Thank you, Presiding Officer. Today, I have published the final report from the review of higher education and student finance in Wales, chaired by Professor Sir Ian Diamond. I am very grateful to Professor Diamond and to all the panel members from across the political parties, the sector and industry for the time and effort that they have dedicated to the review since it began in April 2014.

The panel has considered a huge amount of evidence in the course of its work. This is reflected in the range and complexity of the issues that the panel has presented in its final report and in the level of detail involved in its recommendations.

The panel’s work was guided by the long-standing Robbins principle that entry into higher education should be on the basis of ability alone and not on the ability to afford it. Staying true to this principle, the report’s overarching recommendation is that the focus of grant finance shifts towards maintenance support across levels and modes of study, overcoming the real financial challenges associated with a period of higher education study. It proposes that maintenance support is improved for all Welsh-domiciled students, with the highest level of grant support directed towards those who are most in need, but that a non-means-tested universal maintenance grant of £1,000 should be available for all students. The report also proposes the implementation of a unique and innovative approach for part-time and postgraduate support, which will encourage a flexible approach to higher education. The report recognises that, given the context of austerity in the UK, these recommended improvements can only be achieved by releasing funds currently used to provide tuition fee grants for full-time undergraduates.

Cabinet colleagues and I endorsed the principles contained in the report. These proposals represent a radical overhaul of how we support those who want to go to higher education, as well as outlining a fairer, sustainable system of student support and higher education funding. The proposals would mean that Wales would be the only country in the UK to implement a system that is consistent, progressive and fair in its support for undergraduate full-time, part-time and postgraduate students.

The fear of not being able to meet the cost of living on a daily basis puts many off—not the prospect of paying back loans after they are in work. The report refers to the strong consensus amongst students, student representative bodies and widening participation professionals that the current maintenance support is inadequate and that this is a bigger issue for students than the level of fees and fee support. This system addresses that issue head on, but will also mean making tough decisions to ensure that the system is sustainable in the long term.

Having endorsed the underlying principles contained in the report, I now need to consider the practical implications of implementing its recommendations. The Welsh Government will therefore discuss our approach with Her Majesty’s Treasury and the Student Loans Company before finalising our formal response. I can confirm that the response will build on the following key principles: maintaining the principle of universalism within a progressive system will, for the first time anywhere in the UK, ensure a fair and consistent approach across levels and modes of study; will ensure shared investment between Government and those who directly benefit, enhancing accessibility and reducing barriers to study such as living costs—and that student support should be portable for Welsh students anywhere in the United Kingdom. In my agreement with the First Minister, we recognised that high-quality education is the driving force for social mobility, national prosperity and an engaged democracy. To enable this, Wales needs a sustainable and progressive higher education funding settlement that supports students when they need it most and enables our universities to compete internationally. Colleagues, I started by referring to the famous principle of the Robbins report. It is often overlooked that, in setting out the aims of a higher education system, the report also said, and I quote,

‘The system as a whole must be judged deficient unless it provides adequately for all.’

Sir Ian and his panel have today brought forward a report that recommends a fundamental shift so that Wales can indeed develop a higher education funding and student finance system that really does provide for all. Thank you.