Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement this afternoon? We on this side of the Chamber welcome today’s statement, but perhaps, from the outset, can I just clarify that the Welsh Government will be accepting in full all the recommendations in Professor Hazelkorn’s report? Can I also take this opportunity to thank Professor Hazelkorn for undertaking this important piece of work, and I believe that she’s absolutely right to say that education plays a vital role in shaping our society?

We can’t deny that there has been a raft of strategic policy documents generated by successive Welsh Governments, however those strategies have failed to deliver significant outcomes for learners, and quite clearly, there has been an absence of strategic capacity and joined-up thinking between the Welsh Government and education institutions in recent years. Within the post-compulsory education sector, there needs to be greater choice, but there also needs to be collaboration to ensure critical mass. There are good examples of that collaboration, the Centre for Aging and Dementia Research being just one.

It is vitally important we grasp this new opportunity now because, as the report points out, Wales does face demographic, social and economic challenges. We also face further change in relationships between the UK nations, between the UK and the European Union, and between Wales and rest of the world. I agree with today’s statement that doing nothing or maintaining the status quo is not a viable option. Therefore, it’s crucial that we ensure our post-compulsory education system is characterised by open and competitive education, offering the widest chance and choice to the broadest number of students.

Now, I note from today’s statement, Cabinet Secretary, that you plan to consult later this year on proposals for establishing a single strategic authority responsible for overseeing all aspects of post-compulsory education and training. Given that HEFCW will be transferred to this new authority, can you tell us how the individual post-compulsory sectors will be prioritised within this new body, and how will you ensure that all aspects of the different sectors will be appropriately reflected by this new authority?

Of course, it’s essential that the new organisation is properly resourced so it has the capacity to undertake and execute its functions. Therefore, do you have an initial financial envelope in mind at this stage? Or is the resourcing of such a body something that needs to be discussed in much more detail as you go forward, and will this be part of your consultation? Now, I ask this question because we know that HEFCW’s budget has been significantly squeezed over the past six years, and that has had an impact on the funding it has allocated to Welsh universities. Therefore, it’s important that this new body is properly and appropriately funded so that it can function effectively and serve the needs of the post-compulsory education sector. And can you, at this stage, give us an indication of what the cost implications of winding up HEFCW are and whether you believe there will be significant cost savings? How do you intend to approach the human resources implications of its dissolution?

Now, establishing this new body will obviously result in a new service level agreement between the Welsh Government and this new body. Can I ask you, therefore, how you envisage the service level agreement between the Welsh Government and the tertiary education authority operating in relation to an agreed programme of work? I hope you can also give us reassurances that any new service level agreement will be sufficient from the start, because we certainly don’t want a repeat of other insufficient service level agreements, such as Estyn’s service level agreement with the Government where it has had to go to Welsh Ministers to ask for additional resources to undertake certain aspects of its work. Therefore, it’s essential that any new service level agreement is appropriate from the outset. Given that a whole new organisation is being proposed, do you envisage further mergers or federal partnerships within the FE and HE sectors as a result of this restructuring?

Now, due to the complexity of the current post-compulsory system, it’s right to say that quality assurance across FE and HE has been mixed, and quality assurance is going to be a vital component of the new body to ensure that standards and governance are high. Can you therefore tell us how will the establishment of this new body affect Estyn’s role, because, as we know, Estyn regulates FE, vocational work-based learning, as well as community learning? So, how will its role change in the future and, crucially, Cabinet Secretary, do you intend to review Estyn’s role and functions before making any substantive legislative changes?

Of course, as you’ve said today, ensuring parity of esteem is essential for our FE and vocational providers because they have been underappreciated in the last few decades. We need to recognise the vital contribution that FE and vocational skills make to the Welsh economy, especially in our most disadvantaged communities, and that they should be properly resourced. Therefore, can you tell us how the new body will ensure that FE institutions develop and operate to their full potential? In other words, how do you see this new body making a real difference to FE institutions compared to the current structure?

Therefore, in closing, Deputy Presiding Officer, can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for her statement? We look forward to hearing more about the Welsh Government’s plans in this area in due course.