As a non-committee member, I just want to make a short contribution. I am a single working mother of two boys, and so I wanted to just say how much I welcome the fact that you are looking into this. I want to thank Jenny and the committee for making this a priority, because it is something that affected not only me, but it affects many, many of us throughout Wales. I have first-hand experience and know what the challenges are that working parents face day in, day out. 

I chose to take a few years out of work with my first child as a single mother, which was my choice. But, I did find it really difficult to get back into work—although it wasn't through a lack of trying or wanting to—in terms of the career support that was available and obviously the childcare support, with not very much money at all at the time. So, I very much welcome you looking into these sorts of barriers and everything that you've concluded, actually, in this. I want to also welcome, alongside my colleague Sam Rowlands, the free childcare for two-year-olds. It is so important that we have childcare that is affordable, flexible and accessible for all. As has already been said, in those early years, support is absolutely vital. 

As well as rightly looking into the childcare settings themselves, the pandemic obviously has shown that virtual working is such a useful tool for people with children but also those wanting to get back into work after having children. I should declare an interest as a Monmouthshire county councillor. As a former councillor, I wanted to, at the time, as did a councillor just before me, having just had a child—. We asked if we could go virtual in the chamber, and we were told it was too difficult at the time. And yet months later, the pandemic hit and then we were all virtual within seconds, it seemed like. So, were my problems, our problems or our barriers, not important enough? That's the impression that I got. That's the sort of attitude that we're facing, and that's what we need to overcome. I think we need to learn from the pandemic and realise that, in extenuating circumstances, carers with children or elderly relatives should be able to and should have the right to use virtual where needed now, particularly as support for getting back into work after having a child. As it happens, I was in the Chamber two weeks after anyway, but I had really supportive parents. I don't know how people cope that don't have those supportive parents living nearby, and that support network, particularly if you haven't got much money to afford, like around me in Monmouthshire, as was pointed out just now, the largely very expensive private childcare settings.

So, those are just a few things that I wanted to highlight, but I do think that we could set an example and a tone within this Senedd itself. I think in 2003 when I was first an Assembly Member, it was promised that we would have a crèche in the National Assembly for Wales, as the Minister next to you, Jane Hutt, will know. It was 50:50 women and men in this Chamber, and it was recognised that we needed to support our parents and carers with young people coming into politics. It was seen as one of the barriers for many people coming into politics that they couldn't do it with small children, and it's something that we need to overcome. I think it's abhorrent that when I came back in July 2020 expecting to see a crèche here, there wasn't one. I do think that's a shortfall, and we need to set an example and look to establishing a crèche here very soon. It's 20 years on from when it was first promised by this Labour Government, and it's disappointing that it hasn't been done. So, I'd also like your opinions on that please, Minister. Thank you.