Part of 1. 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:03 pm on 14 February 2017.
Will the First Minister join me in celebrating the recent anniversary of one of the leading third sector organisations in my constituency, Tiddlywinks children's centre in Ystalyfera, where I recently visited and saw for myself the excellent service that’s provided by an organisation that was the first of its kind in Wales and is now a self-sustaining social enterprise? There are many others of the same ilk in the Neath constituency. I was with one with the Minister for lifelong learning on Monday, discussing the work of the Valleys taskforce. They provide key childcare services and are a significant source of employment. So, will he join me in acknowledging the invaluable role of the third sector in providing childcare services, both in Neath and across Wales, and does he agree with me that the third sector, a vibrant third sector, can actively shape policy and, with the right support and imagination, can also deliver services to our communities, making them more resilient? And does he agree with me that it is, and should be, a priority for the Welsh Government to support the sector?