Lynne Neagle

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1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy cy

   1. Pa drafodaethau y mae'r Gweinidog Cabinet wedi’u cael gyda’r Dirprwy Weinidog dros Sgiliau ac Addysg Drydyddol ynghylch Twf Swyddi Cymru+? OQ64753

   Official English translation

   1. What discussions has the Cabinet Minister had with the Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education about Jobs Growth Wales+? OQ64753

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2. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy en

   Thank you, Cabinet Minister. As you are aware, we are facing a 'not in education, employment or training' crisis in Wales, with everything that that means for young people's life chances, their employment and, of particular concern to me, their mental health and well-being. However, we're not now just facing the prospect of cuts in further education funding, but, as I've highlighted to you in correspondence, providers of services to young people through Jobs Growth Wales+, which is effectively a post-16 provision, are also seeing significant cuts. I'm grateful to you for your correspondence, but I have written back to you explaining that ACT, which has been praised across this Chamber for their transformative work with young people, has currently gone from a confirmed contract value of £18.8 million last year to £13.9 million in 2026-27.

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3. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy en

   That is a 26 per cent cut. On the basis of these figures, can we accept that the Plaid Cymru Government is committed to tackling the NEET crisis, and, if that is the case, what are you going to do to reverse these cuts and ensure that all learners have an opportunity to have their education?

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4. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language en

   Thank you. Last week, as we've heard from Sera Evans, you announced a teacher pay award of 3.5 per cent following the consultation on the independent Welsh pay review body report. That announcement was made during an active industrial dispute, and the National Association of Head Teachers have now withdrawn from talks with the Government and announced that they are moving to a statutory industrial ballot.  Why did you make that announcement while talks were ongoing, and do you think that is in keeping with the principles of social partnership?

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5. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language en

   Well, thank you for that answer, and I'm fully in support of no detriment myself. And I do understand the financial constraints, but would point out that the Government still has a significant amount of unallocated resource as a result of the consequentials that were received by the UK Government.  So, since May, we've had an industrial dispute with the Association of School and College Leaders, an escalating dispute with the National Association of Head Teachers, and the National Education Union have previously gone out to indicative ballot. I hear what you're saying about being willing to talk to partners, but it doesn't seem to me like those talks are going as well as we would want them to go, really. So, in light of that, what are you going to do to get social partnership with the education trade unions back on line?

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, the previous Government had a programme of radical reform of care for care-experienced children and young people. That programme made progress, but I would argue that there is much more work still to be done. The programme benefited from the proactive involvement of successive First Ministers. Can I ask whether it is the Government's intention to continue that programme and whether you will personally be involved in it? Because I think that is a vital thing, that we all recognise that care-experienced children are all our children.

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2. 3. Business Statement and Announcement en

   Trefnydd, 4 November marks a year since the publication of 'Our Bravery Brought Justice'. I know that you will remember how united the whole Chamber was in shock at the failings exposed in that report. So, can I ask that a statement is brought forward by the Cabinet Minister for education, as I'm sure you would agree with me that we all have a duty to make sure—and we owe it to the young people affected to ensure—that all 27 of those recommendations are fully implemented? Can I note as well the wildfire summit on Thursday? This is of great importance, particularly to those of us who were affected by wildfires in the summer. So, can I ask that the First Minister brings forward a statement after recess to update us on the outcomes and findings of the summit?

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1. 3. Business Statement and Announcement en

   Could I ask for a statement from the Government updating us on the work on the fire summit, please? I know that there was a very clear consensus in the Chamber when we had the statement from the First Minister that there should be involvement of those who worked at a grass-roots level—so, farmers and others who supported the firefighters in their efforts. I was concerned to see that, of the representatives from Blaenavon, just one has been included. Indeed, one of the key landowners has actually been uninvited. I'm also informed that the summit is only going to be for two hours. I would question whether that will be enough to deal with something as significant as this. So, could I ask the Trefnydd whether we could have an update on this?

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2. 5. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Social Care, Mental Health and Women’s Health: Stronger Safeguarding for a Safer Wales en

   Thank you, Deputy Minister, for your statement. I definitely concur with you that safeguarding is one of the most important responsibilities of any Government, and I wanted to focus my remarks on children today. You've just said then that you get lessons from the various reviews that are brought forward, and, unfortunately, recent child practice reviews have identified a number of recurring themes, including problems with information sharing, inconsistent application of safeguarding thresholds, and insufficient focus on the child's voice. And therein lies our challenge, doesn't it, really? It's taking policy into practice and making sure that that is implemented in a way that keeps children safe. It was very good to see you accepting all the recommendations of the Jan Pickles safeguarding review, including on a ministerial safeguarding board. And of course, in 2024, under the previous Government, Wales was the first in the UK to introduce a single unified safeguarding review process, and that included the Wales safeguarding repository. So, I wanted to ask about the commitment in your statement to a national social care intelligence hub and how that would build on the work of the safeguarding repository. I note as well the commitment to an adult and child protection authority for Wales, and that wasn't recommended in Jan Pickles's review, but it was a recommendation of the independent inquiry into child sexual abuse, and I would certainly support anything that strengthens protections for children and young people. But it would be good to hear you say a little bit about why you've taken that decision to go down that particular road. We're all acutely aware that social care services are stretched financially, and so are those vital services that deal with early intervention with families. So, I'd be keen to hear more about whether you're planning to announce dedicated funding for stronger safeguarding for a safer Wales. Now, it's been nearly a year since I stood up in the Senedd to make a statement on 'Our Bravery Brought Justice'. That report was the most sobering thing I had ever read since becoming an MS, and parts of it, literally, took my breath away. Now, the overriding failure, really, that ran right the way through that report was the failure to listen to the voice of the child on, literally, countless occasions. Now, you've referred to the importance of children's voice today and embedding that in the work that you're doing, but what I would like to hear is some more detail as to how you are going to do that, because children's voice can't just be an issue for agencies out there—it has to be embedded in the Government's efforts to safeguard children. Criminal and sexual exploitation of children remains a very serious issue, and one of the problems in this area is the fact that so many vulnerable children, looked-after children, children on the edge of care, are going missing too often. Now, there have been calls for statutory return-home interviews, because, at the moment, there are different practices amongst local authorities and police forces. Can I ask if that is something that you will consider as part of the work that you're doing on children? And I can see that the Cabinet Minister for education is in the Chamber today, which is good to see. Obviously, it's crucial that there is joint working across Government to protect children. I know that you're still committed to the follow-on work on safeguarding in education, but can I ask how you intend to work with the Cabinet Minister on those issues in education, and particularly on things that we know expose children to more risks, such as exclusion, which can lead to them being more vulnerable to exploitation? Thank you.

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1. 1. Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice en

   Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. I'd like to return to Flying Start. The First Minister said in response to my colleague Ken Skates yesterday that she wants to build on Flying Start and make it available everywhere. But as I said to you, and as we've heard previously today, Flying Start is so much more than childcare. It is that enhanced health visiting, speech and language, and parenting support. I would argue that that focus on strong parent-infant relationships is one of the most defining things you can do to transform lifelong good mental health from babies growing into adults. The letter that went out from the Welsh Government to local authorities asking them not to use the term ‘Flying Start’ to describe Flying Start childcare has caused some concern. Indeed, there have been some suggestions, which I hope aren't true, that different local authorities have received different letters. I will ask you today: will you publish the letter that has gone to local authorities so that Senedd Members can understand what local authorities are being told about Flying Start?

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2. 1. Questions to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice en

   Thank you for that clarification. I think it would be useful if you could commit to publishing the letter for transparency. I don't think anybody is suggesting malign intent; I and others are worried about a programme that provides a package of support for babies at a really critical time in their lives. You've talked about evolving the programme, and I recognise what's been said about the number of children living in poverty that aren't able to access it, but, for me, the solution to that is to look at how it's delivered, rather than to alter the four-element basis of Flying Start. When you talk about evolving Flying Start, is it your intention to offer that range of services to more children by looking at how that is delivered? What assurance can you give that nobody who is receiving that service now will lose it, and that, actually, more people will have the opportunity to access that range of support in that critical first 1,000 days?

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1. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and Welsh Language en

   Diolch. If I could start by respectfully saying to the Cabinet Minister that the work on age-related expectations and, indeed, a lot of what's in the literacy and numeracy plan was begun under the previous Government and therefore is a continuation of that work. But what I wanted to ask about today was school support staff. And I know you understand how vital school support staff are, and, indeed, I think they are the glue that holds the schools together. But on too many occasions, we know that school support staff are asked to help with complex medical issues in schools, including things like attending to catheters and feeding lines. I know that guidance is being developed on supporting learners with healthcare needs, but there is a lack of clarity on when that guidance will be published. Again, I know that this is a challenging area, because it involves the interface between health and education. But it is crucial that we get that guidance in place, so that children with complex health needs don't face barriers in school, and so that school support staff aren't asked to do tasks that they're either not trained for—

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2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and Welsh Language en

   —or certainly not remunerated for. When can we expect that guidance to be available?

