the biggest budget we've ever had, and we are putting it to work.

And let's be clear also that there has been a commitment, after years of underinvestment, when it comes to rail. Yes, we were annoyed about it. We were annoyed about it under the Tories, and, do you know what? We continue to be annoyed about it when Labour is in power. That was true also for the two-child benefit cap. Do you know what? We don't change our views because of who's in power in Westminster. We were clear that the two-child benefit cap was not something that we agreed with, and we weren't going to change our tune because Westminster was doing something different. How great it was then when not only did they change their minds, but they came to Wales to make that announcement. That was an example of them listening, understanding and recognising that we are a party with values, and we will stick to those values irrespective of what happens in Westminster.

Yesterday, the COBRA committee met to discuss the cost of living and what measures the UK Government could take. In the pandemic and the outcome of the inquiry, there were fingers pointed at the participation of the Welsh Government within the COBRA committee. What improvements have you seen, as the new First Minister, or newish First Minister, to the COBRA system? I appreciate that it's the Prime Minister's gift to invite people into that, but key decisions are taken during moments of crisis. That, surely, is more important than some sort of separatist agenda that the nationalists want to push about breaking up the United Kingdom.

Thanks very much. You're quite right, and that's why it's great that, because I have a very clear relationship with the Prime Minister, I was able to pick up the phone to him last week and tell him about the issues that people in Wales are already contending with, like the heating oil prices that have already gone up. That's why we had a situation where we got more than the Barnett share, because we were able to have that conversation directly with the Prime Minister. Those kinds of relationships matter, they make a difference and they benefit the people of Wales. I've been getting briefings on the situation. It is something that I've drawn their attention to—that it is important that we learn the lessons of the pandemic and that we are involved right from the beginning when it comes to any situation that could impact on us here in Wales.

First Minister, I suspect that most people in Wales agree with you and your approach to devolution and to the future of the United Kingdom. I don’t think most people in Wales are interested in either Plaid Cymru's or the Tories' alternatives, and they certainly don’t want to be called 'foreigners' by Reform, let me tell you that. What people in Wales want to see is the fairness that you can feel, as you've already expressed this afternoon, and equality for Wales within the United Kingdom. The people of Wales want this country to be treated equally, they want this country to be treated fairly, and they want this country to receive the resources and the powers that we require in order to deliver for the people of Wales. Do you agree with me, First Minister, that it's only a new Welsh Labour Government that's going to deliver that sort of fairness for Wales?

Absolutely. Fairness is critical. It's central to who we are, and that is certainly the message that we'll be taking to the people of Wales. We are the party of devolution. We do not want to go on a route to separatism and we do not want to see a situation where devolution is watered down in any way. Let me be clear: when it comes to equality, we have had a lot more resources since the UK Labour Government came to power. Just look at the investment in Wylfa. Look at the fact that they have helped to support us when it comes to our coal tips. Look at the fact that we're having not one but two AI growth zones. And there are a whole load of other measures. Just last week, we were in Port Talbot talking to them about the new steel strategy—protectionism in place for the people in our nation. That's because we have a Government that understands that we need support here in Wales, and they are giving us that support.

We're working closely with the UK Labour Government on the Ajax programme, because this is about protecting highly skilled jobs in the south Wales Valleys. Hundreds of people are employed at General Dynamics in Oakdale and Merthyr—good, well-paid jobs that people rely on. I understand that uncertainty is going to cause anxiety. We have been clear that we need a swift resolution to give workers confidence, particularly in communities like Islwyn. But we're also backing the future with a £50 million Wales defence growth deal and a new defence cluster to grow jobs and supply chains here in Wales, because the Welsh Labour Government doesn't just talk about jobs, we deliver them.

Thank you very much, First Minister. General Dynamics UK, as you have said, is a major site in Oakdale in Islwyn. It houses a research and development engineering centre that focuses on advanced communication systems and software. The Oakdale site alone, during peak activity, employs over 300 highly skilled, well-paid workers, with the Ajax armoured fighting vehicle programme declared ready for operations last autumn, only for the further reviews to have taken place. But it was reported just last week that Ajax is understood to have passed all safety tests in recent weeks. The £6.3 billion programme has seen the British army order 589 Ajax armoured turreted reconnaissance vehicles.

Llywydd, it is clear that the capabilities of the Ajax, including an array of sophisticated sensors that enable it to detect the direction of incoming fire, are, in good part, due to the talented men and women who are employed at the Oakdale site. First Minister, what is the assessment of this Welsh Labour Government of the importance of the Ajax programme to the economy of south-east Wales, and what further representations will the Welsh Government make to ensure that Islwyn continues to be at the heart of the British army's strategic capabilities in the decades to come?

Thanks, Rhianon. You're absolutely right to highlight the importance of Ajax to the economy of south-east Wales. This is about hundreds of highly skilled, well-paid jobs in communities like Islwyn—jobs that families rely on, and jobs that anchor those wider supply chains across the Valleys, so it's not just about General Dynamics. It's been extraordinary to go and visit the factory. The skills of the people there are absolutely extraordinary. These are handmade tanks—that's what we're talking about.

It's been clear that the conversations with the UK Labour Government are progressing. I know the Cabinet Secretary for the economy has been in direct contact with the Minister for defence procurement to press exactly the case that you're making, making sure that they understand the scale of what's at stake here. But we're not just waiting for decisions; as I say, we're backing the future of the sector as well.

First Minister, General Dynamics, as just mentioned, the company behind the Ajax, provide countless jobs across the region of south-east Wales, and they're not the only ones providing high-quality jobs across Wales. We have BAE Systems in Monmouthshire, Raytheon in north Wales, GE Aerospace in Caerphilly, and so much more. It's not very often that I find myself agreeing with Sir Keir Starmer, but credit where credit's due, I am pleased to see him commit to slashing foreign aid to boost our defence spending to 2.5 per cent of national income by 2027. At times of heightened tension across the globe, it is only right that we spend more on defence. First Minister, do you support the Prime Minister on this? Because we know how much your Government loves splashing the cash in far-flung countries and on pointless vanity projects at the expense of people's priorities. What more can the Welsh Government do to support defence companies across Wales?

