Welsh Youth Parliament 3 - Plenary

Without further delay, let's start today's meeting. You'll notice that the rules of discussion are on every desk. Remember the rules and remember that the meeting is broadcast live. You have chosen the topics you would like to speak on today and, during the first part of the meeting, I'll be asking the relevant Youth Parliament Members to speak for two minutes on the following optional topics: cost of living and poverty, y Gymraeg—the Welsh language, additional learning needs provision, the Curriculum for Wales, bullying and cyber bullying.

Therefore, we'll move to start with the first theme, then, which is the cost of living and poverty. There is a first speaker. Now, I don't know where you're sitting, Bryn Geary from Newport East, but you have the privilege of being our first speaker today. So, I'll call Bryn Geary. You're at the back.

Diolch, Llywydd. I am Bryn Geary.

I'm Bryn Geary, and I represent Newport East.

Hailing from a town that has historically struggled with poverty, you’re likely to expect that the cost of living is a priority of mine and my constituents. Ond, gyfeillion—but, friends, I’m afraid to say that this is now an issue that duly affects each and every one of us. From our farming communities to our dense urban populations, is there not a child noticing these rising prices? Is there not a child who cannot and will not keep up? As elected Members, we must understand that this responsibility falls now into our hands to ensure that the doubts and concerns of young people are heard and are acted upon. Of the 22 issues we will soon vote on, consider closely how the cost of living impacts each one. Whether it’s fair and affordable transport, supporting young artists or funding community resources, the pattern is evident: as living costs rise exponentially, we divert our attention from the bigger picture.

While I acknowledge other issues, like the environment and mental health, we must confess that recognition for these issues and their respective influences on our society today is ever clear. What isn't so clear is any real dedication to combat social and financial burdens for young people today. Now, upon standing for election, the cost of living didn't appeal to me directly as such a great and desperate priority. Instead I focused on other concerns, like transport and mental health and the environment. But when considering national responses to our survey, and understanding the relevance still of these other issues underneath this larger problem, I would be foolish to ignore such a concern in the minds of many. It is high time that we recognised this issue for what it is and treat it with regard to its severity. Underestimating this issue and its place in the forefront of Welsh politics would be foolish. I ask that we make not fools of ourselves, but exemplars. Diolch yn fawr.

Thank you very much, Bryn. Callum Morrissey is next. Callum.

Thank you, Llywydd. My name’s Callum Morrissey and I represent Clwyd West.

I want you to imagine something simple but powerful. Imagine walking into a school hall where every child is sitting at a table, laughing, socialising and eating a warm, hot free school meal together. No labels, no shame, just children being children. Now imagine the opposite. A child sitting alone, head down, pretending they're not hungry, pretending they're okay.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs tells us that before anyone can focus on learning, growth or achievement, their fundamental needs—food, warmth and security—must be met. A hungry child isn't thinking about their grades, they're thinking about their next meal, and right now there are thousands of children in Wales doing just that. This is why I stand before you to fight for the priority for universal free school meals in secondary schools. Because it's not just about the food or the statistics; it's about our rights, dignity, equality and giving every single child in Wales the chance to thrive. How can we expect a child to concentrate on their education, to dream big, to reach for opportunities like Oxbridge, when their most basic need—food—isn't even met? We can't. Universal free school meals level the playing field. It says to every schoolchild in Wales that you belong and that you are valued.

Due to the eligibility threshold for free school meals being set at £7,400, it means that, in this nation alone, 25,000 school-aged children who are living in poverty are missing out on a hot free school meal. These are 25,000 children whose stomachs are empty and whose educations are compromised. Let that sink in. We can change that. Every day a child sits in class, stomach empty, every month their ability to learn and grow is weakened, and every year another bright future slips away. And if we do not act now, this cycle will continue. Members of the Welsh Youth Parliament, we have a choice. We can be the generation that looks away from this issue, shattering any hope of it coming to fruition, or we can be the generation that says enough is enough. If we won't stand up for the children who sit beside us in class, then who will? Diolch yn fawr. Thank you.

Thank you, Callum. Grace Oluwafemi.

Thank you. Bore da, Madam Speaker. Thank you for the opportunity to address this esteemed Chamber. My name is Odarasimi Grace Olumafemi and I have the honour of representing Cardiff South and Penarth.

I would like to begin by addressing a critical issue, the rising cost of living, which is becoming increasingly burdensome for families, particularly those with low incomes. The cost of rent in Wales is quite high, especially for young individuals who are trying to live independently. Many struggle to make ends meet and, unfortunately, this has resulted in a rise in youth homelessness. Additionally, tuition fees continue to rise annually, which creates significant financial barriers for young people aspiring to pursue higher education. These increasing costs make it harder for youths to achieve their academic and professional dreams.

Furthermore, while many young people in Wales desire to become financially independent, many are faced with low-paying jobs, often due to being considered minors. If there is a possibility to address this issue and make necessary changes to employment conditions for young people, it would provide a much-needed boost to their independence and financial well-being. Diolch.

Diolch, Grace. Oliver Jones-Barr is next. Oliver.

Bore da. I'm Oliver Jones-Barr from the Aberconwy constituency. Firstly, I would like to bring to your attention the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015 and the promise to consider young people and the issues they face today and in the future. I mention this pioneering, legally binding legislation as the cost-of-living crisis places young people at risk of poverty now or in their lifetime. As you may know, due to the lack of housing in Wales, local councils are forced to spend significantly on temporary accommodation for people in need. This is a massive use of budgets. This issue, compounded with economic insecurity, is putting further pressure on families, particularly those with children.

I would like the Senedd to put pressure on the Welsh Government to increase funding for pupils at risk of economic insecurity due to the cost-of-living crisis. Help is needed by allocating the budget to increase the availability of free school meals to all children in Wales, not just in primary schools. Currently, there are secondary school pupils who are at risk of food insecurity due to the cost-of-living crisis, and whose household income does not qualify for support. In Conwy county, nearly 4,000 children experience food inequality due to the cost-of-living crisis, and these figures only represent those accessing support.

According to the Welsh Government's child poverty strategy for Wales 2024 and Public Health Wales, when young people experience poverty and inequality it directly impacts their health and education. Families under financial strain often face mental health difficulties, with fewer resources available for their children's education and extra-curricular activities. The ripple effect is seen on children's performance in school and on long-term prospects. By providing all young people in Wales with free school meals and financial support for more affordable leisure activities, such as gym memberships or extra-curricular activity clubs, we would ensure that all young people have a more equal and inclusive start in life that will extend into their future. Thank you.

Diolch, Oliver. Chase Campbell is next. Chase.

Good morning. Bore da, pawb. I'm Chase Campbell. I'm 17 years old and the Member for Blaenau Gwent, one of the poorest and most deprived areas not just of Wales, but the UK. It is for this reason, as well as our country's wider child poverty crisis, that I felt obligated to use my time to talk about the biggest issue affecting my constituents: poverty and deprivation.