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3. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and Welsh Language en

   Thank you. You may be aware that a safeguarding letter was issued by Estyn to Ysgol Heol Goffa special school in Llanelli following the inspection last year, and that that was around issues around healthcare support in school. Now, a letter that the Cabinet Minister for health sent to one of the people who made representations about the school indicated that the guidance would be published some time in 2027, whereas your last written answer to me said that 'this work is at an early stage and...we are not yet in a position to confirm a timescale for the publication of revised guidance.' So, there is a difference there between what two Ministers have said. Now, I entirely agree with you about the dangers of silos. And I wonder whether you would agree with me that this is not just a matter for local authorities and health boards, and that if this work is to be done, it has to be driven at Government level by the Cabinet Ministers responsible, in both health and education. What assurance can you give that you will be working closely with the health Minister's team to make sure that that interface between health and education, when it comes to children's education, is absolutely seamless?

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4. 6. Welsh Labour Debate: Further education en

   Diolch, Lywydd. Can I draw Members' attention to my register of interests and the fact that I'm an adult learner in Cardiff and Vale College? Today, I want to focus on one of Wales's greatest success stories and one that too often does not receive the recognition it deserves: our further education colleges. Across Wales, colleges are changing lives every day. For young people, they are the chance to take that first step after school and progress to work, an apprenticeship or to university. For adults, they are access to lifelong learning, and for employers, they are the support they need to upskill their workforce, improve productivity and compete for new business. Across Wales, colleges have shown that they are innovators and are ready to meet new challenges. In north Wales, they are helping to drive the new tertiary alliance with our university sector. In south-west Wales, the four colleges have come together to form a new partnership to maximise opportunities from the Celtic Freeport. And in south-east Wales, colleges have pioneered new ways of supporting learners, including the junior apprenticeship programme I was so proud to support in Government. The evidence of their value is clear. This year, colleges across Wales have seen record levels of demand, with every college reporting increased participation. More learners than ever are choosing further education as their route into skills, qualifications and careers. Demand is particularly strong in vocational and technical subjects, such as construction, engineering and health and care—precisely the sectors we know are critical to Wales's future prosperity. Colleges are also providing opportunities for those who need them most. They are supporting thousands of learners who are returning to education, improving literacy and numeracy and rebuilding confidence after difficult experiences in school or elsewhere. This is a Welsh success story, but it is fragile, and more learners means more pressure on space and on budgets. And the pressures are urgent, with ColegauCymru estimating the sector will have enrolled a record 50,000 young people this academic year. At a time when we are in the middle of a crisis with the number of young people who are not in employment, education or training, and when we are weeks away from the publication of the Milburn review, there has never been a more important time to invest in further education. So, rising participation is a good news story. It is a sign that colleges are succeeding, it is a sign that further education is delivering for Wales and it is an opportunity for Wales. However, record demand brings with it a significant challenge. We know that funding has not kept pace with participation. Last year, I was able to put an additional £20 million in to support participation in the sector, but this year, the shortfall is estimated by both the sector and by Medr to be around £23.5 million. To stop even more learners missing out on places, colleges have been forced to make the difficult choice of moving funding from adult part-time provision to pay for full-time learner numbers. This all means there are around 5,000 learners who are studying for whom the sector isn't receiving any funding. Hundreds of learners have not got a place at all, and hundreds more did not get their first-choice course because of a shortage of places. As well as pressure on places, it is also stretching vital support, such as well-being services, mental health support, financial hardship provision and learner travel. I hope Members know my own personal commitment to supporting learners with additional learning needs, and I am concerned about the impact of underfunding. Early data from ColegauCymru suggests an additional 65 per cent increase in learners with individual development plans, and it is essential that they can access the funding they need. Looking ahead, the pressures in 2027-28 are even greater. The sector estimates that at least £40 million will be required in the 2027-28 academic year simply to maintain existing participation levels and respond to sustained learner demand. Pay and other inflationary pressures will push this even higher. If that funding is not available, the consequences could be significant. We risk more young people becoming disconnected from education and training. We risk job losses in the sector and cuts to support services. We risk cutting progression routes to our universities and stopping young people from taking that first step on their career paths. And we risk cutting off the skills pipeline that businesses need to compete and grow. That is why this motion is important. It calls for a clear assessment of the consequences of failing to fund increased participation in further education. We need to understand the impact on learner pathways, on not in education, employment or training levels, on staff, on learner support services, and on progression into employment and higher education. Further education colleges take a much greater proportion of learners from lower income backgrounds. It is vital that we understand the impact on deprived communities across Wales. For many young people, particularly those with the fewest qualifications, college is their second chance, and they have very few options if they don't get a place. We owe it to the young people and to the adults who rely on further education to ensure our colleges have the resources they need. Llywydd, this debate is ultimately about opportunity. When people want to learn, train and improve their prospects, our response should not be to limit opportunity, our response should be to understand the consequences of inaction and ensure that Wales continues to invest in success. Our colleges have demonstrated their value. They are helping young people realise their potential, supporting employers and strengthening communities across Wales. Now we must ensure that the resources available to them reflect the vital role they play. I urge Members to support our motion. Diolch.

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5. 6. Welsh Labour Debate: Further education en

   I'm told that I've got seven minutes and 45 seconds, so that's very precise. Can I thank everybody who contributed to the debate? It was great to see so many speakers from across the Chamber, and I'll try to respond to some of the points that were made.  Thank you, Sam, for your contribution. I think you started the trend of highlighting some really stark figures in terms of young people who are NEET, and also the numbers of students that there are unfunded places for. That's been a common theme across the debate. Thank you for sharing with us your visit to Coleg Cambria, and it's great to hear that Members are visiting their local colleges. I won't comment on your dancing; that will have to be for another time. But just to say as well that the Labour Members are very happy to support the Welsh Conservative amendment on the need to collaborate with the private sector. I'm told that there is already a great deal of collaboration between colleges and the private sector, and you highlighted how important it is to match the skills that learners are studying with the employment opportunities that are available in their local communities.

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6. 6. Welsh Labour Debate: Further education en

   Can I thank Zaynub Akbar for her contributions and her advocacy on behalf of Coleg y Cymoedd? Zaynub also identified some of the really stark figures that there are in terms of young people on waiting lists. For me, the reason I'm passionate about this issue is not just because we want young people to have the skills to get into employment. It's because being NEET is a serious risk to young people's mental health, and it's absolutely critical that we hold on to those young people. And my fear is that those young people who are sitting on waiting lists will be lost to the system and we won't get them back. Benjamin Hodge Mckenna, thank you for your contribution as well, and again for emphasising the stark figures that exist around young people not in education, training and employment. It is absolutely not good enough. Can I thank my colleague Vikki Howells, who I know is particularly passionate about supporting the FE sector? Vikki highlighted the fact that these figures are on an upward trajectory. So they are something that has to be got to grips with. Because the figures, as a success story, are going in the right way, but unless we meet those pressures, that is going to rapidly turn into a problem. Vikki, you highlighted as well the passion and the dedication that is seen in our colleges, and that's something that I've seen as well, the palpable commitment to supporting learners, and especially young people. I know that you're aware that I share your concerns about the higher education review. That's not to say that we don't think there's a need to look at the higher education sector, but my preference would have been to do it in a holistic way, in a joined-up way, looking at participation in post-16 more generally. Vikki also, again—there are some great advocates for Coleg y Cymoedd here today—highlighted the issues in Coleg y Cymoedd, but also, importantly, mentioned the issues around ALN, and that is something that colleges are struggling with. I think, probably, there is some unmet need coming through from schools that colleges are grappling with. That's why it's vital that, when we look at funding ALN, we are also thinking about the colleges. Thank you, Niamh, for your very passionate contribution about the importance of preventing young people becoming NEET. This is about a complex range of problems, as you highlighted. It was good to hear that you'd visited ACT Training. I've got an ACT centre in my constituency. One of the things you said that particularly resonated with me was that this can be a matter of life and death, and I have heard that too. These are some of the most vulnerable learners, and that is why it is so critical that we hold on to them. I also very much agree with you that talent is spread evenly, but opportunity isn't, and that's the challenge for us to tackle. Thank you, Joshua Kim, as well, for your contribution and, again, your advocacy for Coleg y Cymoedd, and for raising the issues around AI, which I think are far too big for me to address in a debate of this nature, but undoubtedly are very relevant to the challenges that young people and providers are grappling with at the moment. Thank you, Mike, for your contribution, which I know comes from your background as a former FE lecturer, and for highlighting some of the differences in reasons why young people are becoming NEET. I think some of the figures that you've highlighted about economic inactivity show the complexity of the reasons why young people aren't in education and employment. Thank you, Jane, for your contribution. I know how important the college is to you, and you've spoken up for the college before. As you've highlighted, it's particularly important in rural Wales that we hold on to those young people in the communities and that they're able to stay in their communities and build a future. That's vitally important. Can I thank Cefin Campbell for his contribution? I know, Cefin, that this is something that you are passionate about, and obviously we've discussed it many times on different sides of this Chamber. It's good to hear your commitment to addressing these issues. I would flag to you as well that we've got things like the youth engagement and progression framework, which is a really positive, holistic framework, and I hope that the Government will continue to be committed to that. We've heard in the debate as well about the importance of work experience. I know careers sits with you now; that's vital as well and can prevent young people becoming NEET. And just as the public health Minister sits down beside you, that is, of course, a public health intervention. It was good to hear that we're going to have more news on this. I recognise what you've said about November and that being a cut-off for when you will have the exact figures, but what I would say to you is that all this commitment that there's been to FE participation will have to be matched by action. I hope that when we get to that point in November, your advocacy for more funding for the sector—. It's been good that the Cabinet Minister for Finance has been in the Chamber for this debate and heard the commitment to FE. I think we all want to see that matched with action and more investment. Diolch yn fawr.

