We now turn to party spokespersons questions, and the first up this afternoon is Bethan Sayed from Plaid Cymru. 

Diolch yn fawr, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you very much. Good afternoon, Minister. Obviously, the disruption to those who are partaking in vocational and other technical courses has been pretty bad. We all need plumbers and electricians all year round, and we are hearing from the sector, for example, that many of these people are not able to go in and do the practical work to be able to complete their term in this academic year. I'm wondering whether you've considered extending this academic year in line with some of the calls from organisations such as Colegau Cymru, because of the inability to potentially go in to carry out their degree or their further education course, and, if so, would you be able to give them upfront resources to be able to do that?

Presiding Officer, firstly, can I welcome Bethan Sayed back to the Chamber, although it's a virtual one, and put on the record my congratulations to her and her husband on the birth of her son?  

Thank you.  

Bethan, you're right: vocational qualifications are particularly challenging. The landscape for those qualifications is much more complicated than for general qualifications, not least because many of them are not regulated by our own qualifications body. The Member will be aware that, as we emerged out of lockdown last year, the learners of whom she speaks were prioritised by their local colleges to be able to return, if students felt able to do so, to allow them to complete those practical assessments so that they could gain their qualifications and their professional accreditation for those particular roles, and we will work closely with Colegau, and financial resources were made available to assist in that process. We were also able to, in some instances, extend provision into the new academic year, and, again, financial resources were made available to assist colleagues in that regard. And we are keen to continue to have conversations with our further education principals as to what can be done to safeguard the progression of those students taking vocational qualifications and seeking professional accreditation. 

Okay, thank you very much for that reply and for your congratulations; I do appreciate that. It's interesting that you say that the money has come to the institutions. What I'm hearing is that, because of students being unable to go back potentially until February—some of them think that they may not be able to go back until even later than that—it will stall their ability to be able to complete their degree in this academic term and, then, obviously for new starters it'll be even more difficult. But you seem to be suggesting that they've had the support that they need. I'm hearing differently, and so would you be able to then clarify what discussions you've had with representative bodies to ensure that they feel that they have enough money? And if they don't feel that they have enough support, would you commit to a long-term education recovery plan for the sector? Because, of course, it doesn't just affect the individuals, but it affects the economic fruition and prosperity of our nation if we simply don't see these people graduating.

Well, you're absolutely right: the ability for those individuals to progress is really important, and that's why we prioritised those learners last year. Because of the ongoing disruption, learners who find themselves in this year's cohort, again, will have to have additional support. So, we prioritised those students last year, and we're keen to continue to have conversations to prioritise those students this year, and to work with the colleges to understand what they need to allow those practical assessments of people's skills to go forward. Whilst colleges are closed for face-to-face teaching for the majority of their students, there is an exception where assessments—important external assessments—have to be carried out. Those are still able to be done within colleges and I know colleges are working hard to accommodate students in that regard. But with regard to a longer term plan, and as was referenced by the finance Minister earlier, whilst additional resources are being made available for education in the new financial year, the impact of COVID-19 on students' learning is going to be felt for many, many years. We've made good progress this year in recruiting additional staff, but we're not going to catch up from this pandemic in any one single academic year, and we do indeed need to have ongoing investment and a plan for catch-up.

Thank you, and I'm glad that you recognise that the plan for catch-up is going to be much, much longer than one academic year, and I concur with that. 

My final question is with regard to university rent rebates and I've got lots of support for those who have been taking part in strikes across the country in relation to not wanting to pay their rent if they're not able to go to their university accommodation. We've seen today that Cardiff University have said that they will pay back the rent if you are not able to go. Yesterday, Aberystwyth students campaigned hard to ensure that that university made a decision to give a rent rebate. Do you think it's fair that students should have to pay rent for accommodation that they are not in? And if you don't think it's fair, how will you support universities that want to give that rebate—i.e. will you give them more financial support to do so? And have you looked at what's happening in the private sector? I know it's much more complex, but are there any rent rebate possibilities there for students who may be in the private rented sector, who equally deserve to have that rebate, because, of course, they simply are following Welsh Government guidance to stay at home at the moment?

I have every sympathy for those students who are abiding by Welsh Government rules and are not travelling to universities at this time to occupy accommodation that they have paid for or are due to pay for as a result of ongoing restrictions. Last year, all of our universities looked to provide rebates or refunds and we welcome that and I welcome the actions by a number of Welsh institutions at this time to do the same. I am in close discussion with the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, universities and, only this afternoon, with the National Union of Students Cymru, to see what more Welsh Government can do to assist with regard to rent and, indeed, general financial hardship that students may be facing at this time, and I hope to make an announcement shortly.

Thank you. The Conservative spokesperson, Suzy Davies.

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd. Thank you for those answers to Bethan Sayed as well, Minister—that was very helpful. 