I'm uncomfortable—that's the truth of it. I'm uncomfortable with cutting aid to the poorest people on our planet. I can't walk away from that, that's who I am. But I understand also that people need to make tough choices. On the security situation in the world, we're in a very different position from where we've been in the past. I think we've got to take our security very seriously, and that's why they're boosting the money spent on defence. Let's be clear, your party cut and cut and cut that money that went into defence and has left us pretty vulnerable today, if we're honest. But if we are going to spend money on defence, I want to make sure that we land our fair share here in Wales. That's why that memorandum of understanding on the Wales defence growth deal is so significant: £50 million that will boost jobs in Wales. we need to make sure that that is just the start.

I understand how strongly people feel about services at Withybush, and they’re right to. These services matter. But let me be absolutely clear that urgent and emergency care will continue at Withybush Hospital. We've heard this before. For years, the Tories have been saying that Withybush is closing. It isn't. It wasn't then, and it isn't now.

What's happening here is a decision by the health board, based on clinical advice, about how to keep services safe and sustainable, because nobody benefits from a service that isn't properly staffed or safe. Workforce pressures have been building across the NHS for years, despite the fact that we now have 12 per cent more people working in the NHS than we did at the beginning of this Senedd term. That's not something that's unique to west Wales, that NHS workforce challenge; it's an international challenge.

But here's another truth: after 14 years of austerity imposed by your party at Westminster, we simply weren't given the funding to make the level of investment that the NHS needed. Now, that's changing. With a UK Labour Government, the investment that was denied to Wales is finally flowing, and we're putting it into the NHS. So, let me be clear: our plans are credible and they're deliverable. That includes a £4 billion 'hospitals for the future' fund, and a new urgent care hospital for west Wales. Scaremongering doesn't help patients; delivery and long-term sustainability does.

Mabon ap Gwynfor.

He hasn't responded. 

Sorry, Paul. Carry on.

It's not for me to stop a question on Withybush Hospital, for obvious reasons.

Let me be absolutely clear, First Minister. You can spin this as much as you want, but residents across west Wales are understandably upset and angry at these decisions to strip services from their local hospitals. They want the Welsh Government to stand up for them and stop the health board from removing those vital services. My colleague Samuel Kurtz and I have written to the health Secretary to intervene, and indeed to the Counsel General to consider any and all legal options to stop the health board. We will leave no stone unturned in standing up for the people that we represent. First Minister, I've asked you time and time and time again to work with me and stand up for the people of west Wales against the local health board, and so far, you've absolutely refused. So, I ask you again: will you now intervene and stop the health board removing services from west Wales? Yes or no?

I recognise that communities are very upset about the situation. I understand that people are committed to their local services. These services are deeply valued. But they've got to remain safe, they've got to be sustainable, they've got to be deliverable. I think it is important that we also recognise that this has got to be a decision that is clinically led and really thinks about the objectives that it's trying to achieve, to get people better. Of course, people are concerned when they see services are changed.

You talk about spin; what about the spin that you put up on a post to say that emergency departments in Withybush were actually going to close? I've got a copy of the page. Let me also be clear that, of course, when people are told about changes in services, I think it's important also to recognise that there will be improvements in the reformed changes and suggestions: more provision for orthopaedics in Withybush, more cancer care in Withybush, diagnostics expanded to seven days a week in Withybush, expansion of same-day emergency care in Withybush. You fail to mention this every time you talk, Paul. People need to hear this. And let me ask you a question, because you asked me one: do you agree that we should have a brand-new hospital in west Wales? Yes or no?

You will be aware of the significant concerns about the original recommendations to downgrade stroke services at Bronglais Hospital and introduce a treat-and-transfer model, transferring stroke patients to Llanelli. It's good that the health board has accepted that they need to look again at the location of stroke unit and aftercare, particularly for my constituents who live over three hours away from Llanelli. Do you agree that we will need another consultation process when the new recommendations are brought forward, and that rather than having a situation where Bronglais is under threat of being downgraded every 10 years, the hospital, instead, should be developed as a centre of rural health excellence?

Do you agree that we will need another consultation process when the new recommendations are brought forward? And rather than having a situation where Bronglais is under threat of being downgraded every 10 years, that the hospital should be developed as a centre of rural health excellence?

The situation in Bronglais, I know, has caused a lot of concern, especially when it comes to stroke services. I know there's concern in the local community. I've speaking to the chair in my capacity as a local Member, but I do think, as the proposals as they were originally envisaged will now be different from what went out to consultation, that they will have to go out to consultation again. 

We know that the former ASW workers have faced a huge injustice. We recognise the hardship that this has caused to workers and their families, and this is why we have consistently called for a just resolution that reflects the pensions paid for and promised.

Diolch yn fawr, Brif Weinidog. This injustice is nearly as long as Welsh devolution itself. At the first Senedd, my father campaigned for the 1,000 steelworkers who lost their pension. A quarter of a century later, at the end of the seventh Senedd, nothing has changed. The campaign continues. 

Well, that is not quite right, because one thing has changed. Many of the workers have now died, without receiving a penny of the pensions they paid for. One son told me that he believed his father died an untimely death because of the hardship caused by losing his pension. They have fought, and they have fought, and they have fought, and they are still fighting in their late seventies and eighties, and they've been let down by successive Westminster Governments of all colours. 

Last December, you told me that Mark Draekford had written to Torsten Bell, the UK pensions Minister, about the ASW scandal. Have you received a reply, and will you pick up that phone to Keir Starmer, to tell him directly that every Senedd in this place has been in favour of ASW workers, unanimously in favour? And will you demand that this scandal comes to an end? Diolch yn fawr. 

Look, I know people who worked in Allied Steel and Wire have met a very unjust situation. They paid into a pension scheme, with expectations, and they were let down. They were short-changed through no fault of their own. And that is something that I know that you've been campaigning on—that many, many representatives in Cardiff have been campaigning for. 

And I know Mark Drakeford again wrote to the UK Government pensions Minister on 5 December to raise those concerns. He has received a repsonse from the Department for Work and Pensions.

