And, of course, there are key issues that have been raised by Members today. Siân Gwenllian raised the important issue in terms of the recommendations around exclusions for our youngest children in the foundation phase. Just in 2019, of course, you will recall we published updated guidance, which was published back in 2015, on exclusions from schools and pupil referral units. This sets out the support schools and local authorities must put in place for all children who have been excluded from school and from pupil referral units, and it is vital that we have early support and intervention that leaves no young child excluded from education. I am absolutely clear that exclusion should only be used as a last resort. This is about underpinning the commitment that every child and young person receives an education so that they can thrive and flourish in society, and so it is that vital, important early intervention and support that is crucial, and I thank Siân Gwenllian for raising that point.

But also, it's important to recognise the issues around the youth justice blueprint, and I'm glad that I've got responsibilities, but of course responsibilities for many of these recommendations lie across the Welsh Government and are jointly shared in terms of our responsibilities. In terms of moving forward with the youth justice blueprint, we've got updated implementation plans, refreshed project delivery timescales, and they were published in consultation with our partners in March of this year, but also a further £500,000 to the blueprint programme as well—strong partnership moving forward. And it's with the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Services, Julie Morgan, and me, that we agreed to work with the Ministry of Justice to deliver an outcome that will see children in the welfare and justice systems in Wales co-located in the same building and site. We've got a joint programme. The custody project is also a joint programme. So, it's crucial that we are moving forward, and I can even respond today positively in terms of those recommendations.

Of course, there are many here; I can't answer them all, but we will do when we have our final report. Of course, recognising the issues around independent schools, the safeguarding and well-being of young people is crucially important, and we need to look at this in terms of the importance of registration of staff working in the independent school sector with the EWC, which would supplement the safeguarding provisions already in place. Of course, home education again—another recommendation of the children's commissioner. And, Deputy Llywydd, I will just say that this is again an area where we're making progress in this area. Of course, there has been an impact of COVID-19, as I said in my opening remarks, but the work, although it had to be paused in 2020, has been restarted.

Now, I do want to finally focus on the two key final points that have been made by Members. Jane Dodds gave very powerful—as she has done previously—support for the recommendation in terms of eliminating profit making from the care of looked-after children. It's one of the highest priorities for this Government. And I will say that to Gareth Davies—that is of highest priority, and we intend to remove all private profit from the care of children in relation to children's care homes.

Finally, Sioned Williams, yes, of course we see the work that we're doing in terms of free school meals not just in terms of a central pillar to our approach to tackling poverty, but also the eligibility review. I think it's good that, also, the children's commissioner recognised the importance of our free school breakfasts, where we led the way by introducing those free breakfasts in primary schools in 2004. But clearly, the important points that have been made in this debate today, covering a whole range of areas that affect our children and young people, will be vital as we move forward to fully respond to the children's commissioner's report. Can I just finally say, we have a very proud tradition of putting children's rights at the heart of our decision making? The children's commissioner's annual report is one of the ways we are held to account, and that's what's happened this afternoon, which is important for how we support children's rights as entitlements for children and young people. I do want to mention the fact that my colleague Julie Morgan, Deputy Minister for Social Services, will publish the Welsh Government's revised children's rights scheme before the end of the year and it will set out the arrangements we have in place for having due regard to the UNCRC when Ministers exercise any of their functions.

Finally, Dirprwy Lywydd, I'm sure that you will all again join me in thanking the commissioner, Sally Holland, for everything that she's done to make sure that all children know about their rights, how to access those rights and how to challenge when they're not receiving those rights. She has done this consistently during her term in office and we wish her well as she comes to the end of her term. Thank you, all, for the roles that you've played today in today's debate. Our response in November will show how seriously we take our commitment to children's rights. We respect the recommendations and the report of our children's commissioner. Diolch yn fawr.