Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language – in the Senedd at 2:49 pm on 21 September 2022.
Minister, there's been significant interest in the reported consultation on school uniforms, and the First Minister spoke about this yesterday. The Welsh Government, of course, has extended the pupil development grant to support more families with the cost of uniforms and school kit to the extent of £200, but the Children's Society have said that the average cost of school uniform is still over £300 per child per year, and that is completely unnecessary and unfair. It's three years since we brought in guidance to improve uniform affordability—two years, that is, before England—and the succession of Westminster Tory Governments have widened the inequality. Now we find that school uniform banks are springing up, alongside food banks, alongside proposed warmth banks, and yet the bankers can get their extended bonuses. Can you provide an update on what schools in my region are doing to ensure families claim all the support that is available to them, and on the timetable for that public consultation?