The UK Labour Government, he suggests, has gone much further than the UK Tory Government to right the wrong. The financial assistance scheme, which was set up to help those affected by pensions failures between 1997 and 2005, covered 90 per cent of pension values. Now, the UK Labour Government will now legislate, through the UK Pension Schemes Bill, to provide indexation on pre-1997 pension accruals, where the original scheme's rules included such provisions, and they will be index-linked. So, that now will cover Allied Steel and Wire's workers. 

But, it doesn't account for inflation, particularly for pension rights accrued prior to the scheme being launched. So, there are still concerns. He recognises that they haven't covered everything that people were concerned with, but I know they will continue to fight, and we will continue to fight on their behalf. 

I'd like to thank, on this occasion, Jane Hutt for the incredible work she's done in this area—not just over the past few years in her role as social justice Secretary, but also in her many, many, many years serving in this Chamber, always fighting for social cohesion, always fighting for social justice. I'd like to thank Jane for her huge contribution, not just in this place, but to the people of Wales. [Applause.]

In light of the war in Iran, the issue of community cohesion is coming to the fore again. We know from previous wars in the region that increased tension can arise in our communities, particularly for members of the Muslim community and the Jewish community. An example of this was last week; we saw the shocking events happening in London that affected the Jewish community there. Closer to home, I know that concerns have been raised in recent months about the robustness of security at a number of places of worship. Have you made any extra support available to safeguard the more vulnerable members of our communities, to ensure that they are protected from hate speech, racism and physical violence?

Secondly, as this is my last question to you in this Senedd before dissolution, would you agree with me that political parties, candidates and their supporters need to be mindful at all times of the kinds of language that we use? Statements and positions should be rooted in fact and they should avoid stoking up tensions for our communities. Cymru is a friendly, tolerant and inclusive nation; it must remain like that.

Diolch i ti, Peredur. I think that's absolutely right. I think we have to go into this campaign in the knowledge that, actually, we are entering quite a difficult period. This is a time where there are, as you say, heightened tensions. I have asked the officials concerned to make sure that we have put that additional support in place to protect those communities that feel vulnerable at the moment. I'm sure lots of us were involved in the Eid celebrations on the weekend; it's great to see our Muslim communities celebrate. But it's also important that we protect the Jewish community, who do feel under strain at this time.

Look, soon, the people of Wales will be going to the polls; and they are going to be facing a choice in terms of what kind of Wales they want to belong to in future: one that tries to build communities and create cohesion, or do they opt for a party that is determined to create divisions, to foster hate and to raise the temperature? I think there's enough division in this world, enough bad actors, always looking for differences rather than asking for what's in common. I think it's incumbent on every one of us, as we enter those elections, to behave with honour, with dignity, but, most of all, with respect for each other.

Every death in an accident and emergency department is a tragedy, but ones that could have been avoided if prompt action had been taken are wholly unacceptable. We've heard of many examples where this has occurred, and health boards absolutely need to act. Every patient should be triaged within 15 minutes of arrival, which should assess the seriousness of the patient's condition, and they should be treated in accordance with need. Now, the pressure on our emergency departments is huge, and we've seen an increase of 2.4 per cent in the numbers attending since last year.

Thank you, First Minister. You will know that NHS Wales has a 12-hour waiting target for A&E, but, last year, over 122,000 people waited 12 or more hours. That's the second-highest figure on record. To put it simply, it means that about one in seven people were waiting at least 12 hours; in 2015, it was close to one in 32. We know there's a clear link between long waits, overcrowding and harm to patients in emergency departments. The Royal College of Emergency Medicine has estimated that, last year, in Wales, an average of 18 deaths every week were associated with waits of 12 hours or more. That is an absolutely devastating figure for all those families involved. First Minister, long waits and overcrowded A&Es aren't inevitable and they aren't unsolvable, but if this isn't failure, what is it?

what is it? Will you accept responsibility for these appalling outcomes, or will you continue to deny the reality facing patients across Wales? Thank you.

For the vast, vast majority of people, care is still clinically safe and effective. Let me just give you a sense of the scale of what we're dealing with here: 1.1 million people attended emergency departments in the past year, in a population of 3 million people. The vast majority were treated with dignity and care, and the average wait was under three hours. Now, do we want to do better? Of course we do. Is it acceptable for anybody to be in that situation? No, it's not—no, it's not. And that's why we are doing everything we can to make sure that we put the support in place. It's great to see that, because of that additional investment, the purple category response target time has been met every month since its launch. February saw a 21 per cent reduction in ambulance hours lost, and we have invested more in senior clinical decision makers at the front door. We've seen a 7 per cent increase in consultants. That's precisely what the Royal College of Emergency Medicine asked us to do, and we've done it.

One last question to the First Minister. Cwestiwn 9, Jane Dodds.

Thank you for the opportunity to ask you the final question, First Minister.

Social care is at the heart of our commitment to communities. One of the key issues relating to social care is the need to ensure that we have enough social care workers. That's why one of the proudest achievements of this Government, in its first year, was to increase the amount we paid and to provide the real living wage to care workers. That's not something that's been seen in other parts of the United Kingdom.

Social care is funded and organised via local councils, and we recognise the financial pressures on them. That's why they will receive an extra £282 million in 2026-27, a 4.5 per cent uplift. In addition to that, we spend over £175 million on social care priorities, including £30 million for pathways of care, ensuring people get the care they need now and for the future.

Diolch yn fawr iawn. Whilst I'm very tempted to make a political point at this very last juncture, I'm actually not going to, because I'd like us all—and I'd like to hear from you, First Minister—to pay credit to those social carers across Wales, many of whom are not paid that well, their working conditions are not that great, they look after our most vulnerable and our most valued citizens. I'm sure we would all like to join in thanking them. In going forward, we need to see a better deal for those social carers, and—most importantly—a better deal for those patients who are waiting to have social care and can't leave our hospitals because that's not there. We need to see—in the next Government, I hope—a real commitment to social care. This is an opportunity to make sure—right now, right here—we thank them for the work that they do. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Thank you very much, Jane. Can I thank you and pay credit to you for championing this cause? It's an important cause. Care workers are fundamental to ensuring that our communities work well. We're living in an ageing society, and we're going to need more not less when it comes to care workers. I'd also like to pay tribute to unpaid carers. They're the true heroes of our communities. They're the people who are holding up families across this nation. We've put an extra £91 million into the baseline as a result of that real living wage. That is a huge amount of money—a huge amount of money.