Growing up in a particularly poor town, I know first-hand the effects of poverty and deprivation—a lack of community services and opportunities that create huge generational issues that I know the difficulty to get out of. I've seen countless friends and family go down the wrong path because of being pushed out of education, clubs and opportunities because of having to worry about heating and eating, rather than having fun, playing and progressing.

Thirty per cent of children live in poverty in Wales—30 per cent. This means, statistically, if you look at those to either side of you and include yourself, at least one of you will be living in poverty, except those living in poverty often don't get access to opportunities like this one. This is a disgrace and truly unacceptable, and the effects of it are much wider than only worrying about having enough to eat, which 45 per cent of children in Wales do according to the Children's Commissioner for Wales.

But we can make change. As Members of the Welsh Youth Parliament, we hold huge responsibilities that should not be wasted. We must act and advocate for change. We can campaign for real targets that are proven to work and for real initiatives that can make change to make sure that no-one must choose between a quality education or feeding their family. Yet, too many are faced with this devastating decision. We, the Youth Parliament and the voices for young people, must also raise awareness of the fight against the wider impacts of the unaffordable cost of living by talking about the need to invest in social safety nets, provide quality support and education and beyond, and commit to tackling housing instability, because a safe, warm home is the foundation upon which all else is built.

But it's not just the Government that has a role to play. Young people across Wales have the power to raise their voices and be catalysts for change. Together, we can work towards building a brighter future where no child grows up hungry and where no family fears being unable to make ends meet, and where everyone starts life with a fair chance. We fight for an end to child poverty and a fairer economy—one that works for everyone.

Today, I call on all of us to rise to the challenge. Let's show our children and our communities that we're willing to act. Let's build a Wales where poverty is no longer a barrier to opportunity but a chance for success, and where the future is bright for every child. So, please vote for this as one of your key issues if you want to make a big impact on Wales's young people. Because this is not just about their money, but, ultimately, their happiness, their education and their lives. Thank you. Diolch.

Thank you, Chase. The next speaker is Taliesin Evans. Taliesin.

Bore da, pawb. My name is Taliesin and I represent Torfaen. Today, I want to talk about why reducing child poverty across Wales must be one of the top three priorities for our Parliament. This is not just a policy decision; this is a moral obligation, a matter of justice, and an investment in the future of our nation.

First, let’s consider the scale of this problem. According to recent statistics, nearly one in three children in Wales lives in poverty. That means that thousands of young people face hunger, cold homes and limited opportunities every single day. Behind every statistic is a child who deserves better, a child who is no less deserving of a bright future than anyone else.

Poverty is not just a lack of money; poverty is a lack of opportunity. It’s the child who can’t concentrate at school because they haven’t eaten breakfast. It’s the young person who can’t afford books or extracurricular activities, who feels left out and left behind. If we don’t address this now, we risk an entire generation growing up in a cycle of disadvantage, unable to reach their full potential.

Secondly, child poverty doesn’t just harm the children affected, it holds back the entirety of Wales. When young people can’t access education, healthcare and opportunities, they cannot contribute their talents to our communities and economy. Tackling child poverty isn’t just the right thing to do, it is the smart thing to do. Every £1 we invest in lifting children out of poverty pays back tenfold in the form of healthier, more educated and more engaged citizens.

Finally, we have a chance to lead the way. Wales has a proud history of fighting for social justice, and as Members of the Welsh Youth Parliament we have the power to make real change. By making the eradication of child poverty a priority, we can advocate for policies like free school meals for all children, both primary and secondary, better support for families on low incomes, investment in communities that have been left behind, and the end goal, following Scotland and abolishing the two-child benefit cap. These are practical steps that will make a real difference. Let’s be clear: reducing child poverty isn’t just about helping those in need, it is about building a stronger, fairer Wales, where every child has a chance to thrive. As young leaders, it is our duty to ensure that no child is left behind, no matter where they live or what their circumstances are.

I urge you all to make reducing child poverty one of our three key priorities for this term. Together, we can create a Wales where every child has the opportunities they deserve and where no-one is forgotten. Diolch yn fawr.

Diolch, Taliesin. The final speaker in this session is Megan Wyn Jones. Megan.

Good morning. My name is Megan Wyn Jones. I represent Cardiff North, and today I want to persuade you to use your vote to take action against child poverty.

Amazingly, it's likely that approximately three out of 10 Welsh children that you know are experiencing poverty. One way that it's causing inequality is in their academic career. The Children’s Commissioner for Wales reports that 45 per cent of children aged seven to 11 are worried about not having enough to eat. The expectation for anxious and hungry children to concentrate on work is totally unreasonable.

Another way in which poverty affects a child's life is in their social development. Childcare is so expensive that the cost of going to work for poor families is simply not worth it. In addition, even though the Flying Start scheme in Wales has brought hours of free childcare to children aged 0 to three, there's a lack of information about when or if this is going to be activated across Wales. Not only does the lack of childcare restrict the social development of children, but it's the biggest contributor to the gender pay gap because usually it's mothers who stay at home to look after children when they can't pay for childcare. Examples like this proves that poverty contributes to many other problems.

It's also important for us to focus on the specific inequality that poverty creates for young women, that is, their access to menstrual products. I'd like to see more consistency and reliability around public buildings, such as libraries, storing these essential products.

Don't lose confidence over the range of ways in which poverty affects children, because that means that there are a number of specific subjects where it's possible for us to make a difference.

At a time when stereotypes around families who are on benefits are as spiteful and as inaccurate as ever, it's vital that we as a Youth Parliament defend and support children who are living in poverty.

Therefore, make the decision today to join me in voting to take action on child poverty, so that we can change the narrative and create a future full of hope for the young people of Wales. Thank you.

Thank you, Megan, and thank you, all, for your very powerful contributions in that first session on the theme of the cost of living and poverty. So, that concludes our first session this morning.

Can I say, one of the most fascinating things about sitting here and chairing this session, when you get on your feet to speak, is me thinking about who usually stands up in that seat to speak? I won't share with them the fact that you're giving as good if not better speeches than most of the people I call in this place usually, but what I'm particularly fascinated by is where the leaders of the party sit, and who sits there today. Taliesin, you're today sitting in the seat of the leader of the Welsh Conservatives; Elin—yes, Elin. You're the First Minister.

You're the First Minister of Wales—

—sitting in that seat. And Abdul Aziz, you're the leader of Plaid Cymru, sitting in that seat. I have no idea whether that reflects any of your views as individuals, but for today you're the occupiers of those seats.

So, we move on now to the theme of the Welsh language. That's our next theme this morning. The first contribution is from Maisie Powell. Maisie Powell.

Thank you. Today, I'd like to talk about something that's important to me, my area, and Wales—the Welsh language. Because a nation without a language is a nation without a heart. It's an important part of our culture, identity and history. Over the last century, despite a number of challenges, such as the Welsh Not, COVID-19 and globalisation, the Welsh language has managed to survive, and I hope it will grow and secure a million Welsh speakers by 2050. I believe that it's essential that we work together to secure the future of the Welsh language.

