Let me start by thanking my colleagues and the clerks of the Equality and Social Justice Committee, as well as all of those who the committee consulted to be able to produce this report. As a member of the committee, I wanted to state how crucial it is that, as a society, we prioritise childcare and ensure that nobody's faced with making financial or employment decisions based on the implications of an unequal childcare system.

I must state as well that I welcome the latest news from the Welsh Government on the extension to access to childcare for three and four-year-olds for parents in education and training, as well as those taking adoption leave, and I look forward to progress on the co-operation agreement, which is set to deliver childcare for two-year-olds. But we cannot escape the fact that this news is long overdue. For many parents, often mothers, students, those on low income, those in insecure jobs, childcare is often the single biggest issue that shapes their decisions on how to move forward with their employment, and just for the life choices that they make. I am pleased that the report acknowledges just this. I am often contacted by constituents in Bridgend with stories from parents who just don't know what support is out there, who have felt stuck with the options that are currently available. That is why, as recommended in the report, and highlighted by my colleagues, we must do more to ensure that childcare provision is communicated to parents in the same way that other services are.

This leads me to another recommendation, on filling the gap between the end of maternity leave and the current childcare offer. Chwarae Teg, Arad Research and the Women's Equality Network have brought these experiences to the heart of our report, as well as having engaged directly with childcare providers. The financial reality for many parents is that they are having to cut back on work as they cannot afford childcare, or simply work to fund their child's placement at nursery. We have been talking about childcare provision in Wales, the UK and the western world for over 50 years. Oftentimes, it's talked about as if universal childcare is a sort of utopia, something that can never be achieved, but this is simply not the case. Wales must move to make childcare a service that has equal access for all. The Swedish Gender Equality Agency shows that if we genuinely want gender equality, we must push forward with establishing the pillars of that system. I'd particularly welcome any insight from the Minister about their views on what our ultimate goal is, and how we're going to get there, and their views on the universal free childcare as highlighted by Sioned Williams and the unified approach as raised by Huw Irranca-Davies.

I'm going to end my contribution by highlighting one last recommendation stated within the report, and that is for those working in the childcare sector. Our childcare workers and professionals were on the front line during the pandemic, and are having to face insecure and low-paid work. At the moment we know that there's an increase in COVID in our communities; it's the nurseries that are really being hit by this, with so many children off. I went to visit Cornelly children's centre in my constituency of Bridgend last week, and 10 children weren't in attendance because of COVID. I just wanted to say as well the quality of the care that they give, and the work they put into the development and happiness of our future generations, is outstanding. So, we really do owe it to them to ensure that they're given the recognition they deserve with secure work, career recognition and fair pay. Thank you.