I'm really tempted to go for a very big political ending here, but I'm not going to do that, because I think you're right: let's end this First Minister's question on a note that I hope we can all agree on, and that is that the people in our communities who need respect, who deserve our respect, are those care workers, and in particular those unpaid carers who are doing so much to contribute to our communities.

Thank you, First Minister.

The next item is the business statement and announcement. And I call on the Trefnydd to make that statement. 

Thank you very much, Llywydd. There are no changes to this week's business. 

Cabinet Secretary, can I please request a statement from yourself about the Supreme Court's judgment which clarifies that 'sex' under the Equality Act 2010 means 'biological sex' and, as such, single-sex spaces and services must be just that: 'sex' only. It is coming up to a year since the Supreme Court made that ruling and still there's radio silence from the Welsh Labour Government. 

In December 2025, the Women's Rights Network, who have a very active group here in Wales, released their report into the use of mixed-sex changing rooms in leisure centres. Only three of the four police forces in Wales responded. Gwent Police did not supply data. However, the data provided by South Wales Police, North Wales Police, and also Dyfed-Powys Police demonstrated what anyone with any common sense knows: the safest changing room for women and girls is, indeed, a single-sex one. In one year alone, there were six reports of rape, two reports of sexual assault and seven reports of voyeurism. In at least 73 per cent of cases, the victim was a female, and in at least 87 per cent of cases, the alleged perpetrator was a male. Eighty-eight per cent occurred in a mixed-sex changing room, and many of these changing rooms are in local authority contracts.

This is an issue of violence against women and girls, an issue that this Government claims to be serious about tackling. Given that the judgment of the Supreme Court was, in the words of Bridget Phillipson, and I quote,

'crystal clear',

and the Equality and Human Rights Commission have stated that there is no need to wait for the code of practice to be published, why isn't this Government acting now to ensure the safety for women and girls in changing rooms in leisure centre facilities across Wales is taken seriously? A statement addressing these points is urgently needed. Thank you so much.

Well, as you know, and I have reported on a number of occasions and, of course, issued statements as well, we are waiting for the outcome of the consideration by the UK Government and Westminster itself. Parliament now has an opportunity to look at the draft revised code of governance from the Equality and Human Rights Commission. As you know, I have met with all the groups who have been affected or have concerns, and there are great concerns, particularly, I would say, from the trans community, about the impact of the Supreme Court judgment. I would say, and I know that you're aware of this, Natasha, that the judge, at the time of the announcement of that Supreme Court judgment, did say that we must treat this issue with compassion and care.

Where is the shortage of affordable housing? There is a lack of social housing built by councils and housing associations. Some of that shortfall has been filled by private landlords and the private rented sector. In parts of Swansea, privately rented housing is the major housing provider. Housing shortages still exist and is, at least in part, caused by second homes, empty homes and housing being removed from the housing market and used as Airbnb. Airbnb is not just a holiday resort problem, it occurs everywhere. Can I ask for a written Government statement on controlling Airbnb density, as currently exists for houses in multiple occupation? 

Thank you for that question. Of course, social housing is what we seek in terms of providing that all-important essential for people's lives in terms of housing. I would say again, as the First Minister said earlier on today, the programme for government commitment to reach 20,000 additional homes for rent in the social housing sector is what this Welsh Government is delivering. It is also important that we look at the role of the private rented sector and it is important we look at, of course, the regulation of Airbnb as well, which we were only just addressing recently in terms of legislation.

I think it is important that we look at the fact that Wales has a lot to offer in terms of visitors, but we need to ensure that it's in a way that achieves a balance between our communities, businesses, landscapes and visitors. So, we are taking radical action, using the planning, property and taxation systems, to achieve this and it's very much a joined-up package of solutions to a complex set of issues. I'm glad you've raised it today, because, of course, communities face great challenge with large numbers of second homes, short-term holiday lets and empty homes. We are taking forward balanced solutions to tackle these problems.  

to tackle these problems.

Numerous times, I've raised my concerns here and asked for statements regarding the very dire situation that exists now at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, in the A&E department. Now, this is directly from a patient,

'The most upset and vulnerable that I can remember. Not my usual comfort zone. I have been in A&E at Glan Clwyd Hospital, on a trolley, since Saturday night, being treated for meningitis.'

I also asked the Cabinet Secretary for health. I've put urgent questions in on this. It goes on to say,

'There were no pillows so I had a hoodie to use. I've had a lumbar puncture on the same trolley that I've also been sleeping on, dripping blood from cannulas on it. A dangerous and vulnerable procedure needing complete infection control. I will not elaborate on the mouldy food found under the headrest of my sanitised trolley. My back is also now in pain from the lumbar puncture. Yesterday, I couldn't get a drink or go to the loo when I needed to because my drip is attached to the machine, which is attached to the said trolley bed. When I rang the call bell several times for over an hour at a time, nobody came. Shut away in a room with no observation or monitoring points.'

Do you find that that's acceptable treatment for any patient? So, I would like a statement, or your response, to include—. I've asked the First Minister to visit A&E at Glan Clwyd, I've asked and asked and requested for some intervention to stop these poor patients, who are waiting up to three days for attention, treatment, as it's so delayed. It's absolutely disgusting. And whoever is returned—

I've been extremely generous, Janet Finch-Saunders. 

I know, you have. You have. It's just so emotional. 

Can you just ask the final question of the Trefnydd?

Whoever is returned to this Welsh Government after 7 May, I just hope that they have the humility and the determination to once and for all fix our health service in Wales. I believe it’s us, the Welsh Conservatives—

Okay. Okay. I was very generous there. 

I know. It's emotional, though.

Well, it was also very political from you. 

And very long.

