5. What plans does the Welsh Government have to ensure that all pupils know how to cook by the end of key stage 3? OAQ53963

Thank you, Jenny. Our current curriculum provides young people with opportunities to explore a wide range of issues related to cooking and healthy eating, and with the introduction of our new curriculum the health and well-being area of learning and experience will re-enforce this provision.

Minister, you and I both had the privilege to see the wonderful facilities at Howardian Primary School, which is one of our new twenty-first century schools, where there was a dedicated cookery teaching area—that was wonderful—as well as some fruit trees and strawberries growing in the playground. Cookery lessons were popular with the pupils I spoke to in year 3, although some of what they were learning to cook wouldn't have been suitable for an evening meal.

But, unfortunately, we know that many school leavers leave without knowing how to cook. In some cases, that's because no cooking goes on in that household—everybody relies on pre-cooked food of one sort or another, which is far too full of sugars, fat and salt. So, how are we going to change the culture through our education system in order to achieve the 'Healthy Weight: Healthy Wales' objectives, which require us to completely rethink our relationship with food?

I wonder whether you can tell us what the uptake of the GCSE in food and nutrition is since it was launched, I believe, three years ago. Higher up the learning curve, I raised yesterday with the environment Minister the uptake of horticulture apprenticeships being as low as 30 so far this year, up to 31 July. The average age of horticulturalists is 55, and the needs of the agriculture industry are huge.

We know from the work being done in Lesley Griffiths's department that there is an upcoming skills shortage of about 6,000 people working in food if we're going to achieve the ambitions we have for this aspect of the foundational economy. So, I wondered whether you could give us some idea how the education system is working to ensure that we have the skills we need for this industry. 

It was, indeed, fabulous this morning to be at Howardian Primary School, one of our new twenty-first century schools, and to listen to the children talk so enthusiastically about how one of the best aspects of their new school building is the cookery room. They have been busy making cawl and cake and various other items, and that was very, very pleasing to see.

With regards to GCSE entries into food and nutrition, entries in 2018 stood at 1,960. Entries in this summer series stand at 2,120, so we've seen an increase this year in the number of students taking that particular qualification.

With regards to skills, regional skills partnerships are continuing to strengthen, and that gives us an opportunity to influence courses and training opportunities that are available, either in our further education colleges or in our higher education provision. We will need to continue to strengthen those RSPs and ensure that we have the training opportunities and qualifications at an even higher level available for those people, and be able to signpost them into what a rewarding career horticulture, food, nutrition and agriculture can be. 

Minister, the core food competences framework was reviewed by all the administrations in the UK in 2014, and 'Food—a fact of life' draft guidelines were published in February. I wonder when full guidance will now be issued, and how will it be introduced into the new curriculum?  

David, as I said earlier, health and well-being is an important new addition to the curriculum in Wales, and you will see from the 'what matters' statement that enabling children to make healthy choices about the food that they eat and the activities that they participate in will be an important part of what we expect children to learn. I will need to write to the Member with regard to the latest update on publication of guidance.FootnoteLink   

Information further to Plenary