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1. 2. Business Statement and Announcement en

   Trefnydd, can I ask for a statement from the Minister for Enterprise, Connectivity and Energy on the funding of the Jobs Growth Wales+ programme? I've been made aware of some significant funding pressures in the programme, affecting, in particular, year 11 school leavers. Now, while this is part of the employability policies, it is part of the landscape of post-16 education and training. I know you'll agree with me that it's absolutely crucial that we support all young people to prevent them from becoming NEET—not in education, employment or training. I would welcome a statement from the Cabinet Minister setting out the funding position and details of any pressures. Diolch.

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2. 3. Statement by the First Minister: Weather, wildfires, drought and resilience en

   First Minister, as you're aware, the fire in Blaenavon burned for weeks and weeks, and the efforts of the firefighters and the landowners and graziers who worked alongside them were absolutely extraordinary. I welcome the fact that there's going to be a summit, but you've indicated in your statement that there's already been an initial debrief with some suggestions. I think it would have been helpful to have had some detail on that in the statement today. What I haven't heard from you so far today is any commitment to provide funding to those areas worst affected. It is undoubtedly the case that Blaenavon will need a very significant sum of money to restore the common, but also to prevent the reoccurrence of such a fire in the future. Is it your intention for the summit to look at funding issues? And you've given assurances today that the voices of local people will be heard in the summit. Now, I know how difficult it is to organise a Welsh Government summit, but I think it is crucial that it's not just the representative bodies or the national bodies, but that we do actually have a voice for those people who were there day in, day out, fighting the fires in places like Blaenavon.

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3. 5. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education: Review of Higher Education en

   Can I refer Members to my register of interests and the fact that I am an adult learner at Cardiff and Vale College? I wanted to start—. Thank you for your statement, Deputy Minister. But I think it would be remiss of me to start this statement without asking about what I think is the elephant in the room here, which is: what about further education? When you came into Government, you and the Cabinet Minister said you would take a systemic approach to education, combining higher education and further education, and I think that is the right approach. It runs from early years right the way through people's life course. However, what we have here is one part of the system hived off, and that is in sharp contrast to the approach taken by the previous Labour Government, where we issued a comprehensive call for evidence on tertiary education. So, I suppose my first question to you is: you are very well aware—I don't need to remind you—of the funding pressures in FE, the participation pressures in FE. You'll have heard from the chief executives and principals in recent months. I know, too, that you are very well aware that FE is where some of our most disadvantaged, most vulnerable learners are educated—the learners who are most likely to have their life chances inhibited by becoming not in education, employment or training. You've said in the statement that there are finite resources and there will have to be trade-offs. Given that this review just looks at higher education, how will you measure any potential trade-offs for FE? How will you consider the pressures on FE, and how will you consider the need to look after those learners? The statement commits to looking at part-time learners, and I've asked you previously about part-time learners. The Diamond reforms have been a huge success in terms of the numbers of part-time learners studying at our universities. What assurance can you give that the review will protect the interests of part-time learners in higher education? There's no mention of Seren in this statement today, and when you issued the statement in the summer announcing there would be a review of higher education, there was a reference to Seren. You said there would be a review of Academi Seren, and indeed it's picked up in the Cabinet Minister's action plan on literacy. You said that it would be about bringing together Reaching Wider and the Seren programme. Now, I know that you are very well aware that Reaching Wider is a different kind of programme to Seren. Reaching Wider is participation; Seren is about stretch. It's about ensuring that our most able learners can go to the very furthest point that they can go. It is the only thing that we do in Wales that benefits our more able and talented learners. So, I'd like to ask you whether this review—and I welcome that there's an independent chair and that we're going to be kept updated—is going to look at the Seren programme as well, or whether that is going to be done separately. Is it your intention, as part of the review of Seren, to engage with Oxford and Cambridge? Because if young people are capable of going to some of the very best universities, not just in the UK, but anywhere in the world, then they should be encouraged to do that. We on these benches have always viewed Seren as a learner-focused programme designed to ensure that our young people can be the very best that they can be. I want to offer you a gentle warning that we will fight very hard on these benches to protect that aspect of Seren, and I want to ask you whether it is your intention, as part of the work that you're doing on Seren, or as part of this review, to try in any way to discourage young people from studying, whether it's over the border or wherever they want to go, to achieve their education and be the very best that they can be.

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4. 6. Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: The Foundational Literacy and Numeracy Plan en

   Can I thank the Cabinet Minister for her statement today? I was very keen to be positive this afternoon, which I think is a good thing, because I can see many things in this plan that were begun during my time in Government under the last Labour Government: for example, the changes to personalised assessments, the development of age-related expectations, the clear prioritisation of literacy and numeracy, and the £20 million that we invested in grants for literacy and numeracy, including the CAL:ON programme, which I see you are remaining committed to in your plan. I'm very happy to see some of these initiatives repackaged into a plan under the new Government. What matters is that the work happens to benefit children and young people. I do have some questions. My first is on the targeted review of Curriculum for Wales. I just wanted to ask if you could say a little bit more about what 'targeted review' means. I'm obviously very conscious that, towards the end of our time in Government, one of the areas Estyn flagged up as being a concern was the humanities. Is it your plan to pick off certain areas in order to review the curriculum in relation to that? I took the decision to take Wales into TIMSS, the trends in international mathematics and science study, and PIRLS, the progress in international reading literacy study, the international primary school tests. I thought that that was the right thing to do, to do that international benchmarking. There was some resistance from some trade unions, but I was very clear that these would be a test of the Government rather than of schools. So, I just wanted to ask where TIMSS and PIRLS fit into this. Is it your intention to remain committed to TIMSS and PIRLS, and how will they inform the work that you are doing? You've talked about setting targets for schools, and that's fine. Is it your intention to set a target for the Government? The statement refers to 'sustained improvement'. What is that going to look like? Are you going to be more concrete than that? Obviously, I'm conscious that you are discussing targets at a time when industrial relations are quite difficult with the teaching unions. As we know, the NAHT is out to ballot at the moment. What discussions have you had with trade union partners on these measures? I wanted to ask specifically about mental health. As you know, it's something I'm particularly passionate about. Your plan includes a commitment to roll out the wraparound mental health support, starting from autumn 2026. I'm not at all opposed to new ways of supporting learners and families, but I do want to point out again that the school counselling toolkit, which was commissioned previously from the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy and which was designed to improve our counselling offering in Wales, which we already invest a huge sum of money in, and make that more consistent, has not been published. Is there an update on that? Because we really have to get the basics right in schools in terms of school counselling before looking to build on those. And then my final point: in the plan, it says you've made a commitment to review the pupil development grant policy to improve how we allocate and fund it, monitor its use and impact and how we evaluate the success of grant funding, and the work on that starts in autumn 2026. That did come as a bit of a surprise to me, because I announced a review of the pupil development grant in December 2025, and the work on that was proceeding. So, is this a departure from that work? Is it a continuation of this work? And can I have an assurance that this work is not new, because it was meant to be under way from 2025? Thank you.

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1. 3. Topical Questions cy

   2. A wnaiff y Gweinidog Cabinet ddatganiad ar y Dyfarniad Cyflog Athrawon 2026-27? TQ1485

   Official English translation

   2. Will the Cabinet Minister make a statement on the Teachers' Pay Award 2026-27? TQ1485

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2. 3. Topical Questions en

   Thank you. As you've indicated, you made that written statement on Monday, announcing that you would consult from September. This is later than stakeholders would like. As you're aware, there's previously been a commitment to consult ahead of the school holidays, so that teachers can receive their pay rise as soon as possible, although I do welcome your commitment to start the process earlier in future years. As we discussed yesterday, the Welsh Government is now in a pay dispute with both school leadership unions in Wales, with pay as well as additional learning needs funding cited as the reasons for the dispute. It was really worrying to see the written statement issued immediately after the debate yesterday, saying there would be no money for ALN, even though the Welsh Government could allocate that money, as they are doing with their priorities. But it's crucial now that the Government gets around the table with trade unions in order to prevent industrial action in the autumn. Can I ask the Cabinet Minister what steps you'll take to ensure that this dispute focused on pay and ALN is urgently resolved?