Thank you for the question, Janet Finch-Saunders. I can say that this is, of course, Betsi Cadwaladr, but I can also say, and I'm sure you were aware of this, that the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care has visited accident and emergency at Glan Clwyd Hospital and, of course, is very aware, as you asked the questions, and rightly so, in the Senedd, and we obviously had questions to the First Minister earlier on. And I think it goes back to the point that the First Minister made earlier on: urgent and emergency care in Wales is under significant and sustained pressure, particularly during peak demand periods such as evenings, weekends and in winter. For the vast majority of people, care is still clinically safe and effective. And I think, just to note, in February, as we get independent analysis of the situation, the average time spent in emergency departments before triage was 16 minutes, and people typically waited one hour and 15 minutes before assessment by a senior doctor. And the average time spent in emergency departments before admission to hospital or going home was two hours and 51 minutes last month. Historically, that time, February, in winter time, with winter pressures, was one of the most challenging months of the year. But, it is true that the system is operating under pressure, and I know that you will, like us, want to—as we've just recognised the incredible role and contribution of our social care workers, let's also remember the incredible role and contributions of those who work at the sharp end in urgent and emergency care. And that is an important point to make in response to your question. 

I know that the Trefnydd is aware that the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women, CEDAW, their committee is here in Cardiff this week for the very first time. And as you also will know, it's the fortieth anniversary of the ratification of CEDAW in the UK, and I'm very proud to say that Cardiff is the first city for CEDAW in Europe, with the Labour administration at Cardiff Council passing a motion in favour in March 2023. So, I think that this is a very exciting occasion

very exciting occasion that we are welcoming in hosting this committee here this week. So, could I ask for a statement on what are the outcomes, the Trefnydd thinks, from this meeting and how the Welsh Government is progressing its CEDAW commitments?

Thank you very much, Julie Morgan. Yesterday, I did make the opening address at the conference. The conference was called 'From Global Convention to a "City for CEDAW"', and it was hosted by Cardiff Council—the first CEDAW city in Europe. Actually, the conference is ongoing, so in terms of outcomes, we will hear from them, I know. But it was important. It brought together academics, policy makers, practitioners, advocates from Wales, and it was about exchanging insights, sharing best practice, exploring practical applications and sparking fresh ideas to advance gender equality in service delivery. I think what was so impressive was that we had those international delegates there. But I was able to talk about ways in which Wales is progressing our commitment to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women in Wales, and saying that we're seeking practical approaches to maximise, as the conference was discussing, real-world impact for people, with our devolved competence, and working very closely with our colleagues in other parts of the UK—closely working with Scotland, who had representation as well. I'm very pleased that we're publishing the independent work of the legislative options working group from our human rights advisory group, to strengthen the implementation of CEDAW and UNCRPD, the United Nations convention on the rights of disabled people. But we were able to share good progress in Wales in relation to political participation, education, and also violence against women and domestic abuse.

I'd like to call for an update from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care on Digital Health and Care Wales and the ongoing progress, or the lack of progress, on the roll-out of digital health records. The Chief Medical Officer for Wales, Sir Frank Atherton, said that we have been behind the curve on digital records, making it difficult to identify vulnerable people during the COVID-19 pandemic, and it appears the Welsh Government have learned nothing since. Last year, the Welsh Government expressed serious concern about DHCW's capacity to deliver major national digital programmes. Audit reports have also noted governance and delivery challenges since DHCW were set up in 2021, with the Cabinet Secretary saying he was escalating DHCW because of the serious concerns about the organisation's ability to effectively deliver a number of major programmes. But we need an update on whether these issues are being fixed, because Wales is still in the dark ages when it comes to access to digital health records, and the roll-out is painfully slow.

I'm aware that the digital maternity record app, Badger Notes, is supposed to be rolled out this month, but digital records need to be available across the board. So, can we hear from the Welsh Government what progress has been made in fixing the governance and delivery issues in DHCW, so that the Welsh people can benefit from a twenty first-century health service with a full-scale digitisation of NHS records? Thank you.

Well, I can assure the Member that progress is being made in progressing towards the digital health record. Progress is ongoing. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care is very mindful of the importance of this, and progress is being made. And you may wish to ask him those questions, in terms of the last opportunity that you have this week.

We've all had contact at some stage over the past few months, and years, even, with the British Council Wales, and particularly the energetic leadership of Ruth Cocks, that embraces so many areas where devolved functions are involved, from culture, arts, and so on, and, of course, a lot of work also with the Ukrainian community in Wales, and the importance of this soft power. Of course, we realise that finances are difficult, and there's been a lot of pressure, particularly as this is essentially UK Government funding. Twice, the culture committee has written to the UK Government to raise the issue of funding 

Intolerance against one faith or community will make all of us less safe, as Pastor Niemöller discovered. I believe it's our responsibility to stand up for the different communities that make up the Wales of today. I hope that your statement will confirm that this Government is committed to acting to make that a practical reality.

Well, thank you very much indeed, Vaughan Gething, and thank you for—. You've made a very powerful statement today, which I think is important to go on the record, the importance of community cohesion, and, of course, also drawing examples of where hatred and division is so damaging to our communities and to all the great diversity in terms of faith and our communities that we represent, particularly that you represent and you've identified today.

I will be issuing, this week—and I'm going to update the Equality and Social Justice Committee—a statement following the work done by our expert group on social cohesion. This was the first recommendation of the Equality and Social Justice Committee's inquiry into social cohesion, and I asked Gaynor Legalle, who you very well know, Vaughan—Gaynor Legalle—to chair that expert group. It had a wide range of experts on the group, including representatives from the south Wales Jewish council and, indeed, also, the Muslim Council of Wales. It had many of the people who sit on our faith communities forum, which has been so powerful over the years. It has come up with some very strong recommendations about the principles of community cohesion and, of course, it also fits into our Hate Hurts Wales campaign, and many of the points that we exchanged—the First Minister exchanged—earlier on with Peredur. So, I'm glad you have brought this to our attention so I can then preview and forewarn all Members across this Chamber of this written statement that I'm making, and to bear in mind those points that we made earlier today about how we work together to address this issue leading up to the seventh Senedd and the seventh of May elections.

