Diolch, Llywydd, and I've agreed to give a minute of time to Mike Hedges, Heledd Fychan, Peredur Owen Griffiths and Jenny Rathbone. What is education maintenance allowance other than a lifeline for so many, both today and in the past? In 1999, the UK Government announced a pilot programme in 15 local authority areas. The programme proposed a payment to students aged 16 to 19 from families who were considered low income and who were in full-time education in either school or college. The question was a simple one, but also an ambitious one: could participation and achievement be raised through directly addressing the financial problems faced by kids from low-income families? In 2000, 15 local authority areas turned to 55 and, after the pilot concluded, EMA was rolled out UK wide in 2004. It lasted until October 2010, when the UK Government decided to scrap it.

But it wasn't scrapped here in Wales, and, as I've said before, it's important that we acknowledge that Welsh Government protected it then, and have protected it since. For that, like so many other kids from low-income families, I am grateful. But if it still exists here in Wales, then why are we having this debate? The reality is that EMA is failing to meet the needs and challenges faced by learners today. First and foremost, the value of an EMA payment is nowhere near enough to support a learner. The value has remained at £30 a week since 2004, almost two decades without a rise. Had the payments kept up with inflation, the payment would be today £45 a week. That has resulted in a real-terms cut in the value of EMA by a third over this period. In 2020, Robert, 17 at the time, told the Bevan Foundation,

'You need more EMA. £30 doesn't buy you anything. It's crap. It's gone by the time you cover basic costs.'

Chloe, 16 at the time said, 'It's okay, but hard to divide it into what you need.' And Thomas, 18 at the time, said that books proved to be too expensive to afford.

The biggest concern, however, identified by education providers in relation to the payment as it stands, was that some learners dropped out because they thought that they would be financially better off claiming jobseeker's allowance or to take up a full-time employment post. Many simply couldn't afford to continue with their education even when they were receipt of EMA. This, of course, flies in the face of the main principle that EMA was founded upon, and the pandemic, and no doubt the cost-of-living crisis, will only make the situation worse. So, as a matter of urgency, the weekly payment needs to be addressed.