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1. 3. Business Statement and Announcement en

   Trefnydd, yesterday the Association of School and College Leaders and the National Association of Head Teachers notified the Welsh Government that they are declaring a trade dispute with the Welsh Government, citing additional learning needs funding as one of the reasons for that dispute. They are asking for ACAS to now be involved to resolve this matter with the Government. This comes at the same time as the National Education Union are also undertaking an indicative ballot, based on concerns they have about Welsh Government's approach to funding. This is an unprecedented situation for this Welsh Government to be in, just 64 days into your first 100 days. I'd like to ask for a statement from the Cabinet Minister for Education and Welsh Language on what steps will be taken to resolve these disputes with our trade union partners, so that we can ensure that the needs of children and young people are met.

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2. 5. Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality: Update on Early Years Childcare and Play en

   Can I thank the Deputy First Minister for the update today, which is very helpful for us to receive before we go into recess? I was going to ask about the other points on the scale of the costings that you've done, so it's helpful to have the information that you provided in response to the previous speaker. As you're aware, a particular concern of mine is the impact of this commitment on Flying Start provision. I've said repeatedly that Flying Start is so much more than just childcare. It's enhanced health visiting, it's speech and language therapy, and it's parenting support. And we know how critical those first 1,000 days are for our children. I have asked you before about what the ramifications of this commitment are for Flying Start. What I'm worried about is that we could see a reduction in the numbers of children who are receiving all four elements of Flying Start in order to fund this, and I would be grateful for a clear answer on that today. I very much welcome the commitment in the statement to a workforce plan. Clearly, that is going to be vital. I wanted to ask if you had any timings for the development of that workforce plan. Also, under the previous Government, there was a commitment to promote fair work within the childcare workforce, who we know are some of the lowest paid, and mostly women workers. So, I wondered how you would be embedding the principles of fair work into any workforce plan. I did want to ask about the childcare expert steering group—and thank you for the letter that you sent, which I've now mislaid in front of me. I don't mean any criticism of anybody who's on the steering group, because there are people there who I know and respect: officials, people involved in Welsh public life. But what I was surprised about was that there weren't more independent experts on there. There is someone there from the London School of Economics, or an institution like that, but I would have liked to have seen some more independent experts on there given the scale of this expansion, so that we have some expert advisers who can identify any unintended consequences and also advise on the child development aspects of this offer. So, I was interested in your comments on that and whether you've got any plans to extend the expert group. Your statement highlights the fact that some areas and providers will be able to move faster than others. Obviously, it's acknowledged that some areas have got less childcare provision, and some of those are the poorest areas and the ones where we most need that provision. So, I wondered if you'd be doing any focused work to ensure that we don't entrench inequalities as we roll out this offer. And then, just finally, you've committed to maintaining the 30 hours for working parents at the same time as rolling out the 20 hours for other parents. Now, it's my understanding that, in England, there was some evidence that where there was a lower threshold for some parents, there was a bit of a disincentive to childcare providers giving the childcare offer to parents who were accessing the lower number of hours, and I wondered if you'd considered that and what steps you'd be taking to mitigate that risk, so that everybody gets genuinely high-quality childcare. Diolch.

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3. 7. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education: Priorities for Skills and Tertiary Education en

   Can I welcome my former sparring partner to his post and his first statement in the Chamber and draw Members' attention to my declaration in my register of interests that I'm enrolled on a course at Cardiff and Vale College? Can I thank the Deputy Minister for his statement? I have several questions. The first is on the commitment that you've made to a connected system, which was also stated in the Cabinet Minister's statement as well, and which I very much agree with, that it has to be joined up between schools, FE and HE. What I would like to understand better is where FE fits into those priorities. Now, you've committed today to publishing the responses to the call for evidence on tertiary education, initiated by my colleague Vikki Howells, which was very well received by the sector. Yet the commitment that we've had from you to take work forward relates to the review of funding in HE. So, I'd like to understand how you see FE within your priorities. We know that there are huge participation pressures within FE, and I think it's a success story that we have so many young people and other learners in FE. But, as you know, that has led to funding pressures. So, I'd like to understand what your plans are to tackle those pressures, in particular in relation to the forthcoming budget round in the autumn, because that is going to be key. In relation to the review of HE funding, I hope that we will have more information on that soon, but I wanted to specifically ask about part-time learners, because a third of undergraduates in Wales are learning with the Open University, which I think is a very good thing and is testament to the success of the Diamond reforms in supporting part-time learners. So, I'd like to ask you about your commitment to continue that support for part-time learners. Qualifications—obviously, there have been major changes over the border in terms of post-16 qualifications, some of which will impact on provision in Wales, because things like BTEC are unlikely to be offered to learners in Wales. It's my understanding from discussions with Qualifications Wales that the Government will have to make a decision imminently on whether to further align with England or whether to develop a more made-in-Wales approach to tertiary qualifications. So, I'd like to understand when you plan to make that decision and what the opportunities for scrutiny will be.  I wanted to ask about mental health in tertiary education. There was a commitment made by the previous Government, in response to a Children, Young People and Education Committee recommendation, to roll out the mental health university liaison project that has been developed in south Wales to the rest of the universities in Wales. And we provided an extra £2 million of funding for that. I was meeting Medr monthly to check on progress on that, but it's still, as far as I'm concerned, too slow. So, I would like to know what you're going to do to make sure that that is available to young people in universities across Wales. And I think it's important to recognise that the beauty of that model was that it recognised that young people in universities are away from home, they're away from their GPs, they're away from their communities, and it was a way of holding them and managing risk for them while they're away from home. So, I think that is a vital initiative. But, at the same time, we need an equally good but different offer for further education, and one of the things I raised regularly with Medr is that you can't just do the same for FE students, because they're in their communities, they've got access to their GPs, but they still have to have their needs met. So, I'd be interested to know how you're going to take that forward. Junior apprenticeships I know you're a big fan of—just hoping that you'll be able to assure me that that will continue to be a priority for the Government. And if I can just conclude on the Seren programme, as you know, I'm very passionate about the Seren programme. I think it is crucial that that programme continues to encourage learners to go to whichever university they can best achieve. It is the only programme that we offer for our more able and talented learners, and I'd like to ask for your assurances that whatever work you're doing on Seren will not involve restricting learners to studying in Wales but will, as we have done, encourage them to follow their dreams and their aspirations and to be the very best they can be, wherever that is. Diolch.

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4. 7. Statement by the Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education: Priorities for Skills and Tertiary Education en

   Sorry.

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5. 9. Debate: The First Supplementary Budget 2026-27 en

   As my colleague Huw Thomas said, the Labour Members will be voting against the supplementary budget today. I want to be clear that I take absolutely no pleasure in this situation. This has always been and will always be about getting more funding for children and young people with ALN in Wales. I respectfully remind all the Plaid Cymru backbenchers who have made videos and statements over the weekend attacking Labour for our stance that there was not one single penny for additional learning needs in the supplementary budget until we in the Labour group started pushing for it. Not a single penny. As a result of the discussions this week, the Plaid Cymru minority Government has offered just £40 million for ALN this year, just 12 per cent of the consequential received as a result of the SEND announcement in England. Our view is that that is not enough. Yes, we need to invest in the transformation of ALN. That was one of the main findings of the ALN legislative review I commissioned and was something I was working on before the election. But we cannot do that without acknowledging and addressing the massive pressures that are in the system now, today. It is disingenuous of the Trefnydd, the First Minister and other Plaid Cymru Members to say that this was more than the money we put on the table, because the ALN consequentials were only announced in March, after the final budget was passed. So, it could not be allocated without a supplementary budget. Notwithstanding that, I've already told the Chamber that I asked for £100 million to be earmarked for ALN. That was the advice received from officials, the amount that we could spend in year. It's not just Welsh Labour who don't think £40 million is enough; every local authority of every political colour has called for more funding for ALN. And now we've heard from our trade union partners. The National Education Union has said they welcome the additional funding, but, based on their evidence from members, this doesn't go far enough and more money needs to be spent. As I highlighted earlier, the National Association of Head Teachers and the Association of School and College Leaders have taken the unprecedented step of declaring a trade dispute with Welsh Government, citing ALN investment as one of the reasons. They are well aware of the latest offer from the Welsh Government. It is shocking that so early in this Senedd term the Government are in dispute with school leaders in Wales. Now, I recognise that Plaid Cymru won the election and are the biggest party, but you are still a minority party, and the way you have conducted some of the negotiations with my party does not bode well for the rest of this Senedd term. There have been some constructive discussions, but there have also been ultimata and negotiations conducted through the media and social media. I really wanted to get to a position where we could support your budget. Just this afternoon, we have asked the Government to withdraw the budget so we can continue negotiations and enable the Government to address the concerns of the teaching unions. If this budget does not pass today, it will be because of your intransigence. The finance Minister—[Interruption.] The finance Minister has told the Chamber today that even if the budget doesn't pass, you will still be able to spend the money on your priorities, but that you won't spend money on ALN. Now, that will be your choice and, if I can say so, it will be an act of supreme spite. I have heard the heckles all afternoon from this Government that we are voting with Reform. That is beneath you on an issue of this importance, and it's a sign that you cannot win the argument. So, I want to be clear: we are not voting with Reform, we are not voting with the Welsh Conservatives; we are voting with children and young people with additional learning needs, and we are voting for the school staff who support them, in the belief that those children and those school staff deserve more from this Plaid Cymru Government.

