I recognise the points that are made about the feelings of a number of people within the nursing workforce. Part of what we’re doing to retain people, of course—those people that are training—is not just support with the bursary, but also the fact that that comes with the expectation that people will take up the offer of two years of employment here in Wales, so people will continue to work within Wales as well. We actually have pretty good retention rates, as well, for people who actually complete their courses.

On the broader point about the 14 per cent fall in the real terms of nurses’ pay since the Conservatives came in to lead the UK Government, the reality is that the direct imposition of a public sector pay cap is a real barrier not just for nurses, but a whole range of public sector workers. I would dearly love to be in a position where we had a different approach taken. You will recognise, of course, that there are different manifesto pledges being made outside of this place ahead of the general election, and my party on a UK level has to pledge to break the public sector pay cap if we return to the UK Government. That is good news for nurses. We would be able to properly value them and recognise in their pay the real support the public have for them.

But, in terms of your point about nurses not being valued by the Government, I can confirm there is a radically different approach and understanding for nurses here in Wales compared to across our border, and that point was made plain to me on a number of occasions forcefully, clearly and politely by nurses, both in Wales and in England, who I met at the recent Royal College of Nursing congress in Liverpool. So, a good story for us in Wales. There’s more that we could do if only we had a UK Government on the side of Wales.