—to consider what more we can do as a Government in line with increased funding that we're already providing for the pupil development grant and through innovative food and fun schemes, to name just two, because I'm interested in finding every way I can to support the education, the aspiration and the life chances of our most disadvantaged young people.

Now, with regard to the issue of uniform and the costs of uniform, let me outline my intention. In fact, Llyr and Lynne Neagle have made the case for me. At a time of really, really squeezed budgets, we are in fact supporting a really, really expensive way of providing uniform, which was outlined. So, firstly, I am determined to review the guidance that is available for governing bodies on school uniform and appearance policies. This has not been done since 2011, and, whilst there is much good practice, as identified by Lynne Neagle, within that document, it is not on a statutory footing. And, from the evidence that was just given by Lynne and Llyr and many others, it is clear to me that the real way to attack the issue of affordability of uniform—. We need to do something about the costs of uniform, which will benefit not only those families who are eligible for support—[Interruption.]—which will not only help families that are eligible for support under the old grant; actually, that will be a benefit to all families in all parts of Wales, regardless of the stage of education that their children are in. It will also give us an opportunity, by the way, if we revise that guidance and put it onto a statutory footing, to address the issue of gender-neutral uniforms, which I'm also interested in tackling.

With regard to ongoing support for families who might find it difficult to afford a uniform, I am already exploring and developing options for an improved and wider offer to replace the school uniform grant. As the First Minister said last week, for many, the school uniform grant was inflexible. The money could only be used for uniforms and, predominantly, only for Year 7 pupils. I want to see something much more flexible that better suits the needs of disadvantaged learners and families and gives them some more flexibility.

Now, I believe we have a fantastic template and foundation with the PDG, but I am keen to see what more we can do. Lynne, let me reassure you, I am anticipating that we will spend more resource on this new successor grant than we did previously. I do believe, and it is my intention, that families should be able to use that grant to support the costs of school uniform. But, I have to say, we also know that many children and young people from more deprived backgrounds can sometimes find it difficult to access and participate in a range of extracurricular and school-based activities. Many schools go above and beyond and do their very best to take measures to support those children to negate those issues, but it becomes increasingly difficult to do so, especially in senior school. And that impact can be really long-lasting. It's not just missing out on the opportunity to participate in an individual scheme. Off the top of my head, it may be the ability to join the Urdd and go to Llangrannog; it may be the ability to ability to join the Duke of Edinburgh scheme and participate in that. It not only deprives the children of that individual experience, it goes on impacting and putting them at a disadvantage to their better-off counterparts: the inability to put that on a cv, the inability to put it on a college application form, to be able to talk about those experiences and those skills that you've learnt when you're applying for your first part-time job and you're up against somebody who's got all of those experiences to talk about. The injustice goes on and on and on beyond the initial inability to participate in those activities.

Now, this was recognised back in the Government in 2010 when the issue around school uniform and the costs of education were looked at. Children from more deprived backgrounds were disproportionately affected by these issues and I want to do something about it. I want to do something about it. So, Deputy Presiding Officer, my officials will continue to work to replace the scheme, which will be in place for the new academic year in September—[Interruption.]—in September, and I'm very interested to hear suggestions from across the Chamber and to look at the most effective mechanisms by which that can be distributed. I am absolutely determined that we take every opportunity to support children from more disadvantaged backgrounds, not just in the cost of their logoed jumper, but in their ability to participate fully in all aspects of school life.