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1. 5. Member’s Legislative Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): A Bill on corporate parenting en

   Can I thank Sarah for tabling this debate today, and for the way she's using her lived experience to drive change for care-experienced children and young people? I would have signed in support of it, but was advised that, as I'd submitted a legislative proposal, that would not be possible. I do want to acknowledge the work that was done by the Government in the previous Senedd on the transformation of children's social care, on the elimination of profit, but also the work to listen to young people and to co-produce solutions. Now, I attended all the summits the previous Welsh Government held with care-experienced young people, and it was a privilege to have them share their experiences with us, but it was also a salutary, frustrating and sometimes deeply upsetting experience. In the first one I attended, a workshop on mental health, I met one young person who had had nearly 20 social workers, and it was very clear to me that there is considerable work to do to prevent the care system re-traumatising care-experienced young people. As Cabinet Secretary for Education, I got the opportunity to hear about care-experienced children's experiences in education. I met a young person who had moved to a different foster care placement, and as a result had had to move school rather than their local authority fund their transport costs. That, to me, was a powerful example of a young person being shoehorned into a system rather than a system being designed to meet their needs. The settled education of an already traumatised child was disrupted because of the cost of transport. Now, I think the test for all practitioners should be, 'Would it be good enough for my child?' If the answer is 'no', then it shouldn't be happening. This is what I think genuine commitment to corporate parenting should be about. We do have voluntary charters, but for me, on something so fundamental as the responsibilities we all have to care-experienced children, voluntary is not good enough. All local authorities and health boards have signed up, but if you look for any information on what they've committed to as part of their charters, it is very hard to find. It is not published, and I certainly couldn't find the information for my own health board. So, I think it is now time to look at how we strengthen the protections for looked-after children and care-experienced children and young people. I don't know how the Government intends to vote today, but I hope that the Government will listen to the debate, listen to the strongly held view that we need to do more for our children—and they are all our children—and will commit to working with Sarah on this vital issue. Diolch.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, the financial pressures faced by local authorities because of additional learning needs are acute. In my constituency, Monmouthshire County Council has 19 schools that are in budget deficit, with that being credited to ALN pressures. I know we've discussed before how we didn't have a statutory override in use in Wales, but would you agree with me that the funding pressures for additional learning needs are indeed acute? And what is your Government going to do to address those pressures, given that you have a choice over those consequentials?

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2. 2. Business Statement and Announcement en

   I too would like to ask for a statement on the alleged overspends that the Plaid Cymru Government keep referring to from the last Government. I am very well aware that the Government was left £120 million in capital, £337 million in consequentials, and I am not aware of any overspends, and funding pressures within the NHS are not the same as overspends. Now, I know feelings are running high about Plaid Cymru's supplementary budget, but making incorrect statements is not the correct way to build a consensus on the budget. Show us the figures if you have any evidence of any overspends.

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1. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language en

   Cabinet Minister, I am, as I've said to you before, proud of our record on mental health support in schools: our statutory whole-school approach to mental health, the child and adolescent mental health services's inreach service working across schools in Wales, and school counselling for all children and young people aged year 6 and above. Our commitment to independent school counselling is enshrined in primary legislation, which is a first for any country. But there's always more to do, and that's why the review of the school counselling toolkit is so vital. Now, you wrote to me on Monday about the toolkit, which has been produced in collaboration with school counselling leads and the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy, which is the leading counselling accreditation organisation in the UK. And can I declare an interest, Llywydd, as I am enrolled on a level 3 certificate in counselling studies course at Cardiff and Vale College, which is accredited by BACP? Now, you said in your letter that you will consult on the refreshed toolkit when you are, and I quote, 'satisfied that the toolkit reflects your priorities for the well-being of learners'. Now, given that the work on the toolkit has been undertaken by the experts, funded by Welsh Government, in partnership with local authority counselling leads, in what way would you anticipate it not being in line with your priorities? And would you agree with me that nothing, including ministerial or political priorities, should come before children's mental health?

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2. 2. Questions to the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language en

   Thank you for that answer, and I'm grateful for your commitment that you want to build on the well-being framework. And, of course, it can't just sit with schools, which I know is something that you recognise. This has to be a system-wide approach to supporting young people, and involves those links with mental health services and support in the community. Now, there was previously a ministerial board, jointly chaired by myself and the previous Deputy Minister for Mental Health and Well-being. And while I don't expect you to inherit all the arrangements that were in place under the previous Government, I think it is important that there are cross-Government mechanisms to drive progress in this work and to make sure that milestones are met. So, I'd like to ask you what discussions you've had with your colleague the Minister for mental health and well-being, and how you intend to take a cross-Government, system-wide approach to supporting the mental health and well-being of our learners?

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3. 6. Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) en

   It's very hard to follow that contribution. Can I thank you, Sarah, for your courage and your honesty? I think hearing your story will be really powerful for everyone, and it's really important that we listen to stories like that and that we act on what we've heard. I wanted to thank Beca Brown as well for tabling this motion today, and I was very pleased to support it. I thought that your speech was really comprehensive and gave us an awful lot to think about. I'm not really sure we can do justice to this issue in an hour in this Chamber, but I'm glad we're having the discussion.

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4. 6. Member Debate under Standing Order 11.21(iv): Trauma and Adverse Childhood Experience (ACE) en

   I wanted to thank Beca for her acknowledgment that action to address adverse childhood experiences has already been embedded across a range of Welsh Government policies, and I was really delighted in Government to help launch the trauma-informed Wales framework, along with my former colleague Julie Morgan. That framework was developed by the Adverse Childhood Experiences Hub Wales and Traumatic Stress Wales, and I want to thank both of them for their ongoing work and commitment in this area, and in particular Dr Jo Hopkins at the ACEs hub, who has driven this work for years. I would encourage all Members of the Chamber to look at the framework, because there is something in there for everyone. It's based on four practice levels: trauma aware, trauma skilled, trauma enhanced and specialist interventions. Trauma aware applies to everyone and focuses on developing a basic understanding of trauma and adversity, recognising their impact and responding with compassion, empathy and respect. I really hope this debate will help us all to think about what more we can do in this space. We can all benefit from treating each other with kindness and empathy.  The trauma-aware level makes me think as well of the Samaritans Small Talk Saves Lives campaign. That was originally developed to prevent deaths by suicide on the railways, and it empowers people to start a simple conversation if they think someone isn't okay in a public place. The fact is that we can all have a lifesaving conversation. I've talked before about every interaction being an intervention in young people's mental health, and I think there is a lot we can learn from that in a workplace setting, even one that has as polarised views as we see here. Now, being trauma informed, as Beca's alluded to, has a crucial role to play in our schools. As my colleague Shav said earlier, so much of the behaviour we see in schools is evidence of unmet need, and I really believe that all behaviour is communication in children and young people. We'll be talking later about the pressures in our ALN system, but many of the young people who are presenting with increasingly complex needs are living with trauma. It was an absolute pleasure to visit Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni last year to see their work as a trauma-informed school, and, indeed, Ynys Môn has the distinction of being a trauma-informed island. I was blown away by my visit to Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni, who are the first and, as far as I'm aware, the only trauma-informed secondary school in the UK—an achievement I was delighted to highlight when I attended the international summit on the teaching profession in March. The programme is underpinned by the importance of strong relationships, and relationships are what it is all about in this space, and also having emotionally available adults to help support young people. One example of what they do in Ysgol Gyfun Llangefni is that all young people are met off the bus in the morning by staff who know them and understand their interests and needs, asking things like, 'How did the rugby go last night? Anything interesting happen to you last night?' The purpose of that is so that those young people know there is always an adult keeping them in mind, and the power of that, especially to a child who doesn't have strong relationships at home, is incalculable. It is exactly about creating that village around the child, and if young people haven't got that at home then we have to look for other mechanisms to do it. One of the last things I did as a Minister was announce new funding of over £1.6 million for additional mental health and well-being support in schools over the next three years, on top of the around £12 million spent every year in Wales. One of those was for the Anna Freud Centre to develop strategies for safety and well-being for learners in year 5 and year 7, to give them knowledge, skills and understanding about mental health and how to access support, and it's designed to encourage young people to seek help when they need it. But I also announced funding to develop the introduction of trauma-informed practice in schools across Wales, based on the work that I saw in Llangefni, and that funding is going to be channelled through Dysgu. And I would just make a plea to the new Government that I very much hope that those initiatives will continue. I think there is consensus around supporting our young people with strong relational practice, and I hope that, regardless of political differences, we can all agree on that. Diolch yn fawr.