I just want to begin with schools closing. Obviously, we've been told repeatedly that schools themselves are very low-risk environments, even though this variant itself is more highly infectious than the previous version. The most recent technical advisory cell report points out again that it's behaviours around schools being the place where the transmission risk is, rather than in schools themselves. But that's not new intelligence. Other Members of the Senedd and I were talking about this with our health boards back in the autumn. So, while I'm absolutely not disputing your immediate decision to close schools, just two things on school closures: do you think it would have been useful to have had a very visible campaign targeting older pupils, students and their families to explain that their behaviours connected to a school or college—and I think those are the words—are the reason for closing schools? And what steps are open to you now to protect staff and children from that outside influence short of closing schools? The test and trace solution you spoke of before Christmas doesn't seem to have hit the mark. We haven't heard much about testing since either. You've probably heard as well there's a real inconsistency in the offer for key worker children in the school hubs, which actually are open, which isn't helping to make the argument for closing schools.

Thank you, Suzy. First of all, can I say schools and local authorities as well as colleges and universities have worked really, really hard during July and the autumn term to make their environments as COVID-safe as possible, and I commend them for that? The new variant of the virus does pose new challenges, although the relative risk to schools is not increased, but, of course, anywhere where people gather together is an opportunity for the virus to spread. The Member is also correct to say that it is very difficult to untangle exactly where the source of transmission occurs, and there are concerns around not only end-of-day activities—the beginning of the end of the school day—but, by having schools open, it allows other adults, not in school, to mix more freely, which also impacts upon the R rate.

At this time, we are reviewing our operational guidance in light of SAGE recommendations as to how we can make those environments even more secure, how we can reinforce messages around safe behaviours, such as how you walk to school in the morning, the sharing of mobile phones, cans of fizzy drink, and all the other activities where, perhaps, people are less aware outside of a regulated setting that can be sources of transmission. But, of course, keeping community levels of the transmission as low as possible is also absolutely crucial. Children and those who work in our schools live in our communities, and when community transmission levels are high, that invariably finds its way to disrupting education.

With regard to asymptomatic testing, online webinars were delivered last week with regard to the implementation of a testing regime to support schools when more children can go back to face-to-face learning, and we are working with local authorities to identify any barriers that exist for schools and local education authorities in implementing asymptomatic testing as soon as possible.

Okay, well, I look forward to seeing some activity on that testing piece; as I said, it had gone a bit quiet. Minister, you'll obviously know that I'm supportive of creating a discrete group of school staff for priority vaccinations after the four groups most affected by mortality risk have been fully treated. The current suggestions for phase 2 devised by the JIVC are primarily based on age. Bearing in mind the long-term implications for the continued loss of learning—and the worries about this are repeatedly captured in these assertions that schools must be the last to close and the first to open—I'm curious to find out what your personal position is on this. Do you think I should be getting my vaccine before any member of school staff just because I'm older than they are?

Suzy, I fully stand behind the work of the JCVI in how it has identified who is most at risk of serious harm or death as a result of contracting COVID-19. Members of staff, both in school and those who support education in other roles, will receive their vaccination in line with their relative risk of harm. Many of the teachers that I speak to speak of not only their worry about themselves but actually their worry about taking the virus home to a potentially vulnerable member of their family. If we disrupt the vaccination programme, potentially that member of the family might wait a bit longer. Other teachers talk of their concern about children potentially taking the virus home to vulnerable members of their family and their community, and, again, the overall programme is designed to deliver as much safeguarding from harm as possible.

The quickest way we can vaccinate our teachers is to move through the JCVI guidance as quickly as possible, and Welsh Government and health boards are moving every possible mountain to make that happen. As, then, we decide who should be vaccinated next, nothing would give me greater pleasure than to find education staff and, indeed, other front-line workers prioritised, and I know that evidence will be submitted to the JCVI as they make further decisions on the further roll-out of the programme. But, clearly, I am very keen to see our education workforce vaccinated as quickly as possible. 

Okay, well, thank you for that. I messed up those initials initially, there, as well. Okay, well, you're 'very keen'; I'll take that as a positive statement, then. 

I'd just like to go back, if I can, to this consistency about the quality and quantity of online teaching. I know we've rehearsed a fair bit of it today, but I wonder if you could tell us what's happened so far to that £29 million that was provided for 600 new teachers and 300 teaching assistants to help with maintaining and catching up on learning, particularly as we've just heard there's another £12 million on its way. We accept that the COVID recovery in education is long term, so I'd be wary about rushing to spend quite a lot of money in one go because it's available if it's not going on staff, but if it isn't going on staff but is still being used to support standards, can you tell us how it's being used? I'd be very interested to know if any of this is going to the consortia, for example, because it's their job to maintain standards, and, indeed, whether there are discussions, which we heard a little bit earlier, about even using it to subsidise the cost of broadband for those families who are struggling with getting enough access to broadband, just to provide things like dongles and Wi-Fi extenders, or simply just buying them extra data.

Thank you, Suzy. I can report substantial progress on the utilisation of the £29 million, which has indeed led to recruitment, to the targets that we'd set ourselves. Additional resources that are not being spent on staff are being spent in a variety of ways, including indeed to support the regional school improvement services to provide ongoing professional learning, so that teachers can improve their skills and improve their level of confidence, as well as providing additional resources so that teachers have ready-made teaching materials and support materials that they can utilise when they're delivering blended learning. So, that additional resource is being used in a variety of ways to support the distance learning effort.