Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. As a former visiting lecturer myself and a former director in FE, but most importantly as a mum, I also welcome this debate. The people of Wales can rest assured that the Welsh Labour Party—the party of the many and not the few—will safeguard, promote and increase educational opportunities for our nation.

It may then be worth casting a collective eye over the border into England to see how the Tories value post-compulsory education and training where they’re actually in power. Let’s not forget, since 2010, 1.3 million adult learners have been lost in England since the Tories came to power. In England, over £1 billion has been cut from the skills budget since 2010 when the Tories came to power, and that is a 14 per cent real terms cut. The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies found that spending per head for further education in England will have fallen by 13 per cent between 2010-11 and 2019-20. So, whilst I greatly welcome this debate, unsurprisingly, as an educational professional, I shall not be taking any lectures from the benches opposite. Indeed, the leader of the Welsh Conservatives would do well to tell the Prime Minister, when she calls him next, of the good practice that is taking place in Wales under Labour, in stark contrast to England. Although, I fear that Andrew R.T. Davies may not be on Theresa May’s speed dial and I am reminded of the lyrics of The Feeling’s popular song,

‘I love it when you call / But you never call at all’.

In Wales, the Welsh Labour Government’s deep commitment to this field can be evidenced by the recent Diamond review. The Welsh Government has put in place the most generous student support package anywhere in the UK, with a new emphasis on enhanced support for part-time students. We recognise the need and the investment. Wales is leading the way in fundamentally shifting higher education finance towards a progressive, stable and sustainable system that will support students when they need it most, and enable our universities to compete internationally.

One of the most important things Welsh Labour has done in Government, in my view, is to make sure that the deep cuts being handed down by the Tory UK Government do not curtail the life chances of our young people. Welsh students in higher education have been protected from the crippling debts experienced by university students across the UK. The current level of debt for students from Wales is around £20,000 less than their counterparts in England. In their motion, the Welsh Tories call for an all-age education and careers advisory service, and they seem to have forgotten, rather, about Careers Wales. A wholly owned subsidiary of the Welsh Government, Careers Wales provides an all-age, independent and bilingual careers information, advice and guidance service across Wales.

It is right that postgraduate part-time studies will now, unlike in England, be funded here in Wales, and I am grateful—