12. Will the Minister make a statement on the provision of IT devices to support online learning in South Wales West? OQ56274

Thank you, Dai. Since the pandemic began, the Welsh Government has made available over 138,000 devices to schools. A further 54,000 devices will be delivered in the coming weeks, and my officials are in regular contact with colleagues in all local authorities, including those that make up the region of South Wales West, providing support and guidance where that is required.

Thank you for that answer, Minister. I'm still getting calls about, obviously, a mismatch of the number of learners and the number of devices available in different homes. Can I ask specifically—. I mean, the devices don't have to be new; they can be repurposed—pre-loved, if you like. So, could I ask what measures have you instituted, Minister, to ensure that repurposed IT, in all its forms, actually gets to those families most at need?

You're right, Dai. We don't need to wait for the delivery of those additional 54,000 devices. At this time, any device that is sitting in a classroom that is not being used on a daily basis needs to be allocated to a family. I have to say, Dai, if you would write to me with those families that are continuing to have difficulties, we can explore that with local authorities. We have done a baseline study with local authorities about unmet need. There is a difference across your region, and clearly we would want to assist any local authority or individual school who is having difficulty supporting families in the way that you outlined. Help is also available for connectivity. We know sometimes that it is the cost of connectivity that is prohibitive to families, and support is also available for MiFi devices to address that issue also.

Thank you very much, Minister. We've reached all the questions on the order paper, so thank you very much.