Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. As a Government, we have demonstrated our commitment to tackling and preventing all forms of homelessness through new policy initiatives and significant investment. This includes an additional £10 million of funding in the next financial year, as previously announced by the First Minister, to specifically address youth homelessness.

Today, I'm setting out how that funding will be allocated to support a suite of cross-Government measures, offering a mix of evolution and space for innovation, providing opportunities for new approaches to housing solutions and support, as well as opportunities to build on existing services and tools to better recognise and respond to young people at risk of homelessness.

To strengthen our evidence base and to inform our funding and future policy decisions, the Wales Centre for Public Policy was commissioned to deliver a report into the causes and prevention of youth homelessness. One overarching message from the report was the need for cross-Government action, something I fully recognise, and why, earlier this year, I established a cross-portfolio and cross-sector ministerial task and finish group to advise me on both youth homelessness and housing first. I am grateful for the work of that group, which, alongside discussions with ministerial colleagues and my engagement with the End Youth Homelessness Cymru campaign, and my discussions with young people with experience of homelessness and the risk of homelessness, has informed the allocation of the funding that I am announcing today.

The WCPP report sets out a complex set of interrelated factors that can culminate in causing a young person to become homeless. The report then sets out a five-part typology of prevention: structural prevention, systems prevention, early intervention, eviction prevention, and housing stability. A further report from WCPP then uses this typology to map current provision in Wales, providing a strong basis for informing the allocation of funding I'm announcing today, as well as future policy development. 

The report makes it clear that, if we are to eradicate youth homelessness, we need to tackle its root causes by identifying those who are at risk earlier, and putting in place measures to reduce risk factors. It highlights strong evidence to support co-ordinated, multi-agency approaches, including the Geelong Project, which centres around a collaborative model between schools and youth services, using a screening tool to identify those at risk, and then providing a flexible and responsive practice framework. Many of the Geelong principles are already visible within the education system and youth service in Wales, where we have a track record of successfully taking forward this kind of early intervention approach. Our youth engagement and progression framework has allowed earlier identification of those at risk of not being in employment, education or training, the brokerage of appropriate support, and the monitoring and tracking of progress.

The actual numbers of young people who are not in employment, education or training are the lowest they've ever been, reducing every year since the framework was introduced. The First Minister visited the Hanger Youth and Community Centre in Aberbargoed yesterday to see how it works in practice. We know the same warning signs of young people potentially becoming NEET are also good indicators that a young person may be at risk of family breakdown or youth homelessness. There is, therefore, a clear rationale for building on this approach and working with partners to explore the considerable potential to strengthen the framework for a wider purpose.