The Welsh language is an important issue for me because it's part of who I am. It's existed for centuries, and has been passed from generation to generation. Despite the obstacles, our mother tongue survives. And it's essential that we keep the language alive, because it's far more than just a language. By learning the language, you understand who you are and where your roots are.

In addition to that, although the Welsh language is ancient, it still has a place in the modern world. Learning languages opens many doors to new jobs, cultures, ideas and relationships. The Welsh language is not a relic of the past; the Welsh language is alive. As Dafydd Iwan said:

'We will be here until the end of time. And the Welsh language will live!'

It's evolving, which enriches the linguistic fabric of Wales.

We should make more of an effort to learn and promote the Welsh language to create a sense of inclusivity and mutual respect. For everyone who speaks the language, it's more than just a language; it's an emblem of pride and heritage. And for those who don't speak Welsh, the act of learning a few words like, 'diolch', 'hwyl fawr', and 'tŷ bach' is a step forward towards more people speaking the language. It shows us that we should start every conversation in Welsh, to develop confidence.

But, so that everyone can speak Welsh, it's important that we all have the right resources, such as the right teachers, websites and books, because it's not easy to do your A-levels through the medium of Welsh, because of a lack of resources. If we want to ensure the future of our language, the Government must start to listen to us and to provide more resources, or the language will disappear.

When we speak Welsh, we honour the generations who fought for our language. We ensure a future for the next generation. We stand up and say that we will not let our language fade into the background. So, let's commit, together, to protect, learn and celebrate the Welsh language. Let's speak it with pride, teach it with passion and share it with the world. In doing so, we ensure that the Welsh language survives and isn't a relic of the past, but a vibrant part of our future. Thank you.

Thank you very much, Maisie. Megan Carlick is next. Megan.

Good morning. My name is Megan Carlick. I'm 15, and I represent YEPS, which is a youth group organisation, in the Welsh Youth Parliament. The topic I have chosen to do this speech about is the Welsh language.

Growing up in Wales, I have seen a lot of the Welsh language around me—whether that be on signs, in school or even online. However, I do not personally speak the language fluently. I can hold a conversation for about two minutes though. I'm sure lots of people in this room do speak the language fluently, have chosen this topic for their speech, and hope the topic will be chosen. However, if you're not convinced by them, I do believe I can show an alternative perspective on the topic.

I went to and still go to a English-medium school. I spoke English to my friends and most of my relatives are in England. Therefore, the only exposure I've had to the Welsh language was my Welsh lessons in school. I enjoy my Welsh lessons. I always have. However, some of my peers in my classes do not show the same interest as me. The main reason I believe that they have this mindset is because of the education they have had on the Welsh language, but the culture aspect of it. As I was so interested in the language, I went out of my way to learn some of the culture and roots of the language. Therefore, I was able to realise that learning the language is a virtue and shouldn't be overlooked as the 'lesson we can mess around in' or the 'GCSE that doesn't really matter if we pass or not'—I know some of my classmates may agree with these statements.

I believe that if one of the Welsh Youth Parliament topics that we focus on is the Welsh language, we can surely make a big difference and even meet the Government's goal of 1 million speakers by 2050. Diolch.

Thank you very much, Megan. Annest Tomos is next. Annest.

I'm Annest Tomos and I represent Ynys Môn. I hope to persuade you to support my proposal to increase the number of Welsh speakers to a million by 2050. It's a huge challenge in front of us, as the Welsh Language Commissioner has said.

The highest number of Welsh speakers ever recorded was 911,000 in 1911. By today, that figure has fallen to 538,000. Only in Gwynedd and Anglesey do more than half the population speak Welsh. However, there are some encouraging signs, such as the increase in the number of Welsh speakers in cities like Cardiff.

I have a number of ideas on how to increase the number of Welsh speakers, but we can discuss those in more detail if you support my proposal.

The first suggestion I'd like to discuss with you today is the online promotion of the Welsh language. This is crucial as many young people spend much of their time on social media like Instagram and TikTok, and we should increase the use of the Welsh language on these platforms.

Secondly, we need more Welsh language courses across Wales. Many people want to learn the language, but they don't have the opportunity to do so at the moment.

Thirdly, we need to create more jobs in areas where the economy is currently weak, to give people the chance to stay in their communities and to bring up families through the medium of Welsh.

Thank you for listening to my proposal to increase the number of Welsh speakers. I hope that I've convinced you to vote for the Welsh language today. The language is important to the future of our country and nation. Thank you.

Thank you, Annest. Awel Grug Lewis is next.

Thank you. My name is Awel Grug Lewis, and I represent Urdd Gobaith Cymru.

Wales is a unique country that we should all be proud of and the Welsh language is a special language that belongs to everyone, no matter what their experience of the language is. Welsh is the oldest language in Britain and it is too precious to be lost. Over the years, people have battled for the right to use the Welsh language. So why are we so keen to follow England and America? Why do we feel that we need to copy them? Why can't we feel pride in our language?

In my experience, the number of young people who speak Welsh outside of school, and even in school, is very low, as they don't believe that it's cool to speak Welsh. If this continues, we will lose the language forever. The Welsh Government has set a target of 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050. I want the Welsh Youth Parliament to play a key role in helping the Government to reach this target. We have 25 years, so how will we do this?

In business, if a company wants to sell a product, they advertise. The Welsh language needs to be advertised to attract people to use it. If young people see and hear the Welsh language being used on social media, they will accept that the Welsh language is a natural part of life. Also, we need regular opportunities in every town and village for young people to socialise naturally through the medium of Welsh. We need inspirational leaders and Government investment to do this. This is the way to ensure that the Welsh language is a living language in our communities. I want to ensure that the next generation uses the Welsh language naturally in their everyday lives. I want to ensure that Wales continues to be a rich country that stands on its own two feet. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Awel. Alexander Isaac Moore is next. Alexander.

Hello. My name is Lex Moore, and I represent Conwy Youth Service. Today I would like to talk about Welsh and how it is being handled: poorly. Welsh is a living, beautiful language, and it deserves to flourish. I'd like to discuss the steps that I believe are necessary to guarantee that it flourishes. I'll be focusing on three questions: why would you speak Welsh; how would you speak Welsh; and where would you speak Welsh?

I'll start with the first one: why would you speak Welsh? To me, it seems quite obvious. In the simplest form, it's to connect—to connect with your culture or with others. For me, the first and most important step is to spread what makes the Welsh language so great to as many people as possible. In schools, it's being pushed quite hard, but the way it's being done seems quite boring and forceful, which seems to push more people away than it pulls in. It's a natural human desire to want to connect with something, be that a family, a club or a company, or anything that connects you with another person. Language was built to connect with others. As my teacher often says, being a Welsh speaker makes you a member of one of the coolest clubs in the world. Being able to speak a minority language teaches you what it's like to be an underdog. It also makes you unique and special. People like to feel special and people like to feel connected. Welsh offers both, with additional benefits, such as greater job diversity and all the other things that come with bilingualism. I suggest that we basically rebrand the language, market it to a wider audience and make more people aware of how cool it actually is. If we succeed in this, there will be a bunch of people wanting to learn Welsh.