Trefnydd, can I ask for a statement, please, from the Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government on standards and transparency in local government? A Liberal Democrat council leader reached an agreement with Plaid Cymru ahead of the budget meeting, which included £100,000 of public funding, delivered via Menter Iaith Maldwyn. At the meeting itself, the funding did not appear in the budget papers, no declarations of interest were made by a Plaid Cymru councillor linked to that organisation, Plaid Cymru then supported the budget, and it passed. The ombudsman has confirmed that an agreement existed and that Members were likely aware of it and that personal and prejudicial interest would likely have arisen, yet no breach was found because the funding was not formally included in the papers at the time of the vote.

To me, there seems to be a little bit of ambiguity there, Trefnydd, and I think it's important for us that, when these things are debated, that it's done in a transparent way. So, I'd like a statement, please, from the Cabinet Secretary for local government about how we can strengthen the ombudsman process, to make sure that if public money is moving around between people, that it is done in a transparent way and that councillors formally declare their interest if they are receiving financial benefit for a company they're involved with.

Thank you for that question, James Evans. Of course, strictly regulated in terms of the role and purpose of the ombudsman, access to the Ombudsman, and, indeed, to the matters that you have raised in terms of local government as well.

Thank you. The British Red Cross does brilliant work across the world looking after people caught up in the all-too-many conflicts raging across our world. It also cares for people in emergency circumstances in Wales as well, and its call for the next Senedd is for us to continue to be a resilient, welcoming Wales. Could you just tell us what the Welsh Government does to support them in that mission, which I hope that we all support?

Thank you very much, Jenny Rathbone. The British Red Cross is a trusted partner, isn't it? We recognise that—a trusted partner here locally in Wales, UK, across the world. It delivers essential integration and safeguarding support for families who've lawfully arrived in Wales, ensuring lived experience directly strengthens how our services work.

directly strengthens how our services work. I think we must recognise that this is something where, although immigration routes and decisions remain entirely reserved to the UK Government, our role, and as part of our commitment to the nation of sanctuary, is to ensure that people who are already here can integrate safely and avoid harm. So, I'm very pleased that we are able to support the British Red Cross's Expert by Experience programme, which provides invaluable insight, improving public services, strengthening cohesion—we've just been talking about that—delivering better value for money. 

And just to say also, it's about the—. I met some ambassadors at the official opening of their office in Cardiff, the British Red Cross offices, and to meet the ambassadors, the caseworkers, the dedicated staff and teams of British Red Cross was a great honour today. 

Trefnydd, it's been nearly a year since the Supreme Court ruled that sex means biological sex. The law is clear—a man is a man and a woman is a woman, but you have delayed, dodged, and done absolutely nothing to push for clarity or to speed up the process to adapt policy to protect women and girls across Wales. This is the last week in the Chamber of the Senedd today, and you have failed to come forward to clarify your position. This Government and the Labour Government in the UK has shown exactly what it stands for: confusion, cowardice and complete disregard for women's safety and fairness.

Reform knows what a woman is, and we will protect girls and women in Wales. Your Government, and therefore councils, have taken no action to right these wrongs. So, Cabinet Secretary, will you use this last chamber session to apologise right here, right now, to the women and girls in Wales for this complete dereliction of duty?

I just wonder—. I've answered the question. I don't intend to repeat what I said earlier on in the afternoon. I just wonder how committed you and Reform are to our national violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence strategy, that actually puts a public health approach at the heart of tackling the endemic violence against women. I wonder how committed you are to the fact that we're allocating around £53 million from my social justice budget to deliver the objectives of the violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence strategy. And it's those victims and the survivors I am concerned about as Cabinet Secretary for social justice.

And I hope you do listen and will listen to the survivors of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual—. [Interruption.] I hope you will listen. You clearly don't want to listen to their experience, to hear their voices and real-life experience of what it is like to be a survivor of the endemic violence against women, which, of course, I've always felt across this Chamber has had some support. And I think particularly, I would say, from men across this Chamber when we come together for White Ribbon Day.

Finally, Rhys ab Owen. 

Thank you very much, Llywydd Dros Dro. As you know, Trefnydd, families in the east of the Vale of Glamorgan are very fortunate to have a wonderful school,  Ysgol Gymraeg Pen y Garth, in a relatively new building. And there, there are as many as 320 children taught through the medium of Welsh. However, the school is almost half an hour away from Ysgol Gymraeg Bro Morgannwg, and even more if there is heavy traffic in Dinas Powys; I'm sure you have been stuck in that traffic on occasion in Dinas Powys.

Now, I think that there is a clear solution that can also help us with the campaign for a fourth Welsh-medium secondary school in Cardiff, which is that the councils of the Vale of Glamorgan and Cardiff should work together because ysgol Pen y Garth is less than two miles away from Butetown and Grangetown. So, Trefnydd, will you arrange for the Cabinet Secretary for Education to make a statement on the possibility of education authorities collaborating, particularly in this instance, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan? Thank you.

Diolch yn fawr. I think there is great collaboration between local authorities— particularly, I would say, between Cardiff Council and the Vale of Glamorgan Council—on a number of policy issues

number of policy issues relating not just to education, health and social care. And I'm sure that these issues are being raised at that level by those democratic bodies of Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan.

Given that, I think—is this the last question, acting Llywydd? Can I just say, one of the things that I was very proud of when I was education Minister, and in fact, during a period of time where we were working very closely to ensure that we delivered a strengthened and emboldened Welsh-medium education strategy for Wales, I do feel that that is something that we should all be proud of in terms of our first quarter of a century of this Senedd.

Thank you, Trefnydd. 

We'll now move on to our next item, which is item 3, a statement by the Minister for Further and Higher Education: support for further and higher education students. I call on the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Vikki Howells.

Diolch, and I wish to declare personal interest. I have a close family member who is currently a student at Swansea University.

Llywydd, I am delighted to update Members on the support that we provide to learners in further and higher education. Throughout this sixth Senedd term, our priority has been to ensure that everyone, no matter their background, can access education and thrive. The progress of the last five years demonstrates that commitment. We began this Senedd term during a period of profound uncertainty. Young people faced economic instability, cost-of-living pressures and significant strain on household budgets. Throughout this, we have protected and enhanced a student support system that remains the most progressive in the UK. We have done this because we know that education transforms lives, strengthens communities and drives opportunity for our nation.

