It's a pleasure to take part in this debate this afternoon, certainly what I regard to be a significant day in the Welsh political calendar. Whilst the Labour and Plaid project of spending taxpayers' money on expanding the Senedd by arguing it is needed for the future of Wales, the Government is certainly not looking to the future by slashing funding for what is actually needed in the future, and that's our young people and our children. A huge cut to the education budget shows that—and it is a huge cut—the Government thinks they are more important than the children of Wales.

We already know how the Welsh Government will respond to any Conservative criticism of this budget, as shown already, by refusing to take any responsibility and pointing the finger down the M4 to Westminster. But the truth is that it's the Labour Party who choose what to cut, and it's the Labour Party who are leaving Welsh children with a less certain future. Equally, the Welsh Government will say that Westminster has cut their budget, which they have already, which you have said already, and the funding they allocate is the fault of the Conservative Party. Yet, like socialists always are, the Welsh Government is once again unable to prioritise and spend properly because their ideology always comes first.

Spending £12.2 million on socialist vanity projects like the universal basic income. This is not, quote, 'Supporting people in the choices they make', like the Minister for Social Justice has said, but it makes people dependent on the state and their lives dictated by the state. If the Welsh Government truly wanted to support people in the choices they make, it would not see the social care and support budget fall by 14 per cent, as unpaid carers will suffer and have their lives restricted significantly due to their caring responsibilities. It's been acknowledged time and time again that unpaid carers are essential to our care system, as they provide 96 per cent of care in Wales—yes, 96 per cent—yet they are still not getting the recognition they deserve. One in seven unpaid carers are using foodbanks and financial support for them is drying up in this budget.

The Welsh Government have known about the ever-increasing challenges that social care faces as far back as 20 years, to 2003, and the serious issues of an ageing population and delayed discharges from hospital, and they're nothing new. Therefore, I am surprised that the Welsh Government is still not addressing the urgent need to prioritise social care, as I mentioned in the business statement before, certainly in care home provision where care homes aren't operating to capacity simply because of the recruitment and retention issues. Where I welcome the uplift in the real living wage to £10.90, it's also getting the training opportunities right and the career path, because many carers who I speak to, they hit a glass ceiling because where they aspire to progress in their careers, they simply can't because of scant resources, and then they're leaving the profession and going elsewhere and that's the issue we're facing in terms of recruitment and retention of some of the people who make these key changes to people's lives day in, day out. It's also worth remembering that a lot of care workers don't just work nine to five Monday to Friday; they work unsociable hours. They work weekends, nights, evenings—you name it. They work around the clock and do sleep-ins as well—24/7 care. I firmly believe that they don't get the recognition that they need. I'd instruct the Welsh Government to increase their acknowledgement of the changes they make to our most vulnerable people's lives on a daily basis.

And just finally, quickly, with the news of Betsi Cadwaladr going back into special measures, I'd just like the Minister to address, possibly, in responding to the debate, whether that's been factored into this budget and whether there'll be any extra resources for Betsi Cadwaladr going into special measures, and what allocation is being made, given that consideration. Because, as mentioned last week, the people of north Wales, and certainly my constituents, have had enough of a failing health board and they'd like to see reassurances from this Government that they're indeed on their side and that this budget reflects that situation. I'll leave it there. Thank you.