Thank you, acting Presiding Officer. For my contribution, I want to highlight some important aspects of the committee's scrutiny on the impact of COVID-19 as it relates specifically to vulnerable children and young people. I know that this Senedd shares a general concern for the future prospects of our children and young people but, as the report highlights, the committee heard specific concerns around safeguarding of children, and the fact that many problems may have become hidden from view.

So, I'd like to thank the partner organisations who provided such evidence to us. It was a sombre reminder that, very sadly, home isn't a safe place for every child. And while safeguarding agencies would have had intelligence about a number of vulnerable children, we have no idea how many more children became at risk during the pandemic, due to circumstances that lockdown created. The NSPCC told us:

'We are concerned that with the lockdown in place, children who are at risk of, or are experiencing abuse and neglect, risk being hidden from services.'

The evidence highlighted, for example, the important role that schools and teachers normally play in the disclosure of safeguarding issues. They are often the trusted adults who've been out of easy reach for so many children during this time.

We therefore scrutinised Ministers and the Deputy Minister on Welsh Government guidance as published on 1 May, and we welcomed the cross-Government approach to the needs of vulnerable children. The guidance includes the flexibility in criteria around vulnerable children, and providing wider access to the school hubs. And those plans were an important part of the effort to support vulnerable children over recent months. But we also heard concerns that vulnerable children were not making use of the hubs. And while the numbers steadily increased, still too many did not attend, and were largely unseen.

The committee is therefore suggesting that further evidence is required in order to understand in more detail what's happened during the period of the stay-at-home guidance. We know that for Welsh Government, social services authorities, safeguarding boards, and the organisations providing support and services, a significant drop in safeguarding referrals is a major concern, as it should be to all of us. And it's also been another huge challenge for our partners in local government, and because there was no easing of children's services legislation, then, quite rightly, the same standards remained in place and had to be responded to.

So, the task of keeping in touch with vulnerable children in a variety of care settings, and of minimising disruption to them, has required innovation and flexibility, and we've seen that through the greater use of digital technology during the crisis. But that can be limited in those home settings that do not have the necessary technology, despite the digital inclusion support that's been made available, and, of course, the inability of some parents, carers, and wider family members to actually provide the educational and emotional support that children need.

The committee also scrutinised provision for children with special educational needs, and we thank Ministers for their response. But the committee is very clear in asking that, if any relaxations occur, they contain a mix of the checks and balances that will be required to ensure SEN pupils receive the necessary support. And that was articulated so well by my colleague Hefin David earlier on.

In the time available, I can only highlight some of the aspects of the scrutiny undertaken by the committee. But we have been clear that the rights of the child, and the needs of vulnerable children and young people in particular, sit at the core of our work. We cannot let this pandemic be a cover for allowing those most vulnerable children and young people in our communities to be put at even greater risk. And I hope the committee's recommendations assist the Welsh Government, and other partners, with the important tasks that we face. This pandemic has been challenging for the most resilient of us, so let us be the voices that protect and look out for the least.