I thank the Minister for her statement today. Further education is crucial for the future development of the skills base of the Welsh workforce and for the future development of the Welsh economy as a whole. According to ColegauCymru, the economic impact of FE colleges in Wales to the local business community is £4 billion a year. However, the FE sector has been chronically underfunded for many years by Welsh Government. Make no mistake, this has been a deliberate policy decision and responsibility lies with the Welsh Government also. So, can I ask the Minister, given the importance of the further education sector, if she regrets the lack of support it has received from the Welsh Government?

I welcome plans to improve the methodology, what she's been saying a few times in her statement—what the Minister referred to. Does she agree that any changes should not be introduced in such a way that they destabilise the sector or otherwise impact negatively on learners' outcomes and meeting business needs? Colleges have been successful in attracting income from outside the core Welsh Government budget, but this is no substitute for core Welsh Government funding. Will the Minister join me in congratulating colleges on funding innovative ways of attracting commercial income and what is she doing to support their efforts?

Central to the funding question is the benefit it delivers for training and skills. So, can the Minister say how the review fits with the employability strategy and its focus on helping people return to work? The Minister referred to part-time learning—the number of part-time learners at further education institutions has fallen by nearly a quarter. Could the Minister expand on her plans to reverse the serious decline in the number of part-time learners in the FE institutions?

Finally, the Minister will be aware of the threat of industrial action currently facing the FE sector. How confident is the Minister that her proposed pay deal will address the problem of low morale that has seen lecturers leaving the sector due to the in-year budget cuts faced by the sector since 2015? I look forward to her reply. Thank you.