7. Will the First Minister make a statement on progress towards Wales becoming a real living wage nation? OAQ52774

Welsh Government is a living wage employer, and I'm proud that this Government has taken action to support and encourage take-up of the real living wage by employers in both the public and private sectors.  

Of course, First Minister, the real living wage makes a real difference to people's lives, benefiting wage earners, their households, communities and local economies. And I know, ahead of Living Wage Week, you've always actively supported events during early November. What further action can be taken to promote the real living wage across, particularly, the public sector, the health service and local government, but also in further and higher education?

Well, we've got a strong push on this across the public sector: in Government, of course; our sponsored bodies; the NHS; national parks; HEIs; some local authorities, for example, they all pay the real living wage to their own staff. Of course, we need to make sure that applies across local authorities. It needs to be seen as something that is normal, not exceptional, within the public sector, and we want now to move on to use the buying power that we have in the public sector to ensure the wider adoption of the real living wage as part of fair work across the economy.

And finally, question 8. Bethan Sayed.