Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 5:26 pm on 23 October 2019.
Thank you, Llywydd, and can I thank all the Members who've contributed to the debate this afternoon and thank the Minister for her contributions? I will try and respond to some of the points that Members made in the debate.
Suzy Davies, obviously, you supported the premise of the report. There was a slight dispute about the amount of money that we've got coming to us in Wales. My understanding is that it is less than you said, but I have been very clear in what I've said to Welsh Government that I want to see the bulk of that going into education, and I hope that that will be the case in the forthcoming budget.
Can I thank Siân Gwenllian for her contribution, in particular the very strong focus on preventative spend? As I said in my speech, investment in education is the most important preventative investment we can make in terms of tackling child poverty and increasing life chances. It has been a regular focus of our budget scrutiny where we have consistently raised concerns, as indeed has the health committee, that there needs to be more focus on prevention. So, I very much welcome the emphasis that you've placed on that, and also—