10. How is the Minister's department contributing to the key theme of 'ambitious and learning', as set out in 'Prosperity for All: the national strategy'? OAQ53547

Thank you, Russell. My national mission sets out a clear plan for delivering the ambitions set out in 'Prosperity for All', ambitious and learning. We have already delivered the most generous student finance package anywhere in the United Kingdom.

Thank you for your answer, Minister. Currently, all children in Wales are entitled to a minimum of 10 hours per week of free foundation phase education in school or a funded nursery in the term following their third birthday. In England, all children are entitled to 15 hours per week. Due to the rurality of much of mid Wales, two hours a day is not proportionate, in travel terms, for people to travel from their homes to their setting and to deliver that foundation phase education. Is this something that you would be prepared to revisit and look at again?

What I am clear about is that local authorities have the flexibility to deliver foundation phase hours in a way that is conducive to parents being able to access them, and that is particularly important in your area, where we will see the roll-out of the Welsh Government's 30 hours of childcare, which, of course, will be a combination of 20 hours of childcare funded by Welsh Government and 10 hours of foundation phase, which is also funded by Welsh Government via Powys County Council. And making sure that parents are able to avail themselves of these opportunities, delivered in a flexible way, is something that we urge all local authorities to do. My director of education, actually, will be in Powys County Council at the end of the week discussing this very issue with the new chief executive and the leader of Powys County Council.

Thank you, Minister.