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5. 8. Welsh Labour Debate: Funding for additional learning needs in the first Supplementary Budget 2026-27 en

   Diolch, Lywydd. I move the motion in my name. I want to start this debate with the focus where it should be and where I hope it stays throughout this debate today—on our children and young people. There are now over 40,000 children and young people in Wales with a statutory additional learning needs plan, known as an individual development plan. This is a very considerable increase on the number of children and young people with a statutory plan under the former special educational needs system, and these are some of the most vulnerable learners in our schools and communities. Investing more funding in support for additional learning needs in this supplementary budget is the right thing to do. It's the right thing to do for these children and young people, it's the right thing to for their families and it's the right thing to do for our schools. Investing in the right support is absolutely crucial to making sure that these children, young people and their families can reach their potential. It's crucial to ensure that children can attend school, and it's crucial to tackling some of the behaviour issues we have in our schools. Now, it's been well rehearsed that the UK Government's decision to invest in support for councils, schools and children with SEN and disabilities means that there is an additional £327 million now available to the Welsh Government this year—£550 million over three years. The need is there, it's crystal clear; our schools are under extreme pressure. This money was announced in March, shortly before the election and after the final budget for this year was passed. Notwithstanding this, I did make the case for moneys to be allocated to ALN, but I was told that this would need to be a matter for the incoming Government and for the supplementary budget. The demand for additional learning needs support within Welsh schools is rising. Children and young people's needs require more complex, intensive and long-term support. The number of children requiring specialist placements is growing, and the number of children in special schools has gone up by a third. In the spring, the Welsh Local Government Association reported that the growing complexity of need was creating unsustainable financial strain. They said that education was one of the most acute pressures highlighted by councils, as ALN spending accounts for more than a quarter of all school budget pressures. And that's why every single Welsh council of every political stripe and all the teaching unions have called for this money to go to schools. And the National Association of Head Teachers Cymru have launched a petition calling for the funding to go to support additional learning needs in Wales. That petition only went live yesterday and has already had more than 2,000 signatures. It will hit the threshold for debate in no time at all. Now, much has been made by the Government of the fact that the system is different in Wales, that local authorities haven't run up huge debts, that we didn't use a statutory override in Wales. But the pressures faced by local authorities are massive. Nearly a third of schools are in budget deficit. Increasingly, local authorities are issuing statutory warning notices to schools about deficits. And we've had strike action in some schools, due to staff restructuring, which can't be divorced from budget pressures. And yet, despite this, Plaid Cymru have not allocated a single penny of the £340 million that's available for children with additional learning needs to schools in Wales. We know what needs to be done. I commissioned a comprehensive legislative review of the ALN system. That identified five priorities for action. One was to develop a longer term vision for inclusive education in Wales. Now, the Government has said the current system is unsustainable. The Government has talked about addressing this when recurrent funding becomes available in 2028-29. The Government has said it needs a long-term solution. I agree, but the work on a long-term solution needs to start now with this money.  We need investment in upskilling the workforce so that the whole workforce is trained in supporting children with ALN. We need the resources for differentiated teaching in our classrooms, and we need to tap into the phenomenal expertise of our special schools via a hub-and-spoke model, but we need to do that now. Investing in the well-being and the future of our children and young people is the most important thing a government can do. It is a duty, and supporting this motion today is a duty on all of us and I hope all parties choose to support this motion today. Diolch yn fawr.

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6. 8. Welsh Labour Debate: Funding for additional learning needs in the first Supplementary Budget 2026-27 en

   Diolch, Ddirprwy Lywydd. I'll try, in the time I've got available, to respond to as many points as I can. Sera, if I can start with you, thank you for your contribution, and I want to recognise your own lived experience in this area, which is vitally important. But you and Mair Rowlands both made points that do seem to be very much the Plaid Cymru line on this at the moment, that there needs to be a long-term solution to this. I have to tell you that that work has been done. I had a legislative review. I asked for money from the spring statement. That money was based on what officials told me we could spend in year. So, that work has been done. We all know that we need to move to a more inclusive system. Nobody is suggesting that the system could stay the same. But moving to an inclusive system involves investment—investment in the workforce, investment in staffing—and working together differently. It can't be done without the funding. Thank you, Cai Parry-Jones, for your support for the debate as well. Sam, you made some really important points about the pressures on schools, from your experience as a governor, which I think is very much welcome, and I've seen those pressures all the time. Thank you, Mike, you've been a real champion always for local government pressures, and we know that the pressures are absolutely immense. One of the things I was going to highlight that came out of the legislative review, in relation to Mike's points where he said that families say it's always a fight, that came through very strongly in the legislative review. That's why we launched a parent toolkit on ALN. But a further piece of work was done; we commissioned a review of advocacy services. I would like to see an independent advocacy service operating right across Wales. That cannot run on fresh air. That is going to need resources to take the conflict out of the issue. Several Members have raised the issue of data. I don't disagree at all on that. That's why I took forward a consultation and subsequent changes on data, so that we've got a much richer set of information, so that we can see what is happening in the system. Can I thank Benjamin Hodge Mckenna for his points in the debate, which I think were very well made? You're absolutely right; as I say, nobody is talking about doing the same thing over and over again. We're talking about moving to an inclusive system, which will require resources. You did make a particularly important point, where you said that delaying the response to this would compound the pressures, and that is my fear—that if we get to 2028-29, the system will be so acutely under pressure that it will be practically in a position to fall over, and we cannot let it get to that position. Thank you, Huw, for your comments. Just to pick up on a couple of those points, yes, we had a debate about trauma earlier on. And what we're seeing in schools isn't ALN in the traditional sense that we were all used to anymore; we're seeing children who aren't able to learn because of lack of school readiness, because their speech and language isn't developed, because parents haven't been speaking to them in the same way as before. I've had headteachers tell me they've had whole classrooms where the children are practically non-verbal, and it's not to do with any health condition, it's because of that getting ready for school and developing speech and language. The same thing goes for trauma. What I would like to see is us move to a system where all children's needs are met effectively in the classroom. You made a very important point about the amount of money the Plaid Cymru Government is leaving unallocated. Elin, you cannot say that you were left a really difficult financial legacy when you were party to the budget that was agreed. When we left you £120 million in capital and all this revenue money, which I asked for and couldn't get allocated for education, you cannot say that and then say that you were left a bad financial legacy. I am worried about the amount of money that you are leaving unallocated, and I have to say to you, if you were saving that money for a rainy day, it is raining now in education and we need that money now. I hope Members will support this motion today.

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1. 3. Business Statement and Announcement en

   Could I support Jane Dodds's calls for more detailed information on your implementation of your childcare offer? I tabled a written question asking for the membership of the childcare steering group, and the reply came back saying that the Deputy First Minister would have to write to me about that. I think it is essential that there is transparency on such a major commitment that is going to cost so much money. Can I also ask for a statement on the Government's response to the call for evidence on the future of tertiary education? The Government is meant to be committed to a connected approach across the post-16 sector, however, all we've heard about so far is the university sector. However, most of our young people, our most vulnerable young people, are in the further education sector, particularly those who are most at risk of becoming not in education, employment or training. There was a comprehensive call for evidence, and I think it is important that the Senedd has the opportunity to scrutinise those responses.

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1. 5. Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Finance: The First Supplementary Budget 2026-27 en

   Thank you. Thank you, Cabinet Minister. I'm sure you will not be surprised that I want to press you on the funding for ALN. I can tell you that, although there was no statutory override, those pressures in ALN were either absorbed by local authorities or are reflected in the nearly a third of schools that have budget deficits. We have schools that have ALN on their risk register, and we have increasing numbers of schools that are receiving warning notices from local authorities. That money is vital, not just to address the current pressures, but also to move to that sustainable system. I can say to you that we cannot wait until 2028-29 before we see a good investment in ALN. That would not lead to a sustainable situation at all. That money is needed now. I would like to ask you what analysis you have undertaken of the level of budget deficits, of warning notices, of ALN on risk registers, that has led you to a position not just where you haven't spent the consequentials on ALN—

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2. 5. Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Finance: The First Supplementary Budget 2026-27 en

   —but you haven't spent a single penny on ALN.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister cy

   1. Beth yw blaenoriaethau'r Prif Weinidog ar gyfer addysg yn Sir Fynwy Torfaen? OQ64188

   Official English translation

   1. What are the First Minister's priorities for education in Sir Fynwy Torfaen? OQ64188

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2. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, today you announced £55 million of new money for childcare places. This is despite the fact that, last week, you told us you weren't able to provide any costings and that we needed to wait for the work of an expert group. Well, the only new money I'm aware of is the £327 million allocated in the spring statement, the vast majority of which was consequentials for special educational needs and disabilities. Now, I have to take issue with the First Minister's contention that that money is less necessary in Wales because we didn't have a statutory override. Any local authority in Wales, including both the authorities in my constituency, or any school, including the nearly third of schools that are in budget deficit, will tell you that the additional learning needs pressures are huge. First Minister, are you finally going to tell us how much additional money is going to be made available to meet the ALN pressures, or is the cost of your childcare pledge to be met at the cost of children with additional learning needs?