That brings me on to my second question, which is worded quite bizarrely just to fit with my arbitrary theme that I came up with: how could you speak Welsh? This basically means, how do you go about learning the language? If you are a student, you've probably already learned the language a bunch in school. Whether this is effective or not is a completely different topic that I'm not going into, but if you don’t live in Wales, or you don't go to school or if you've already left school, how do you learn Welsh? If you're not in Wales, basically no-one teaches it, and the online resources are few and far between, and the ones that do exist are really low quality. That also affects the other two categories as well, the bad online stuff. I suggest that we establish more places for people to learn Welsh, since the very few that exist right now feel like they're trying to hide, and also create higher quality, more varied online resources for people all across the world, because focusing just on teaching Wales Welsh is kind of, I feel, a bit too small of a scope. I believe that if we manage to do that, people will have an easier time getting into the language.

Diolch, Alex. Thank you all for this section on the Welsh language, on y Gymraeg. Another set of really powerful thought-provoking speeches there, and just from a personal point of view, just to hear the Welsh language being spoken about in this Senedd, both in Welsh and in English, shows that the Welsh language belongs to all of us here in this Chamber, whether you speak Welsh everyday or whether you speak it infrequently, and those were very thought-provoking speeches from all of you—

—in both Welsh and English. So, thank you for that.

We move on to our next session now, and that session is on additional learning needs provision, and Aryan Gupta is the first speaker in this session. Aryan, over to you.

Thank you very much. Hello, everyone. It’s nice to finally be able to meet you and speak directly from the Senedd. My name is Aryan Gupta and I am the representative of the Llanelli district, and I’m sure like many other Members speaking today, I felt a need to join the Welsh Youth Parliament as I love Wales dearly and I want to ensure that the country I call home is one that allows young people to have a voice and allows them to have an impact upon major decisions.

Today, I will be speaking on neurodiversity and explain why I feel that it is essential to ensure that continuous support is provided for pupils with neurodiversities in our education system. As someone who was diagnosed with autistic spectrum disorder, I did have troubles growing up. Growing up, my speech was very impaired and my behaviour was very different to other kids in school. I had difficulties focusing during lessons due to my excessive fidgeting, and I struggled conveying my difficulties to others, especially when it came to conversations and social interactions, such as teasing and sarcasm that pushed beyond banter. Over the years, this has led to a lingering feeling of inferiority, abnormality and has resulted in me having no self-confidence around my peers. I’m sure many other people who have neurodiversity can resonate with these feelings and can relate to what I am saying.

Very fortunately, I was able to get support during lessons through my parents fighting tooth and nail to attain it, yet I'm aware that most other people in Wales are not as lucky as me. The support up to now has truly changed my life, as I have found that having timely support and diagnosis has enabled me to view myself in a completely different way and has allowed me to manage my ASD as well as to improve my communication and social skills to the point that I'm able to clearly speak to you all today. I see my ASD not as a disability, but as an ability that has provided me with the unique traits that make me differently abled. And as someone who has been passionate about bringing a voice for those with neurodiversity, I strongly believe that the greatest issue surrounding neurodiversity is not a lack of opportunities or even a lack of awareness in fact, but the need for early, timely diagnosis and accompanying support for neurodiverse children, enabling us all to reach our full potential.

In the UK, one in seven students have neurodiversities. The support needed can be overlooked as schools are facing so many challenges, primarily due to the lack of finances, training amongst teachers and children, time pressures and large classroom sizes. These constraints can make neurodiverse people feel more excluded and afraid to reach out for help, which results in poor self-esteem, lower academic performance and their personal and academic dreams being destroyed. These factors have also greatly contributed to the stigma of neurodiversity being associated with being an intellectual disability.

The people of Llanelli have always had a very strong voice in this Chamber. One of them is sitting at the back here and has returned this morning, and it's great to hear your contribution as well, Aryan. Ned Dong is next. Ned.

Hello, my name is Ned Dong, and I represent Cardiff West. Did you know that almost 15 per cent of people in the United Kingdom are neurodiverse? That means 10 people in this room could be neurodiverse, whether they know it or not. Surprising, right? I bet you didn’t realise neurodiversity was so common. Nevertheless, it seems that we do not get the representation that we so desperately need. Slurs and other offensive language are still common in schools and workplaces. Why, in a world where we strive to be as open to difference and understanding of others, does it seem neurodiverse people have been left in the dark?

Now, you might be thinking, 'What is neurodiversity?' Neurodiversity in its simplest term can be put down to one’s brain being wired slightly differently. Like how we all look different on the outside, people with neurodiversity think differently on the inside. Some might find it harder to read aloud, while others might struggle with grammar and spelling. Personally, as a dyslexic, I can massively relate to this. Others, who might have autism, might struggle with maintaining eye contact or understanding body language, while someone with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder might have no trouble socially, but might struggle with concentration. As you can see, neurodiversity is a massive spectrum.

My goal is to create an environment where no-one feels that their neurodiversity holds them back. In fact, there are so many advantages to being neurodiverse. Some of the most creative and intelligent people in the world are neurodiverse. For instance, did you know that Albert Einstein had ADHD, dyslexia and possibly autism? And yet, he is one of the most successful scientists of the nineteenth century, who revolutionised our understanding of the world around us.

So, how do we come into this? With the help of the Senedd and you, my fellow Parliament Members, I hope that we can work together to reduce the stigma around neurodiversity, and therefore reduce the negative mindset that learners like me experience. I hope to empower young neurodivergent people to understand their abilities. Diolch. Thank you for listening.

Diolch. Thank you, Ned. That concludes the section on additional learning needs provision. Another very powerful set of speeches in that section.

We'll move on, now, to the Curriculum for Wales. This is the fourth theme, and Isabelle Ravenhill is going to kick us off on this section.

Hello. I'm Isabelle Ravenhill, and I have the honour of representing Monmouth in the Welsh Youth Parliament.

I look at everyone around me in this Chamber and I see diversity. I see people of different ages, different genders, different races, sexualities, abilities, backgrounds, and so much more. Diversity is something that is in our everyday lives and should be protected and valued. Although we are protected from discrimination under many laws and Acts, I'm sure many people in this room or in the wider country of Wales can agree with me when I say that that hasn't stopped such behaviours from happening. Now more than ever, educating ourselves and the generations to come on respect and appreciation is fundamental to shaping our future.

