I too would like to thank the Chair of the committee and my fellow Members, the clerks and everyone who contributed, as well as the Minister. This was a very important inquiry.

As has already been outlined, we are all aware of the importance of attendance in terms of pupils’ development at school, not just in terms of their academic attainment, but their social, cognitive and emotional development. But the fact is, across Wales, too many learners are missing out on important opportunities due to absence, and what we as a committee were eager to understand  better was why this was the case.

As mentioned previously, this was a problem before COVID, but certainly the situation has deteriorated since then. And if the situation doesn’t improve soon, then a number of learners will have missed out on a whole host of opportunities, which will then have an impact on them for decades to come. That is why this report is so vitally important.

I welcome specifically the Government’s response to the second recommendation, and the agreement to commission research to understand better the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on pupils’ ability to attend school. Certainly the children’s commissioner was clear about the link between absence and poverty, and with child poverty increasing here in Wales, we must gain a better understanding of why this is happening and what we can do to ensure the very best start for every learner who attends school.

One matter raised with us as a committee, which has been raised already today—and it's been raised with me a number of times as a regional Member for South Wales Central—is the barriers related to transport costs, and that is the thrust of the committee’s third recommendation. I am pleased to see that the Minister has accepted this recommendation in principle, but again, it is a cause for concern for me that it is taking so long to resolve this issue.

I have raised several times with the Minister and the Deputy Minister for Climate Change a case in my constituency at Llanishen High School, which has been raised by Ruben Kelman, Member of the Welsh Youth Parliament. There is clear evidence from the school that the cost of bus travel is preventing some pupils from attending the school regularly. Despite this, the situation remains unresolved. How many more young people are affected like this? And why haven't councils such as Cardiff Council responded immediately to provide a solution to these situations, when we receive evidence that children can't afford to attend school?