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3. 5. Statement by the Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Priorities for Education en

   Can I congratulate the Cabinet Minister on her appointment? It is, without any shadow of a doubt, the very best job in Government, and I wish her well with it. If I can turn to questions on the statement. I wanted to start with literacy and numeracy, which was a priority for me too. I think that she will benefit from the over £10 million-worth of investment that we provided for literacy initiatives. I wanted to ask specifically about the CAL:ON Cymru programme, which was very well received by the ministerial heads advisory group and Dysgu, to ask whether she will continue with that. I agree with her points about data. I had been working to improve the data sharing, and I wanted to ask whether she will be continuing the work that we as a Government were doing around producing clear age-related expectations, so that we can make sure that our children are learning what they need to. Dysgu, obviously, have a crucial role to play, so I wanted to ask whether she had made any amendments to the priorities of literacy, numeracy, inclusion and well-being that were issued to Dysgu by the previous Government. There's a section in the statement on workforce. It's relatively small. I would highlight the fact that there are significant concerns about the fact that this Government has delayed the response to the independent Welsh pay review body report on teachers' pay. I'm sure she's well aware that that will likely lead to teachers not being paid in September, whereas we had made a commitment to consult before the school holidays in order to protect time for our teaching staff. The debate last week gave me some concerns about the strategic education workforce plan for schools. Now, that wasn't just my plan—that plan was co-produced with the sector. There was widespread consultation and work with trade unions. So, I'd like to ask her if she is still committed to that workforce plan, which is so important for recruitment and retention. There was a brief mention in the statement of ALN. You're well aware of my concerns about ALN funding. What representations have you made across the Government to prioritise more funding for ALN? And I agree with you that we need better support for families who have children with ALN. There was a review of advocacy services submitted to the Government just before the election. What are your plans in terms of better advocacy for families? It is my view that we should have a national independent advocacy service to make sure that families can navigate the system. I wanted to ask particularly about mental health. I'm very proud of our record on mental health in schools, our whole-school approach, statutory framework, school counselling in schools, our child and adolescent mental health services inreach. I did receive a rather worrying written answer from you when I asked about the school counselling toolkit, which was commissioned by the previous Government, paid for by the previous Government and co-produced with the school counselling leads across Wales with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy. When you answered my question about when it would go out for consultation and it was almost ready, you said, 'The exact timing is to be agreed, having regard to the need to co-ordinate the range of activity across the education department in line with our manifesto commitments'. There is no reason to delay that work. It is essential to ensure that young people have consistent, high-quality access to school counselling. And if I might say, politics can never ever come before the mental health of children and young people. If I can just briefly touch on tertiary education: I agree entirely that it's an interconnected system and that we need a more collaborative approach between the different sectors. Yet, the only solution you've so far offered in terms of the huge challenges facing the tertiary sector is a review into higher education. There's no recognition in the statement of the challenges facing further education, which are substantial. So, I wanted to ask you how you intend to make that interconnected sector a reality and make sure that there is parity for FE in your considerations. Just finally, you've referred to embarking on an all-Wales skills audit. In actual fact, that audit was undertaken, or initiated and signed off, by the previous Labour Government. Now, I have no problem at all with you continuing the good work of that Government, but I think it's important that there is transparency about that. Diolch.

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1. 5. Reform UK Debate: Childcare offer en

   Diolch, Lywydd, and I move the amendment in my name. As we approach a month since Plaid Cymru formed their Government, we are still short on information regarding their flagship policy. It's all well and good making pre-election pledges and getting headlines, but Government isn't about headlines; it's about action. Both the FM and the Deputy FM have been asked on several occasions how this policy will be funded and when it'll be rolled out, but we still await detail.  Yesterday, we heard warm words and vague timelines, but that is not enough. Plaid Cymru claim this policy was fully costed, so what is the delay? As I've previously said time and time again, we all want to see more money in the pockets of parents, we really do, but it's not right to announce major spending commitments and ask parents across Wales to accept that funding on trust alone.  The Institute for Fiscal Studies said we would be looking at costs of around £400 million a year by the end of this term. Plaid Cymru must show where that funding will come from. Does that mean other initiatives will be cut? Who are the people that will lose out? And when will they find out? Now, I don't intend to stop raising the £555 million allocated to Wales by the UK Government because of additional spending on children with special educational needs and disabilities—£300 million this year alone. Now, we may not have used as a Government a statutory override to manage additional learning needs pressures in Wales, but the First Minister is wrong to try to minimise the immense ALN funding pressures in local authorities and schools. I would be surprised if he could find a single local authority that agrees with him, or any school, especially those carrying budget deficits due to ALN pressures.  Now, we in Welsh Labour intend to scrutinise the new Government's use of every penny of those consequentials. And it'll surprise no-one that my concern lies with the children. Childcare is crucial, but it must be high quality. The first 1,000 days of a child's life is an absolutely critical period. It can determine lifelong trajectories for children. None of us can afford to get this wrong. I didn't receive an answer yesterday to my questions on Flying Start, and Flying Start is so much more than childcare. It's enhanced health visiting, speech and language therapy, and, crucially, parenting support to underpin those parent-infant relationships and secure attachments that are fundamental to all our mental health. What impact will Plaid's childcare offer have on the Flying Start offer in Wales? Now, there's no doubt that extra capacity within the childcare sector is needed for this policy to succeed. It can't simply be about access. If we are serious about rolling out this policy, it must be about the quality of childcare. We already have an early childcare and care plan in Wales that sets out that high-quality, accessible childcare can be transformational for children. But it is not clear what role the Plaid childcare offer is intended to play in supporting the development of all children, given that many are not eligible for the childcare offer.  What about children with disabilities—

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2. 5. Reform UK Debate: Childcare offer en

   Of course.

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3. 5. Reform UK Debate: Childcare offer en

   Thank you for that. If I can just point out that I am not a spokesman, I am a spokesperson. I'm very happy to clarify that our aim in this Chamber is to do the absolute best by the people of Wales, including our children, and that is the aim of our amendment today. So, as I was saying, what about children with disabilities? The Deputy First Minister will know all too well that there are major challenges for families with disabled children to access childcare, with evidence suggesting that just 5 per cent of Welsh local authorities have enough childcare for disabled children. Llywydd, we all want more free childcare to be made available, but in doing so we must commit to getting it right. As I've said, children must be at the heart of this roll-out, and we are calling today for the Senedd to recognise the importance of high-quality childcare in improving the life chances of children in Wales. Diolch yn fawr.

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4. 6. Welsh Labour Debate: School support staff negotiating body en

   I move the motion in my name. Llywydd, Wales has around 27,000 school support staff. I want to begin today by thanking each and every one of them. They help children to learn, keep them safe, support children with additional learning needs and allow teachers to teach. They build strong relationships with children and young people, which are crucial for their well-being, so that they can learn and reach their potential. School support staff are now the majority of the school workforce in Wales. Our schools simply couldn't function without them. They are quite simply the glue that holds our schools together. But in-work poverty is now a reality for many support staff. Most school support staff are only paid for work during term time, which makes up nine months of the year, whereas teachers have the same term-time working pattern, but receive a full year's salary. A Unison survey of more than 1,400 school support staff found that low pay is endemic, with 8 per cent taking home less than £1,000 a month, 18 per cent taking home between £1,000 and £1,199, and 38 per cent taking home between £1,200 and £1,399. The survey also found that more than half are in single-income households. More than 90 per cent of support staff are women, so this is also an equality issue. That's why, as Cabinet Secretary for Education, I committed to legislating for a school support staff negotiating body for Wales to provide a dedicated forum to negotiate pay, conditions, career progression, training and workforce development specifically for support staff working in schools in Wales. That's why it was a key commitment in the Welsh Government education strategic workforce plan I published in March this year, and it's why the Welsh Labour manifesto committed to ending term-time only pay as the body's first priority. I am proud of our record of social partnership in Government. Through the schools social partnership forum I chaired, I worked with trade union partners and local authorities to reach agreement that all level 1 teaching assistants who want to would move to level 2 from September this year, and I allocated £4 million of funding to local authorities to pay for it. That move will benefit up to 3,350 current level 1 TAs who will receive a pay rise of up to £1,350—a vital first step towards the goal of fairer paying conditions for all teaching assistants, and an investment in our children and young people, especially those with additional learning needs. But we need to go further if we don't want to see headteachers like one in my constituency, who has started a school foodbank just so her much-valued teaching assistants can get by on what they earn, if we don't want to see support staff being forced to take better paid and less stressful jobs in places like Aldi or Lidl, and if we don't want schools and local authorities to spend millions of pounds on supply staff to replace the support staff they've lost. Now, I wish with all my heart I could have taken primary legislation through the Senedd to make a school support staff negotiating body a reality in Wales. I was proud to speak at the launch of Unison Cymru's 'Time to value School Support Staff' report in December last year, to support their calls for a school support staff negotiating body and to tell them, and other stakeholders, that we had put a Bill manager in place to work on the legislation. From memory, the new Cabinet Minister for Education and Welsh Language was in attendance at that event. The preparation had begun. Now we want the new Plaid Cymru Government to commit to bringing forward legislation to create a school support staff negotiating body and to commit, as we did in our manifesto, to ending term-time-only pay for school support staff. Our calls are supported by the Welsh trade union movement, including Unison Cymru and the GMB. But valuing school support staff is not just the right thing to do for the staff; it's the right thing to do for our schools, our communities and every learner in Wales.