Many studies suggest that discriminatory opinions, behaviours and outlooks are learned, rather than something you are born with. Typically, this can be done through parental example, friends or the media that children are exposed to from a young age. These findings make me wonder that if discrimination can be indoctrinated and taught, does this mean that the complete opposite, the appreciation of differences, can be, too. This is the aim of my speech today, to encourage further, detailed and informative education on the history of oppression, discrimination and prejudice against those who have experienced it. With an advanced knowledge of the systematic and societal problems faced by these groups, it could be possible that intolerance could become a smaller weapon than it currently is. Education is a strong weapon and it should be used to its advantage. Protecting not only the youth we serve today but the youth to come is essential to our function as a country and our duty as a Welsh Youth Parliament. Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you, Isabelle. And you're sitting in the seat that I usually sit in when I'm not sitting in this chair, so you're me for today.

Anna Martin is next. Anna.

Hello. My name is Anna Martin and I represent Gower. Today, I am not here to simply speak about education. No, this is the most ethical and efficient form of education, the education of first aid. Recently, I have realised that many of my peers do not know simple first aid. I suspect many of you listening have also fallen victim to this insufficient teaching of first aid. I certainly have. First aid is currently being taught through certain youth clubs. However, due to personal circumstances, not everyone will receive the equal opportunity to attend youth clubs. So, does this seem fair to you, that some children get the privilege of learning first aid while others do not? First aid is not a privilege or a luxury; first aid is essential.

Yes, since 2022, first aid has been on the Welsh curriculum. However, it just isn’t enough. Many schools still don’t teach everyone first aid, or, if you're lucky enough, you might have done a single CPR lesson, leaving numerous vital first-aid techniques uncovered.

I want to begin by speaking about the millions that were spent to place miracle-like defibrillators across Wales. Except it’s diabolical that none of us are being taught how to use them. Of course, these devices have instructions, except can we truly afford to read these in a crisis when seconds can determine life or death? Other critical knowledge such as this applies in many situations. For example, during anaphylactic shock, knowing how to recognise symptoms and use an Epi Pen efficiently; how to stop someone from choking, correctly; what to do if someone is having a seizure. Nothing is more crucial than knowing how to save a life.

Sadly, as I leave comprehensive school, I have very limited knowledge of first aid. Why? We were preoccupied with playing badminton. Being a part of the younger generation, we are most likely be present during that life or death situation. We will need the confidence to assist them, we need to know how to help them. This is an issue that runs deep within the roots of our community, which is why I’d like to spread awareness of this epidemic-like situation, to promote the idea that first aid should be taught once a term within PE in every school across Wales as we should have the right to save a life. Diolch.

Thank you, Anna. Ava Martin-Thomas next.

The Curriculum for Wales: a system designed to ensure that young people become ambitious learners with the skills ready for life and the workplace; a curriculum that is supposed to lay a stable foundation to shape our education and opportunities for the future. Why, then, have Welsh pupils performed worse than any other country in the United Kingdom in literacy, science and mathematics tests for over a decade? Why, then, is the education of the next generation of workers and contributors to the Welsh economy at risk, due to a curriculum full of persistent weaknesses? My name is Ava Martin-Thomas and I represent Pontypridd, and today I encourage you to listen to the reasons why we should prioritise this vital topic.

Five years since COVID-19 and its lockdowns, we've had a report from the Welsh Government recognising the significant decline in children's literacy skills since then. We see children aged 13 to 14, on average, 18 months behind their expected reading ability following the pandemic. The fact that there is still a decline reflects that the right things are not being done, which threatens not only our academic ability but, more importantly, our opportunities in the future. In addition, Estyn reports have outlined that the new curriculum still continues with the flexible form of teaching, which is supposed to improve pupil outcomes. Despite this, it's led to teaching being inconsistent across the country. Concerns are raised because the new curriculum is too broad, and doesn't focus on the basic skills, such as reading, which are key to accessing all other areas, enabling us as young people to succeed across all subjects.

Just think, the Curriculum for Wales includes everyone, and we, as the Welsh Youth Parliament, have the opportunity to prioritise improving this, to ensure that our generation and the next generations are healthy and confident citizens who have strong basic skills to do anything they want. Thank you.

Tilly Jones is next.

Diolch. As a young person, what's the most stressful time of year for you? While you think, let me introduce myself. Hi, I'm Tilly, and I'm beyond grateful that this is my second term in the Welsh Youth Parliament representing Brecon and Radnorshire. The difference between me now and when I was a Member three years ago is experience—experience and many interactions that have helped me pick and decide what I should speak about today and what changes I want to help make.

Bearing this in mind, I'll go back to my question. Although the answer to this will vary wildly from person to person, with a million different answers, I can still, however, assume that, for the majority, the most stressful time is what we refer to as ‘exam season’—exam season being the period of time in school where the pressure of doing well is overwhelming and tough for so many. This time is filled with stress, anxiety and challenges that shouldn't be an extra weight on any teenager's back. Knowing that a simple paper pack can determine your future is not only scary, but the pressure can lead to so many ongoing mental health issues that can stay forever. The image exam season puts on academics couldn't be worse and, for many, is the reason further education isn't a option, cutting off all sorts of opportunities.

As the Welsh Youth Parliament, I think we have influence, influence to make a change, So, I think that we should start using that ability to create change for the better and hope that we are able to help, if not our generation, younger generations to come. I'm not suggesting that we diminish exams completely, as much as that would be ideal for a lot of young people. But, if we work together, we'd be able to help with the over-reliance on them, whether that be through working with hierarchies to decrease the necessity of them or even just more access to support for everyone—support to prevent young people from this unnecessary distress.

I'm not standing here today to preach that exams aren't important. I'm here to stress that this stress isn't necessary and we are more important. Diolch.

Thank you, Tilly. Ffion Grace Lewis next.

Diolch. Bore da. Good morning. My name is Ffion Lewis and I represent Swansea West.

Today, I am proposing that financial literacy needs to become a core element of the Welsh curriculum. Five days a week, 25 days a month, 190 days a year: this is a vast amount of time that we spend in school, over half a year. So, it is fundamental that the Welsh curriculum supports and prepares pupils for the future. Unlike other issues we could pick to focus on, the Welsh curriculum and education in general affects you, affects me and it affects every young person in the country. So, it makes it a vital topic that we need to focus on.

As the new Curriculum for Wales is set to begin in the next academic year, it is great to see that education is finally being seen as a priority. However, while finance is already included in some lessons like maths and personal, social, health and economic education, I believe that we need specific, dedicated time to financial literacy, and this is why: financial literacy is vital, and it's found in all aspects of life. It's involved in everything, from completing transactions to getting paid, to saving and investing. It is something that you cannot avoid. In 2024, Shepherds Friendly surveyed 2,000 adults across the UK on topics such as individual savings accounts, investing, insurance and general finance. They found that only 49 per cent of the people surveyed could pass it, and only 14 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds. It is concerning that more than half of the people surveyed do not know have the basic financial skills that they need for their future. So, is it any wonder that people find themselves in debt and bad financial situations? Perhaps it is because they were not taught them in school.

