Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 2:20 pm on 4 October 2022.
I thank Vikki Howells for that important point that she makes. There are over 200 childcare settings in Cynon Valley constituency alone. The good news is that, because we have extended the 100 per cent rate relief for registered childcare premises to the end of March 2025, we have a direct line of communication with those settings, because they benefit from that scheme as well. Therefore, we're in a good position to be able to make sure that those settings are aware, particularly of the £70 million in capital funding, which means that premises can be extended or improved, because we have a shared ambition, set out in the co-operation agreement, to increase the supply and to lower the age range for the childcare offer so that children from the age of two onwards are able to benefit from it here in Wales. If we're to succeed in that ambition, we don't simply have to find the money for it, we have to find the staff to do it, and that's particularly true looking at the growth in Welsh-medium provision that we want to see, and we have to have the premises that that extra provision can be carried out in, as well. That is why, in the £100 million that we announced last week, £70 million of it is in capital grants, £26 million is revenue, to support the additional places, and nearly £4 million is set aside specifically to improve Welsh-medium provision. All of that will be to the benefit of residents in the Member's constituency.