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5. 6. Welsh Labour Debate: School support staff negotiating body en

   Diolch. Can I thank all Members for their contributions to this debate? I'll try, in the time that I have available, to respond to as many points as I can. Sera, thank you for your contribution, and I wish your son well with his new role. I do have to say that you're incorrect in the statement that you made about the budget deal. There was no money from the budget deal that went into this funding for a pay rise for support staff. The budget deal was £112 million for local government and this is separate money. This is separate money. [Interruption.] No, it is separate money. You go and check it. It is separate money. The £112 million went into the rates support grant. The rest of the money was £180 million for health that was agreed as part of the Plaid Cymru budget deal. The £4 million that I provided to local authorities was separate money and is to be protected for that purpose. Several Members, including the Minister, have made references to the fact that of course it's not just about pay for support staff, and I have never suggested it is just about pay. It is about the complexity of what they're dealing with, the issues that Paul Rock referred to, and, yes, there is more work to be done in terms of ensuring they have proper career progression. That's why we included that in the strategic education workforce plan for schools: that commitment to that holistic view of what support staff are doing. But I am detecting a hint, in some of the contributions—yours, the Minister, and I've heard the First Minister say it in the past, and also Rebeca's—that somehow pay is not a really important issue. Well, I say to all of you, 'Go and ask support staff what they want.' Support staff want to be paid fairly for the job that they do, which is why we have made this call today. Thank you, Shav and Huw, for your support. Shav, you know I know how passionate you are about trade union rights, and I really appreciate your support. Thank you, Paul, as well. You spoke so eloquently about the range of things that support staff do, and it's all the more powerful based on your experience as a school governor. Sam, thank you for the Welsh Conservative support for the school support staff negotiating body. You won't expect me to agree with the political points you made about 27 years. The Minister also had a little pop there at 27 years. Let me say to all of you that I had two years in this post, and the Minister herself will discover that it takes time to change things in education. I set out in my speech, very clearly, the steps I took with the workforce plan, with the immediate pay rise for school support staff, and the commitment to the school support staff negotiating body. I note, Minister, that you're keen to look at other options to support support staff. Again, I say to you that they want all those things, but they also want more pay. And unless you are telling me here today that you're not going to be keeping the strategic education workforce plan for schools, then that commitment is there, in black and white, to have a school support staff negotiating body. I think you need to be clear if you're not going to do that, so that we all know it. The term-time pay is a different issue, because that was part of our manifesto. I will conclude by taking this opportunity to, once again, thank every member our school support staff in Wales. They do undertake that massive range of tasks. They are the glue that holds our schools together, those relationships with children, especially children with additional learning needs. I hope that we can all agree that we all need to do more to recognise the role of those support staff. But that also means recognising their hard work through fairer pay. I say to Helen Jenner as well that it's not another quango—it is a statutory body responsible for negotiating pay. We need to have those protections in place for the reasons that Sam Rowlands specified. There is variation and it is not always easy to get local authorities to agree on a consistent basis. That's why it took so long to get the agreement on the level 1 teaching assistants. The safest way to protect school support staff is to bring forward this legislation. I welcome the fact that you aren't voting against the motion today, and I hope that that is an indication of your willingness to work with me and others in this Chamber who are passionate about improving the lives of our support staff and therefore the lives of our children and young people.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   First Minister, 'Our Bravery Brought Justice' must be a watershed moment for children in Wales, and I pay tribute again to those young people whose courage has meant that Neil Foden faced justice. The previous Labour Government accepted every single recommendation of the child practice review and was also committed to driving implementation across partners. Will you take this opportunity to state your Government's commitment to every single recommendation? But will you also commit to maintaining the ministerial assurance board with Cyngor Gwynedd so that we can be assured as well that lessons are learned at a local level and that we never slip back on these things?

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2. 4. Statement by the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Minister for Social Justice and Equality: Priorities for Social Justice and Equality en

   Can I congratulate the Deputy First Minister on her appointment and welcome her to her post? Every child does deserve the best start in life, and under the last Welsh Labour Government, we rolled out free school lunches for all children in primary schools, serving over 50 million meals. We have continued to invest £150 million per year in the pupil development grant, and we continued to support families through the school essentials grant. And the UK Labour Government, which lifted the two-child benefit cap, will make an immeasurable difference in tackling child poverty here in Wales and across the UK. We all want to see more money in families' pockets, but we know too that families are keen to know more about Plaid Cymru's plans, and it is now for them to set out the details, and the details have been fairly scant in terms of how those policies are to be funded or some of the timescales around them. If I can ask, first of all, about the Cynnal payment. Commitments have been made in the media that that would be rolled out as soon as possible after the first 100 days. The BBC reported that you'd been asked would the payment start after the first 100 days, and the BBC reported that you had said 'yes'. But now we see that there is to be a steering group, so I wanted to ask if you could update that assessment of the timescale. I tabled a written question asking what representations you'd made to the UK Government on this issue, because information sharing will be vital where non-devolved benefits are concerned. You didn't answer the written question, but you told me I would receive a substantive response, which I'm waiting for, and I'm sure that I will get in due course, but I would like to ask you whether you have now had the opportunity to talk to the UK Government about accessing data that will be necessary to roll out this payment, because families living in poverty want to know when they are going to receive that money. There's been some discussion already about your flagship childcare policy, which does come with a very large price tag. I do think there is a lot of anxiety about how this policy is to be funded, and some estimates suggest it could be up to £400 million. Will it, for example, be taken from other programmes to tackle child poverty? I'm very anxious that you may use the consequentials that are coming to Wales for additional learning needs to fund that policy. So, I would like to ask you what initial assessment have you made, given that there is now a steering group in place, about where that money will be coming from. Now that you've appointed a steering group, I'm assuming that you've also had discussions with them about the timescales for their work, and I wondered if you could set out some more detail on that today. We all know that the first 1,000 days of a child's life are absolutely crucial and can determine their whole life chances going forward. I'm really keen that when we talk about childcare, we're not just thinking about working parents; we're also thinking about a really high-quality offer that is very child focused. So, I wondered if you could say a bit more about how you're going to ensure that what is delivered will be fundamentally child focused. We know that there are lots of issues with school preparedness now, that we've got children who are starting school unable to use language, that we've got children starting school still in nappies. To what extent will tackling some of those school preparedness issues be part of your work? The Flying Start programme isn't just about childcare, as you know. It's got four components: speech and language, enhanced health visiting, parenting support, and childcare. What assurances can you give that the families who need that multifaceted offer will continue to get that support? And finally, can I say that I welcome the commitment in your statement to a rights-based approach to policy? You've said that you'll look to incorporate key UN conventions in Welsh law. Can I just ask you to clarify that that will include the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child? Because I do believe that we've got more work to do in making sure that our often-stated commitment to children's rights is fully embedded into law.

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1. 1. Questions to the First Minister en

   In the spring statement, the UK Labour Government announced a further £555 million for Wales over three years. Most of that funding arose from extra money allocated to meet the needs of children with special educational needs and disabilities in England, and included £300 million extra for Wales this year alone; money that came too late to be allocated in the final Welsh Government budget. We face exactly the same funding pressures, with rising numbers of children with ALN with increasingly complex needs in Wales. First Minister, how much of that £300 million is your Plaid Cymru Government going to spend addressing the needs of children and young people with additional learning needs?

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2. 4. Business Statement and Announcement en

   Trefnydd, can I ask for two statements? The first is from the Cabinet Minister for health and social care. On the back of the Audit Wales report into Aneurin Bevan health board's dealings with the eHarley partnership, I and the Torfaen MP made representations to Audit Wales. The report that they've published found that the health board did not conduct proper due diligence before letting multiple contracts to the eHarley partnership. But the report also says that Welsh Government guidance in this area has not been reviewed since 2006. So, I would like to ask for a statement from the Cabinet Minister setting out how the Government will respond. I would also like to ask for a statement from the Deputy Minister for Skills and Tertiary Education. I was really concerned to see in the list of responsibilities for his new post that, given the huge challenges that we face in tertiary education, the No. 1 item was reform of the Seren programme. Now, I am really proud of our Seren programme. It enables our young people to go to some of the very best universities across the UK, including in Wales, and I am sure that none of us would want to see a situation where the opportunities of our young people are limited. I would like to ask for a statement setting out the priority that this will be for the Government.

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