By incorporating financial literacy in the curriculum, young people will learn essential skills that are needed for the future. This could include learning how to open up bank accounts, set up mortgages or take out loans. This will ensure that young people are not left clueless when they're doing their taxes for the first time. This will ensure that young people do not get into debt that they will never be able to get out of. This will ensure that young people know how to save and invest in their future. Furthermore, if financial literacy is incorporated into the curriculum, it will have a massive beneficial impact on Wales.

In November 2024, a poll of 1,012 teachers was carried out by YouGov. They found that 76 per cent of teachers believe that pupils do not finish their education with the basic financial knowledge that they need for adulthood. This highlights that the majority of young people will struggle in their future, because they will not have been taught the financial skills that they need for the future. As a result, it is likely that many young people will fall into the trap of debt or financial instability. This could be costly for the Welsh Government as people will look to them for money and support.

Thank you, Ffion. Neli Rhys is next.

Thank you very much. Do you feel that every individual within the education system is given fair play? Do you also feel that schools have the ability to deal with cases of neurodiversity or mental health issues in a reasonable way? Well, simply, in my view, the answer is 'no'. Individuals across the country are being let down by the education system on a daily basis, and this must change now.

I'm Neli Rhys and I represent Dwyfor Meirionnydd. It's been a huge challenge for me to cover all my ideas in two minutes, but I realised that the one thing that sums up the obstacles in the education system, which is my topic for this speech, is a lack of flexibility. Unfortunately, the education system only caters for academic individuals. There is no kind of flexibility or other options for those aged between three and 16, only school.

Mental health and neurodiversity have now come to the surface and, clearly, attending a busy site with huge pressures on your shoulders is more or less impossible for many individuals. Twenty eight per cent of individuals have high absenteeism because of mental illness. Now, I understand from personal experience how challenging it is to intertwine anxiety with education, with only 35 per cent of individuals with mental illness receiving the support that they need, but what about the rest? I didn't get any kind of support in my previous school, having missed almost a year of school, with teaching assistants leaving me and many others in tears and alone, whilst fighting for breath in panic attacks. That's totally unacceptable.

Neurodiverse individuals are in the same situation: no support. Living with neurodiversity or mental illness isn't easy at the best of times. We spend 190 of our days per year at school, let alone those hours of revision and homework. Workplaces are developing to try and be flexible, so what's so complicated that prevents the education system from doing the same? The education system is not good enough. Sending individuals to units isn't the answer either, alienating us from everyday life.

That school's biggest concern was what grade would be on my paper in August, not my health. This needs to change, and it's completely unfair. I really hope that you will consider my proposal for the subject of education. I really appreciate you listening to me. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Neli.

That concludes that section of our debates this morning. The next section is going to be bullying and cyber bullying. We only have one speech in that section and then we'll be taking a short break. But before that break, I'll allow any Members who have a comment to make on anything they've agreed with or disagreed with in the contributions they've heard so far to express that, if you wish to do so. It's a short session, so keep any comments you have quite short. I'll call for those contributions after we've heard the next section, and that's going to be on bullying and cyber bullying, and Jack Rigdon is the contributor here. Jack Rigdon.

Hello. My name is Jack Rigdon. I live in Gower, Swansea, and I'm representing Talking Hands deaf children and young people group based in Swansea. I'm here to talk about a topic that you've either heard about or experienced: bullying.

I know that I was anxious starting comprehensive school about bullying, since I did not know anyone there, and there were so many rumours that the older pupils were bullying the newer pupils in school. And because of this, I kept to myself for the first half term in year 7. I believe that bullying shouldn't be a thing that so many people are worried about, since it takes away your courage to stand up for yourself. I have spoken to the new year 7 pupils in my school, and I have discovered it wasn't just me who felt the same way. Many of these new pupils were anxious and nervous about coming to comprehensive school in case they were bullied.

My school has put up a number of measures to stop this, and I also have some ideas. One of the main things that my school has done is assign different bathrooms for different year groups. For example, the year 7 bathroom is in the history corridor. This means that different year groups can stay apart and not make the other years uncomfortable. These measures have eased the number of anxieties that may have occurred, or haven't.

I think it would be a great idea, along with prefects, if there would be a small group of anti-bullying prefects that would help the years at school if they feel that they need to talk to someone. They could wear a badge similar to the regular prefect badges, so that they are easily identifiable, and I think they should be orange, which symbolises anti-bullying and is the recognised colour for anti-bullying campaigns. I think that the anti-bullying prefects should be from different year groups, to represent the whole school. This is important because if you are being bullied by someone in, say, year 11, you may not want to talk to someone from that year group. The opportunity to speak to someone who listens and can act on your behalf to speak to a member of staff is crucial. The anti-bullying prefects should be trained and allowed to access areas that keep the year groups apart throughout the whole school. I know that this is something that I would like to discuss with teachers and senior prefects before I finish school. Thank you.

Thank you so much for that contribution, full of ideas there. Thank you, Jack. Right, do we have any Members of the Youth Parliament wanting to express a view on any of the subjects that we've heard so far? Let's have a show of hands for me to have an idea how many to call. Okay, let's start on my left here. If you want to contribute, please do so.

It was mentioned under education about first aid in the curriculum. I fully agree. I am a life guard—it's what I do for work—and with life guarding you have to pass extensive first aid training. That was my first experience of first aid training at the age of 16, learning cardiopulmonary resuscitation, what to do with allergic reactions and choking, and I do agree it's essential that everyone needs to learn these things because it is a matter of seconds, as was mentioned, between life and death. I feel more secure in myself now, and more confident in myself now, helping people with first aid, especially with the use of automated external defibrillators. Seconds in that is crucial. People need to know how to use them and, as was mentioned, reading the how-to book is not going to save lives, unlike knowing how to do it.

So, I was just going to say that I completely agree with that and it needs to be done more in schools, because it's unacceptable that by the age of 16 I did not know how to administer CPR or how to help someone administer an EpiPen, when one of my closest friends has a severe nut allergy. If he were to have an anaphylactic shock, I could have done nothing; it's only recently that I've known how to save his life. So, I was just going to say that I agree with that. Thank you.

Thank you, Jake. I had a hand there. Yes, you.

I agree with the additional learning needs training in schools, because growing up as a young person with complex additional learning needs, growing up undiagnosed autistic and not having the training to be able to help me when I had meltdowns in school, instead of—. Because if I were to have had help in school when I was having a meltdown instead of being shoved in a room and told to deal with it myself, I may have achieved better GCSE results, I may have been able to make more friends and I may have been able to join in the classrooms instead of being on a completely reduced timetable—being in school for around 20 minutes and then going home because I was just getting that overwhelmed.

Right, where were we? Somebody here. Yes, Elin.

