Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement this afternoon and also for the work done by Sir Ian Diamond and his team and put that on the record? It’s clearly important that we address the issues for higher education and support for those students. Can I also put on record once again my thanks to her predecessor, Huw Lewis, who initiated all this and basically saw this start to come through and the Cabinet Secretary has now taken it through to its fruition?

Cabinet Secretary, a couple of points: I welcome the concept of the collaboration between HE and FE and it’s important we have that collaboration, particularly in relation to ensuring parity of esteem and status for higher apprenticeship courses. I think that’s crucial, but you also talk about levels 4 and 5 and possibly level 6 in FE institutions, so I can see that as also being welcome. But can you provide us with a bit more detail on perhaps Welsh Government discussions with FEIs in relation to the staffing issues? It’s important at level 6 that staff are allowed to undertake research that informs the level 6. So, discussions on the staffing issues that might arise as a consequence of that aspect.

In relation to part-time students, can you clarify as to whether in 2018-19 it will be applied to all part-time students irrespective of what level they’re currently studying at, not just new entrants into a programme, because part-time students have never had this support? So, a person who has undertaken perhaps the start of a second year on a part-time basis has never benefited from any support. Are we going to treat them equally with anyone who is starting a course from fresh, because with part-time, as you know, some students may take several years to actually complete the course because of their other commitments? I think it’s important that we understand who will be able to benefit from this in 2018-19.

We’re also looking to expand to perhaps part-time postgraduate courses because the postgraduate taught element is for full time, I understand, from what you’re saying, but there are some part-time postgraduate courses also offered. Again, some of those may be individuals who are seeking to gain further qualifications from perhaps a time when they had previously studied and wanted to get back into their work, but they are now looking to have a higher level qualification because that’s the next agenda for them.

Personally, I’m disappointed in the principle ‘only concept of quality research’. I recognise the challenges, however, that Brexit will place upon research funding, but I think it’s important that you confirm your commitment to the Sêr Cymru programme and others, and any successor programmes to that, so that universities do understand that the Welsh Government is committed to research and quality research because it’s going to be a tough time in the years ahead for universities, as we see the issues of Brexit and perhaps the loss of some funding—not necessarily, but possible loss of some funding—to research areas, because we still don’t know how the research councils will operate in the years ahead of us either.

Finally, on the incentives to return to Wales, I take from your comments today that actually it’s for students who are returning to Wales to get that £1,500 off their loan. Can you look at perhaps the challenges facing a variety of subject areas because there are some subject areas students follow that mean they just can’t get work in Wales? Even if they want to come back to Wales, they are restricted because perhaps there are no opportunities in Wales. Can you look at the opportunities perhaps to help encourage students from a wider range of subjects to benefit from the scheme, not just simply because they come back to Wales to work? They could be actually benefiting us, developing skills and wanting to come back in the future. We need to explore all those.