However, I would draw Members attention to data provided to me by the Catholic Education Service, where we have been advised that the number of pupils previously withdrawn from denominational RE in 2020 was just one. So, the anticipated extra costs of this proposed change should be minimal. My officials will, however, continue to monitor the position over the coming years, working closely with our partners in the Catholic Education Service and the Church in Wales. As I have said, both of them have been clear that they are content with the changes made at Stage 2 by the Government, and they consider these to be their key priorities. Therefore, I would ask the Senedd to vote against these amendments.

Moving, now, to amendments 19, 24, 26 and 28, RVE, I agree, raises complex issues, which a school can play a vital role in helping learners understand, and the Bill ensures that all learners will have access to pluralistic RVE, which will include a range of religious and non-religious views. There is no absolute right to have a child educated in accordance with the parents' religious or philosophical beliefs, either in UK law or under the European convention on human rights. Similarly, there is no right to have education provided by the state according to one's own religious beliefs. So, whilst the state recognises a place for religious schools, its obligation under the rights protected by the Human Rights Act 1998 is to provide the opportunity for pluralistic provision alone.

The Bill does not prevent parents immersing or teaching their children in any faith that they choose, either at home or in a place of worship, but that is a matter for the parents to arrange and not for the school. In ensuring that all learners in all schools have the right of access to a RVE syllabus that has been designed having regard to an agreed syllabus, we are supporting learners to garner an appreciation of other religions and to develop tolerance and community cohesion. The issue of the removal of the right to withdraw from RVE has been carefully considered and consulted on, but I accept that there are strong views. As the Bill will no longer allow parents to withdraw their children from RVE, it does require schools of a religious character to give effect to parents' requests for alternative RVE provision, whether that is RVE designed having regard to the agreed syllabus or RVE that accords with the school's trust deeds.

In the new curriculum, schools of a religious character will continue to be able to deliver denominational RVE in accordance with those trust deeds, and I've been very clear that nothing proposed in this Bill is intended to prevent schools of a religious character from teaching their own denominational RVE syllabus. Throughout the development of the new curriculum, we've worked with stakeholders and partners like the Catholic Education Service and consulted widely. Their schools make a valuable contribution to the education system, and, as I have mentioned previously, both they and the Church in Wales have confirmed that the Stage 2 amendments have addressed their key concerns.

Finally, turning to amendment 18, this amendment I do not believe is required, because a complaints process is already in place for all elements of a school's management, including the curriculum. There is already provision in section 409 of the Education Act 1996 that requires a local authority to establish a complaints process in respect of a complaint around the provision of a curriculum, or where a governing body of a maintained school has acted or is proposing to act unreasonably in relation to a power that they have or the duties to which they are subject.

Governing bodies of maintained schools must also adopt a complaints policy under section 29 of the Education Act 2002, but complaints relating to the curriculum should be made to the local authority first. Ultimately, if a person remains unhappy and feels that the school has exercised its powers unreasonably, they can ask the local authority in the first place, and potentially, then, Welsh Ministers, to exercise their powers of direction under the School Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013. Adding another complaints process I believe would be an unnecessary duplication, and would simply be an additional burden for schools to cope with, when the requirement for a complaints procedure is already set out in legislation. And I don't believe that RVE should be singled out for its own complaints process; I don't believe that there is a rationale for doing so. Therefore, I would urge Members to reject this amendment and not add an additional burden on schools. Thank you, Presiding Officer.