I would just like to agree with all the points that have been made in the speeches on the Welsh language, and I'd like to emphasise how important it is that we do choose this as one of our issues. Over the past weeks as I've been getting to know you, I've heard many of you who are non-Welsh speakers saying how disappointed you are, that you feel that you've been deprived of the opportunities to speak to the language, and that you would like to be able to. So, I think it is crucial that we do tackle this, because it does show that there are young people out there who do want to speak the language and want to use it in their communities and in their daily lives. Tackling this would be a step forward in delivering that target of a million Welsh speakers, as many of you have mentioned already, and it would also ensure the survival of the language, because the language belongs to everyone and everyone should be able to access it. Thank you.

Thank you, Elin. At the back there.

At the back there.

I just wanted to say that I totally agree with ALN. It took me, personally, seven years to get diagnosed with ADHD, and then when they offered me support, I'd just finished school and finished doing my GCSEs, so it was too late. So, I had no support in school with my GCSEs all because I didn't have it on a piece of paper from a professional. So, yes, I totally agree with additional learning needs.

Right, where are we? Yes, I'll take your contribution.

I just want it stated about the cost-of-living issues that were raised. I think it's absolutely amazing that young people understand it, but it's also the idea that the Government needs to tackle it in regard to young people and their families. It's also amazing that there are so many other things that are about the educational funding, like free school meals was mentioned and first aid courses can involve funding that's necessary, and that is quite a large issue with the fact that education doesn't exactly have large funding to support every single issue, and it's very sad to hear, because that can be drawn back to one of the main issues that caused the lack of all of these things. So, yes.

Thank you. Over there.

I would just like to agree with the poignant and remarkable speeches made about the cost of living and poverty, particularly the points raised in support of free school meals by my friend Callum, who represents Clwyd West, next door to my constituency of Delyn. So, the issues that affect his constituency affect my constituency, and I fully agree with the points he raised. And yes, us north Walians must stick together on that, so, yes.

A bit of geographical alliances being built here now.

Right. Yes. Let's have two more comments. One here first, and then—.

And then you.

I just wanted to say, with the first aid thing, I totally agree with it. I have an EpiPen myself, and I'm allergic to egg. Last year, I had to stand in front of my class and teach them all how to use an EpiPen, and at least half of them—I taught them for, like, an hour, and after that, they completely forgot it. And I just think that we should do more in schools to help with that.

Yes.

I just want to say I completely agree with the point on waiting lists, because even though people are getting support and recognition for their disabilities now, the waiting times are still four to six years, and with some disabilities, it may be two years or 20 days. But it's not for all of them, and there's no point in getting recognition for something that you can only get support for after you need it.

Thank you. Any more? Let's see. Are there any more? I'm going to take one, two, three, and that's it then. We're going to take a break. We're ready for a break, I think. So, I'll take your contribution first, and then I'll go to the back. Yes.

I just wanted to say, with what you were saying about schools caring more about grades than your mental health, I think that's so true, and it's only really when you get to your GCSEs and the start of college when you realise how much that is true. Towards the end of school, everyone in my school, we felt like they were more trying to just fine-tune us into robots to get better grades, rather than actually thinking about us at all, which made it worse in the long run. And then when you get to college, and you're choosing between your courses and things, they become so strict about what you can pick and what you can't, because they want to do what's best for their funding. I feel like they forget what their funding is for. It's just something that people don't realise until it's too late. It needs to change.

Good. Thank you.

The contributions made for the cost-of-living crisis and issues relating to poverty were very well made, and I think it's really opened my eyes to see how much poverty actually does affect all of us as young people. Because as Bryn stated before, he said that he originally thought of the environment or to explore mental health, which is probably what I would've done as well, but I think poverty does really impact us as young people: it affects our opportunities, and later on in life and even future generations.

And I think also what Alex stated before about learning Welsh really resonated with me, because I think I would really speak more Welsh if I had more confidence, and he put forward some really pragmatic and practical solutions for that.

Diolch.

Thank you. I just want to add to what Awel said. Awel and I attend the same school, and I think she's absolutely right, that nobody wants to speak Welsh in our school, and I do think that everyone must want to speak Welsh, because it's a wonderful language to speak. I think, on this weekend, I've spoken more Welsh than I ever have before, and I think that is such a huge thing. Thank you.

Thank you very much. Right, I'm going to bring this first session to a close. Thank you very much for the important and powerful contributions that we've heard so far.

We'll take a 10-minute break, then. It'll be no longer than 10 minutes because we're already running late. So, just take a break. I'll call this session to an end. Diolch i bawb.

Welcome back to this next session.

We're starting our second session now. Can I welcome also this morning the children's commissioner, Rocio Cifuentes? Thank you for joining us. Your interest in the work of the Youth Parliament has been constant, both your predecessors and yourself, and your engagement with the Youth Parliament is always very much welcomed by the Members.

So, thank you for attending this morning. During this next session this morning—it's still morning—we'll be discussing housing and homelessness, mental health services, sport, care-experienced children and young carers, public transport and active travel, and the environment and climate change.

So, we'll start with the first of those themes, which is housing and homelessness. Hasson Yusuf from Race Council Cymru will give his speech first of all.

The floor is yours.

Hello. My name is Hasson Yusuf, and I'm proud to represent Race Council Cymru in the Welsh Youth Parliament. I'm standing here today because housing and homelessness are issues that are affecting young people across Wales, and we cannot afford to ignore them any longer.

Imagine returning home after a long day to only find yourself without a warm, secure place to go. Imagine worrying about your ability to pay for a roof over your head every night. Too many young people in Wales currently live like this.

We frequently discuss school, professions and prospects for the future, but how can young people concentrate on any of that when they don't even have a stable place to live? A place to live is not a privilege. It's a fundamental human right.

There aren't enough affordable homes, earnings are too low and rents are going up. Young people are being left behind, priced out, or driven out. And, for some, the result is homelessness, whether that's sleeping on a friend's sofa, in unsafe temporary housing, or, in the worst-case scenarios, on the streets.

This isn't just a crisis. It's a failure—a failure to provide young people with the security they need to build their lives. In 2023 alone, over 7,800 young people in Wales approached their local council for help with homelessness. That's nearly one in every 100 young people. Meanwhile, the average private rent in Wales has increased by over 20 per cent in the last two years, making it even harder for young people to afford a place of their own. We are expected to work hard in school, plan for the future and contribute to society, but how can we do all of that when we don't even know where we'll be sleeping next week? How can we be expected to succeed when the system is setting us up to struggle?

This must be changed. No-one should have to pick between housing and food; therefore, we need more affordable housing. To prevent landlords from taking advantage of us simply because they know we have no other options, we need stronger rights for young tenants. Furthermore, no-one should have to experience homelessness alone; therefore we need to provide better support for those who are at risk.

Wales has the power to lead the way in tackling youth homelessness, but change won't happen unless we demand it. That's why we're here. That's why our voices matter. We are the future of Wales, and we deserve everything. Thank you for listening.

Thank you, Hasson. The next contributor is unable to be here, but is going to contribute by video, and that's Grace Lee from Bridgend. I hope that the video will now play.

