It’s a pleasure to take part in this very important debate that gives us a platform to be able to discuss the funding of FE here in Wales. I congratulate Bethan on bringing the motion before us and also for all her work in the background to realise what we are seeing in the motion that we see before us.

Before I go on, it’s important to pay tribute, as others have done, to the great work that’s being done in this area in our different FEIs. I was in Gower College last week, in Tycoch in Swansea, and I was there about two months ago as well. I have to say, there is excellent work going on there, particularly in Gower College, because they have a centre there that teaches those with autism. It is a wonderful resource, and an innovative resource that provides enough quiet time for our young people with autism to be able to have an education—sometimes for the first time. Coming into the education system for the first time in an environment that is very attractive to them with the condition that they have in the background and all the problems that they have suffered, and there’s a wonderful resource with wonderful staff who provide the time and due regard for the challenges that our young people do face who have the condition. There are forecasts that this wonderful work that’s going in Gower College is flourishing and the place is expanding the provision for that, and that’s very important.

In terms of skills, we are talking about strengthening and giving a genuine future to our young people, whatever their background and whatever their challenges in terms of health. So, there is wonderful work going on and we need to draw attention to that, despite the emphasis and the background context of funding and the pressure that there is on funding.

As the first part of the motion says, we regret 

'that funding for further education has been under significant pressure in recent years as a result of funding cuts.'

Well, that’s a matter of fact, of course. I don’t think anyone would disagree with that, and I think that’s a very sensible proposition to put before us, and I don’t think anyone would argue with it. Of course, in another part of our motion we express concern

'that staff in further education institutions are considering strike action over insufficient pay'— as they see it—and concerns, as we’ve heard, about heavy workloads.

In that context, as I’ve mentioned in terms of Gower College, that there is great work going on there, there are people working very hard for the future of our young people. At the end of the day, as Bethan mentioned in setting out the situation in such a clear way this afternoon, we are talking about skills and the skills agenda. And ultimately, we’re talking about jobs for our young people. It’s still a significant challenge for our young people to obtain jobs in the first place, to get their foothold in the market and to get their first job. It’s vital that they have all the support necessary to be able to do that.

And, yes, we do need a clear vision on behalf of the Government as Bethan did already note, because also on the horizon, as we know—. We know that funding for further education comes from many different streams. Of course, there is a significant challenge in terms of the European funding stream now because, of course, as we all know, I would hope, Brexit is facing us and there are significant challenges in terms of funding from any European funding streams that go to our further education institutions. There is a significant challenge there. We're looking forward, of course, to seeing the commitments made in terms of European funding that goes to the sector, and several other sectors in Wales, which used to come from European funds, to seeing those being realised, and that the same kind of funding will come to our FEIs that they've had previously under European resources in the past.

But, to summarise, I'm very pleased to praise Bethan for her work in bringing this motion before us, and I would encourage all of you to support this motion. Thank you very much.