Could I just begin by thanking fellow committee members and our hard-pressed clerks and researchers, the Minister and her officials and, of course, our witnesses? Can I please urge everyone to read this report in full to see quite how thoroughly we have examined this, not just the overhaul of the system but the new time pressures brought around by COVID, and the controversial mandatory elements in the new curriculum? It is a distillation of a phenomenal amount of written and oral evidence acquired through well-publicised consultation, including with children and young people.

And I just want to emphasise that last point: this Welsh Parliament in legislation introduced over a decade ago committed to giving due regard to children's rights in the process of legislating or making policy, and balancing these with parents' rights has really exercised our committee, as well as, clearly, the LJC. 

The evidence, of course, has been far from one way, but what has come through loud and clear is that our current curriculum could be so much better in helping teachers and parents guide our children to adulthood in a modern world with new and age-old challenges, and perhaps prepare them for it in a way that most of us didn't experience. 

Now, whilst I support the general principles of the Bill, I'm still sceptical about whether it can achieve the aims as it stands. It's my perennial complaint about Swiss cheese Bills—so much is left to guidance or codes and, without them, the Minister is asking us to take a lot on trust, and support at this Stage doesn't guarantee my support later on, because I share some of Lynne's concerns about rolling out the practicalities. But at this Stage, I'm certainly supporting the Bill. 

I'm grateful that the Minister has already agreed to address the issue of teaching English below the age of seven and mental health, and I'm keen to hear a little bit more, actually, about the response to our concerns regarding religion, values and ethics in voluntary-aided schools' teaching. Other schools, as you may know, will be required to give regard to the locally-agreed RVE curriculum, whereas voluntary-aided schools must teach in accordance with that curriculum, a much stronger obligation, or provide that curriculum separately on request. I think that's an obligation that discriminates against faith schools. 

All schools should be subject to the 'give regard' requirement, and the right to request a parallel curriculum be removed as unnecessary or at least limited. I saw no persuasive evidence that the current locally-agreed religious education curriculum is being taught in a way that is not pluralistic, and so I also reject the argument that the new RVE curriculum is bound to be at odds with trust deeds or religious tenets of a faith school. Those schools already meet the needs of children from all kinds of faiths and none, but I do make this point: faith schools, you have told us that you can be broad and balanced, that you can do that. You will still be party to the design of the local RVE curriculum. There will be no secular risk veto. If you have the same 'give regard' compliance requirement as every other school, then you should not need to look behind your deeds. You should be able to deliver a denominational curriculum that has regard to a local RVE curriculum.

Minister, I'm afraid I'll still be looking for an amendment, or putting in one myself, permitting the start date for the implementation of the curriculum to be staggered. I know, Minister, that you're worried that some schools will take things to the wire, regardless of where the wire is, but I'm genuinely worried about teachers who won't be ready, because of COVID or lack of guidance, but who absolutely want to do this well.

I appreciate the confirmation that we as Members will get some oversight of the RSE codes, possibly some guidance—certainly more than the Bill currently suggests—but we are not sighted on them now. Relationships and sexuality education in particular has some controversial elements, and teachers are looking for very clear instruction. And I'm not surprised, because, despite the fact that older children have been quite categoric that they want this to be on the curriculum, there are some very understandable concerns on the part of parents about what exactly children will be taught when they're younger, and on the part of teachers who do not feel trained well enough at the moment to teach and respond to children. Parent governors will be key individuals in signing off a school's curriculum; let's remember this crucial role. But I'm afraid the Welsh Government has not helped manage these worries particularly well during the development of this Bill.

My group has a free vote on this, incidentally, but my own experience is of working in domestic violence and family law before becoming a Member of this Senedd. Instances where child protection has completely failed make me certain that we need this in the Bill, but information has been spreading and mutating, leaving parents not knowing what to believe, so much of which could have been avoided if we'd had a draft RSE code, after almost five years of preparation, to consider alongside the Bill, and so urgent action on recommendation 24 is needed. Lots more to say, Llywydd, but I appreciate my time is up. Diolch.