Diolch, Llywydd. The purpose of amendments 17 and 18 is to amend section 65 of the Bill to ensure that the parents of a child or young person with additional learning needs will always have the opportunity to access independent advocacy services. These amendments give effect to recommendation 26 in the Stage 1 committee report, which suggested that the Bill be amended to ensure that local authorities be required to provide independent advocacy services to parents, when requested, even if that parent is not a case friend. It was clear from the evidence received that advocacy is needed for parents as well as learners and case friends, and there were concerns that because parents were never explicitly given the right to independent advocacy in the Bill, it could potentially be unavailable to some parents or only available in exceptional circumstances. TSANA noted that the Bill did

'not explicitly provide for the provision of advocacy for parents', and that parents were not necessarily defined as case friends in the Bill, and therefore eligible for advocacy. The National Deaf Children's Society agreed. They said that if local authorities and bodies know that parents have access to advocacy services, then that helps to police things itself. So, providing access for parents of children and young people with additional learning needs to independent advocacy, I believe, will help to avoid heartache; it will help to avoid delay; and it will help to avoid, very importantly, costly resolution further down the line, where they might get involved, for example, at a tribunal level. So, I urge Members to support the amendments and I very much hope that the Government will give support too.