Good afternoon, Minister, and may I thank you on International Women's Day for your leadership, in terms of developing this budget, and also your team as well for the constructive approach that you've taken in engaging with me around Welsh Liberal Democrat priorities? I want to talk Wales up. I've never heard, in this Siambr, Wales being talked down. I think it's quite shameful, actually, that that should ever be suggested.

I want to welcome the additional investment in the pupil development grant, which plays an essential role in supporting pupils eligible for free school meals. I'm glad to see free school meals being developed in this budget. It's been a very difficult year—maybe two years even—for children and young people, and so the PDG, now in its tenth year, is really important in breaking the link between deprivation and educational attainment and engagement. I'm pleased to see the £20 million for care leavers, the additional costs to tackle the cost-of-living crisis, and the universal basic income pilot being funded at last.

But we see this budget against a backdrop of the Conservative Government in London failing to match their promises, their promises on fair and equitable funding for Wales: a loss of £1 billion by 2024 because of their failure to match EU funding commitments; a funding shortfall of £100 million for farmers; a loss of £5 billion pounds—and that's an estimate at the low end—of rail infrastructure investment because of us not getting HS2 consequentials; and, shamefully, the £20 a week loss in universal credit for our families. That is shameful, it really is, and this really makes the work of rebuilding after the pandemic and creating a fairer, greener, stronger Wales much harder than it need be.

Just to finish, of course I feel there are missed opportunities regarding support for small business, on mental health and on community energy generation, but I do welcome this budget, Minister, and I look forward to continuing to work with you and your team to deliver on our shared priorities for Wales. Diolch yn fawr iawn.