In further education, where participation is increasing, our commitment to supporting learners remains clear. We continue to provide the most generous education maintenance allowance in the UK, offering £40 a week to help thousands of young people to continue their studies. EMA no longer exists in England, and remains at £30 a week in Scotland and Northern Ireland. Raising the household income thresholds has enabled more than a thousand additional learners to receive EMA for the first time, bringing the total to 17,875 learners for the 2025-26 academic year. A further threshold increase in 2026-27 will extend support to another 1,585 learners. These changes ensure more young people can remain in education and overcome the financial barriers that could otherwise limit their success.

After listening to learners' experiences, we are strengthening guidance on attendance and payments so young people understand the system and can access the support they are entitled to. Alongside EMA, we strengthened the Welsh Government learning grant for further education by increasing the maximum full-time grant from £1,500 to £1,919, an uplift of £419 for every student. This ensures adults returning to education are not excluded by the cost of study. That decision reflects our belief in lifelong learning, and Wales is benefiting from increased numbers of part-time learners in further education.

In higher education, we have maintained as fair and progressive a student finance system as possible. Provision of non-repayable grants remains an essential part of this approach, with the highest levels of grant targeted to students from households with the lowest incomes. I am pleased that, for the 2026-27 academic year, maintenance support will increase by 2 per cent, including the first uplift to maintenance grants since 2018. Grants for students with dependents and students with a disability will also increase by 2 per cent.

This support matters. It ensures that living costs do not become a barrier to study. Part-time study continues to be one of Wales's strengths. Part-time study is vital for upskilling, retraining and widening access, and here Wales leads the way. In 2023-24, 37 per cent of Welsh students studied part time, a significantly higher proportion than elsewhere in the UK. This reflects 

This reflects both the flexibility of our system and our commitment to widening participation. 

Postgraduate study also remains a vital pillar of Wales’s skills base and research ecosystem. Growing interest in postgraduate pathways in recent years underlines the strong appeal of advanced study in Wales. Our postgraduate support package is among the most generous in the UK, and contribution‑to‑costs loans for Master’s and doctoral study will rise by 2 per cent in 2026-27.

We have also taken action to safeguard Welsh borrowers. We have retained plan 2 repayment terms for Welsh students and protected Welsh graduates from the regressive effects of freezing the student loan repayment threshold. We also continue to provide a partial write-off of up to £1,500 of student debt for eligible borrowers—a scheme unique in the UK. Together, these actions maintain a progressive repayment system for Welsh borrowers.

We recognise the pressures facing the higher education sector, here in Wales and globally. Rising costs, demographic change and international competition pose real challenges. To support institutional sustainability, we will increase full‑time undergraduate tuition fee caps in Wales to £9,790 from 2026-27, in line with England. The corresponding tuition fee loan will also increase, maintaining our long-standing commitment that no student pays fees upfront. This is expected to provide around £19 million of additional income to Welsh institutions in 2026-27.

This will be the third consecutive annual increase to the fee caps, further strengthening the financial resilience of institutions. Alongside this, we provided an additional £38.5 million in grants in 2024-25 via Medr, and I was pleased recently to announce a further £25.5 million in capital funding, to be shared equally between colleges and universities. These actions will help institutions across Wales to manage participation pressures and continue delivering high‑quality opportunities for learners.

The launch of our call for submissions on the future of tertiary education in Wales reflects both the progress made this Senedd term and the major challenges ahead. The five major challenges outlined are: participation and equality of opportunity, demographic change and lifelong learning, competition and collaboration, financial sustainability and delivering for communities and the economy of the future. The call for submissions will help build a robust evidence base to inform policy and help shape a thriving tertiary education sector fit for the future. Early feedback from stakeholders has been strong, and my ministerial advisory group, which brings together leaders and experts from across further and higher education, research, civic partners and student bodies, is providing invaluable insight. I've also engaged directly with learners and staff across Wales through a series of round-table discussions. Alongside the call for submissions, our evaluation of the Diamond reforms will provide further insight on widening access and strengthening part-time and postgraduate provision, helping to ground future decisions in robust evidence.

Llywydd, I am proud of what has been achieved. We have protected support for learners during one of the most challenging economic periods in recent times. We have expanded access to further education, safeguarded maintenance grants, strengthened undergraduate and postgraduate support and taken steps to support institutional sustainability. Our student finance system remains the most progressive in the UK, and our commitment to widening participation is clear.

We must, however, acknowledge the pressures facing the student finance system. Ensuring the long‑term affordability of both student support and institutional funding will be a central task for the next Senedd. The evidence being gathered will provide a strong foundation for addressing these challenges. Wales faces these challenges from a position of strength. Our values, our commitment to fairness and our collaborative approach across Government, providers and communities leave us well placed to navigate the challenges ahead. Supporting learners is one of the most important responsibilities of Government. The progress of recent years is significant and it must continue. By maintaining a commitment to equity,

commitment to equity, sustainability and opportunity, we can ensure that every learner in Wales has the chance to fulfil their potential.

I listened intently, Minister, to your statement, but it felt like a lot of warm words to me, because when it comes to support for further and higher education for students, it doesn't seem to be cutting through. Minister, according to UCASs figures, Wales had the lowest application rate for higher education in the UK, standing at less than a third of students. Our application rates have also dropped by 2 per cent in the last three years, and we're about 10 per cent behind England's application rates. A-level participation rates are down a staggering 12 per cent since 2022 and Universities Wales last year only stated, and I quote,

'This is a concerning situation which will have a long-term implication for Wales. The industries that will drive our economic growth in the decades to come rely heavily on graduates. If Welsh people are not gaining these skills, Wales's economy will find itself at an economic disadvantage compared to the rest of the United Kingdom, where the proportion of graduates in the workforce will be higher'.

I'd like to know, Minister, what efforts are you going to be making to drive up those participation rates via student support? Minister, it's clear that Wales is facing a widening gap in participation, and some of the main reasons for many Welsh students staying away are the cost of living and being saddled with future debt. And yet, tuition fees will rise again to £9,790 a year for undergraduate tuition. Minister, you admitted that last year's hikes were, indeed, to offset national insurance increases, so can you confirm that this is what young people are now paying for, rather than an investment in their future careers?

