Thank you. Can I begin my response by thanking Russell George, the Chair of the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee, and members of the committee for their extremely positive report on regional skills partnerships? I'm particularly pleased that the report acknowledges the important role of RSPs in the wider skills landscape in Wales. The committee recommended that RSPs have a clear and strategic outlook. I set out the regional approach to skills when I was Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology back in 2014, with the policy statement on skills. RSPs were established as a mechanism for regional employers and stakeholders to come together to discuss and also to agree priorities that, in turn, would influence the deployment of Welsh Government skills funding.

Over the last five years, the process has matured and a great deal of work has gone into refining the system. The three regions of Wales can set their priorities by engaging with partners, regionally and locally, and by drawing perspectives from regional business networks, thereby enabling a more granular, place-based approach and moving away from the previous, national, sector-led strategies. This is a fundamental aspect of the economic action plan.

RSPs are central to our new strategic planning system for education and skills delivery across post-16 education. I'm pleased that their annual recommendations for change have resulted in a more responsive and reactive skills system in Wales, as colleges and work-based learning providers align provision to meet regional economic needs. It is important for RSPs to continue to have the strategic role of advising Welsh Government of regional authorities, as set out in the regional outline plans. This is the primary mechanism for employers to influence the curriculum offer that is made by apprenticeship providers and further education colleges.

Now, to ensure that we have the right apprenticeship frameworks and employer-led input, we established the Wales apprenticeship advisory panel. RSPs inform the work of the panel, providing valuable regional insights based on employer-led intelligence. These achievements could not have been achieved if RSPs were decision-making bodies, which is why I'm not certain that RSPs should be re-badged as regional skills advisory boards. Our success so far has been built on the premise that RSPs act as independent voluntary partnerships rather than having decision-making powers in their own right. Both the SQW and Graystone reports acknowledged the strength in maintaining RSPs as arm's-length independent partnerships, rather than establishing them as quasi-Government bodies with decision-making powers.

But, I have listened to Members this afternoon, particularly the compelling cases put forward by Russell George and Bethan Sayed on actions 1 and 10. It's led me to believe that further consideration is needed in the new year, and I will undertake to do just this, particularly as Members feel that my responses were insufficient. The current approach gives RSPs a clear role in the Welsh skills system that is understood by partners and stakeholders. But, I will commit to review the governance and legal status of RSPs, as recommended by the committee report, during 2020.

The committee also raised the question of resourcing, and I agree entirely. We need to review the levels of resource across the three RSPs. Again, I will commit to undertake a thorough review of RSP resourcing in 2020. I can assure Members that we will consider the best approaches using the mechanisms available to implement changes and make improvements.

It's vital that we work with RSPs to improve the data and ensure that we have the best regional employment and skills reports possible. It's not just about formal reports. Soft intelligence is vitally important too, and I'm pleased that RSPs are actively involved in our regional employment response groups, which have been established to develop swift solutions across our regions for employers as a result of Brexit uncertainty. And we will commit to working with RSPs in this space over the coming months to implement change and to discuss how this is best achieved.

I'd like to thank the committee for reaffirming the importance of the Welsh language, which should be a consideration across all of our activity on a daily basis as we do business. I'll ask the RSPs to work closely with Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol to ensure the Welsh language needs across the higher education sector are reflected during the development of their employment and skills plans. I'll also ask them to develop an approach to capture intelligence that supports our lifelong approach to enhancing Welsh language opportunities here in Wales.

In closing, I'd like to reaffirm my commitment to RSPs and strengthen the role that they have to play in Wales. The committee report has highlighted a number of areas we will need to consider over the next few months, and I endeavour to revisit those actions, particularly 1 and 10, with further consideration. I'm pleased we are already progressing in areas that continue to build the strategic role of RSPs, and I'm confident that we will be able to further enhance the skills system in Wales to promote economic growth across the regions of Wales in turn to improve our prosperity as a nation.