Minister, as you know, it's the interest on student loans that is the real kicker, with graduates paying 9 per cent of everything they earn over the repayment threshold on plan 2 loans. While plan 2 loans are no longer available in England, they still apply right here in Wale, therefore, what plans do you and your colleagues in Westminster have to reduce the interest on plan 2 loans, which we, as the Welsh Conservatives, would certainly support? I also note that the Welsh Government has claimed that it will not follow the UK Government's lead in freezing the income threshold on plan 2 loans from April 2027, so what does the Minister envisage happening after that date?

Minister, I keep labouring to this point, but road blocks are routinely being placed on young people on their path towards higher education, specifically by your Government. Let's take degree apprenticeships, for example. They are limited to just a few subjects here in Wales. Over the border, you can gain a qualification from law to accounting, from nursing to radiology, all whilst earning a wage. Minister, I ask the same question to you as I did the First Minister: do you therefore take responsibility for the loss of students by failing to introduce more course choices in universities, such as degree apprenticeships, and will you admit that Wales is behind the times? Minister, we also keep hearing about 2027 as some sort of magical date for Medr to review key areas in tertiary education, such as degree apprenticeships, so why has the can been kicked down the road to 2027, Minister? I'd really like to have your feedback on that. And, does your Government admit that the writing is on the wall for May 2026?

Turning to further education, we have the opposite problem in that Welsh further education institutions are becoming more popular. However, there is a mismatch here between the attractiveness of vocational education and the number of apprenticeships offered by the Welsh Government. Whilst I would extend my congratulations to your party for claiming to meet their apprenticeships target, I note that the Office for Statistics Regulation has written to the First Minister about the selective use of this figure, and that the actual figure, excluding drop-outs after eight weeks, is, in fact, 92,800. Not only has this Welsh Labour Government failed to meet the reduced apprenticeship target based on rigorous measures it has used before, but this denotes a wider difficulty in supporting young people after 16. While I note that £40 a week is, indeed, available for those on the educational maintenance allowance, many young people are priced out of this benefit due to the low household income threshold. As such, Minister, what extra support are you going to be giving young people who need to use, for example, public transport, to get to college on time? Because, if you were to extend free bus and rail travel to 16 to 24-year-olds, as we have outlined in our manifesto, I would certainly have no objection. Thank you very much.

I'd like to thank Natasha Asghar for the series of questions there, and I'll start with your point on participation. I think the key point, to start with, is that our higher education initial participation measure shows that the estimated probability of a Welsh domiciled person participating in HE by the age of 30 is 54.6 per cent, and that's higher than anywhere else in the UK. You can use UCAS data, of course, and you can pick that as the marker that you want to follow, but I look at the evidence that shows the probability of all Welsh people of all ages entering university and succeeding. On that measure, we are the best placed in the UK. Going to those UCAS data figures, I'm pleased to see that the number of placed applicants from Wales has increased, and the number of 18-year-old placed applicants from the most deprived areas in Wales has also increased in that latest round of data. 

in that latest round of data. 

You talk about student support. I'm very happy to talk about student support, because we do, of course, have, here in Wales, the most generous students support offer in the UK. That is something that has come out very strongly through our evaluation of the Diamond review as well. We focus that support on those students who come from the least well-off households, and from those households, you can have up to 66 per cent of your total funding in non-repayable grants. And that's a unique system in the UK, and in stark contrast to England, where students from the households with the lowest incomes leave university with the most debt. 

In the next academic year, we will be increasing living costs support again, by 2 per cent—the first uplift to maintenance grants included within that since 2018. And we also provide grants to students with other circumstances, such as if they are disabled, or if they are dependent as well. 

So, I'm very proud of this Welsh Labour Government's record on student support. It's our priority to ensure that everyone, no matter their background, can access higher education, and that living costs should never be a barrier to studying at university. 

And then, if I turn to your next point about interest on student loans as well. Again, this is an area where I'm proud of the actions of this Welsh Labour Government. Only Welsh Ministers can set the repayment threshold for Welsh borrowers, and the First Minister recently confirmed to this Senedd that the Welsh Government has no intention of freezing the plan 2 repayment threshold for Welsh borrowers. Plan 2 payment terms are much more progressive than plan 5 which was adopted in England. Our plan is better for most borrowers because it's got a 30-year repayment period, unlike the 40-year repayment period on plan 5 in England. And so, after that 30-year period, any remaining debt is cancelled or written off. And that is in addition to our unique policy whereby we cancel up to £1,500 of each borrower's loan debt when they begin repayments—a scheme which unique in the UK, and, of course, it's on top of the £1,000 grant that is available to all learners from all backgrounds. 

In terms of FE participation, you're absolutely right: FE has shown an increase in participation—a substantial increase over the past two years—and that reflects the strength and quality of our further education system, and this Welsh Labour Government's huge investment in the estate through the twenty-first century schools programme, and the sustainable communities for learning programme, which have led to brand new, first-rate facilities up and down this country. 

Our apprenticeship offer is also strong. It is one that we are proud of, delivering 100,000 all-age apprenticeships, at no cost to the businesses who participate in those, in conjunction with FE colleges. And interest in apprenticeships is absolutely growing, and myself and the Cabinet Secretary for Education, and the Minister for skills, are united in our belief that the way forward is to provide the right educational route for each and every learner. And that is something that will come out through our call for evidence on the future of the tertiary education system, and we look forward to being able to deliver on that. 

You talked about EMA. I'm very pleased that you decided to identify that within your comments, because, of course, we retained EMA here in Wales when the UK Tory Government decided to scrap it more than 10 years ago. And, over the past three years, not only have we increased the amount available to £40 a week, which is the highest in the UK, but also, by amending the household income threshold, we have taken thousands more students into that system, providing them with funding so that they can support their studies, their travel, and any equipment that they may need. 

And on that point on bus travel, this Welsh Labour Government is very proud of its £1 bus travel that's been extended to those up to the age of 21. It's really making a difference