Shwmae. I'm Grace Lee, and I represent Bridgend. I'm going to talk about homelessness. Picture your bed, your home, the room that you sleep in, how familiar and safe it is, and the comforting feeling that comes with knowing that that room, that bed, is yours. What you're feeling and thinking is, unfortunately, just a dream for thousands of people across Wales.

Wales is currently experiencing homelessness and housing difficulties. Accommodation is virtually, or completely, unaffordable for many. We need around 90,000 more affordable social rented homes, and private rented housing is, in many cases, far too expensive. Since 2004, house prices in Wales have more than doubled. This is worrying. As a younger generation, how are we supposed to afford accommodation when entering adulthood, or even own our own homes?

Now let's consider homelessness, which isn't improving either, especially amongst young people. Between April 2023 and February 2024, 246 people aged 16 to 24 were found homeless and placed into temporary accommodation. This number for children under 16 was 321. This is just the number of young people found to be homeless, yet there would still have been more 'undiscovered' young homeless people across Wales. Local authorities' current solution to dealing with rough-sleeping is placing people in hotels and temporary accommodation. However, this is incredibly expensive, and doesn't actually help people to establish stable housing for themselves.

As young people, we are heavily affected by this issue. As Members of the Welsh Youth Parliament, I feel that it's our duty to combat this and help young people across Wales. Together, we can make doable and cheaper solutions—like reinstating Welsh Government support for community-led night shelters with community volunteers instead of placing people in hotels—a reality.

We have to fight housing need and homelessness. This is about quality of life. Poor and insecure housing, or a lack of, has hugely negative impacts on mental and physical health and education, which puts more pressure on the NHS and schools. A lack of a home can lead to a lack of opportunities in a person's life. No-one deserves to go without their own bed, their own room to sleep in. Nobody deserves to be without safety and comfort, which is why I believe it's so important that we tackle this issue, and that you should vote to focus on housing and homelessness. Thank you.

Thank you. That's the final contribution on the theme of housing and homelessness. The next theme is mental health services, and Riley Barn is going to be the first contributor. [Applause.] No, we won't start that, even though somebody was quite excited to welcome Riley.

I haven't even said anything yet—wow.

We won't start clapping on introductions as well, otherwise we will be here all day.

Good evening, everyone. I'm very excited to bring some very personal topics to the table, especially at such a national scale. One of the largest topics for a teenager such as myself would be mental health and how we deal with mental health as a whole. Today, I would like to focus on an issue very close to my heart. Of course, mental health is an issue for everyone but I'd like to focus a bit more on the mental health of service children.

A service child is a person who has a direct member of their family—so, a mother, father et cetera—in a branch of the armed forces. Now, not many people see that and think there’s a big problem but more people need to understand how this impacts a child in a lot of ways. The idea of being a service child is not something that is a simple and straightforward concept, because, for each and every person, it's such a different experience. Now, when talking about the life of a service child, my goal is to introduce the idea of service children’s mental health on a national scale and for them to be included in the conversation of a child’s life, because, just like all of you, these children have lives and dreams that I do not want to be stomped out by the dire lack of assistance and the complications that come with being a service child.

When I think back to my life and how different it is because of my being a service child, a lot of what the difference derives from is the fact that I moved a lot. I, at age 14, have gone to seven different schools, which might not seem too bad, but imagine that from my point of view. That is seven different friend groups, seven different teachers and seven different teaching patterns, at least. I have old friends out there I will never get to see again, who will never know what I amount to. I have teachers who will never know if they succeeded in accurately teaching me, and I know that there are service children out there who have worse experiences than that. I have had to deal with the separation of all of these groups seven times over. I know people and I have heard of people who have had to deal with way more, and the sadness that they have to deal with is immense, and I do not want this to be a recurring issue for all service children. Making good friends and knowing for a fact that you will eventually have to say goodbye and move on after being forcefully ripped away by the complications that come with the moving—that is not just my experience, but the experience of hundreds, and some had much worse experiences, as I've said previously. I could go on but I can’t, so I want to leave it at the idea that mental health can be majorly affected by the different circumstances that come with your life, and sometimes it's not even your choice.

I want Parliament to recognise service children, and not just service children, I want them to recognise people from all different communities and all different situations, so that they can understand that mental health can not just be a blanket term, but that they need to—and I cannot stress it enough—they need to understand and adapt to what a child needs to grow as a person and as a functioning member of society.

Diolch. Thank you, Riley. You're the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire, and the other Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire is also in the room, Paul Davies, who will be chairing the session after lunch. So, he's heard what you have to say and I'm sure he'll be keen to continue that discussion with you. Thank you, Riley.

Olivia-Grace Morris nesaf. Olivia-Grace.

Hello, everyone. My name is Olivia-Grace. I am 12 years old and I represent Swansea East. In the results of the recent survey, 564 out of 1,665 young people voted for mental health services as one of their top three most important issues. This is a third of the votes. When I was campaigning, I chose mental health as one of my key issues because there are not enough services or resources to help young people who are suffering.

One in eight children and young people have a diagnosable mental health condition, with half of all mental health problems manifesting by the age of 14. Forty-four per cent of children and young people wait more than a month for mental health support and 9 per cent are turned away. Most young people are only referred to services when they reach crisis point, which means more stress on services due to only becoming involved when matters are so bad, not to mention that a lot of children and young people don’t even know that help is available or how to access it.

There needs to be more training for teachers, youth workers and other services to understand, recognise and deal with these issues. This would mean we could identify and refer earlier, reducing the pressure on services and ensuring we do not fail more young people. Nobody else in this room knows about anyone else's mental health, but we know that there are young people out there that need support, so we should be doing more. We cannot remove the problem, but we need to support young people to cope. We, the Welsh Youth Parliament, can make a difference for Wales's next generation. Thank you for listening.

Lillie Louise Lloyd is the next contributor. Lillie.

I am Lillie, and I represent the Cynon Valley. I wanted to talk about the issue of mental health for young people. You may well know people personally who suffer with their mental health, perhaps people amongst your friends, your family, your neighbours or even yourself. Mental health issues can sometimes be hard to spot in other people, even within yourself. However, that is why it is even more important to acknowledge that this can be a real problem and to realise that it could be affecting your loved ones without you realising it.

Many people hear the words 'mental health' and straight away assume depression, so you may say to yourself, 'Oh, so this doesn't relate to me,' but it can. Mental health can cover an entire range of issues from ADHD to more complex illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder, schizophrenia and bipolar. However, one thing is certain: it is more common than you may think. Strangers who might be sitting near you in a coffee shop, at a football match, or at a bus stop, could be suffering and you may never notice until it's too late.

Mental health may be primarily about the mind. However, it doesn't mean that there may not also be significant physical effects for a person who suffers with mental health issues. Mental health issues can be caused by many factors, such as trauma, loss or even genetics, and the list goes on. In school, we are often taught how to train and develop our bodies in order to keep them physically in shape, but we aren't always taught how to train our minds, to keep them healthy too. If you wanted to work on your biceps, you could go away online or in person and train to build muscle, but with your brain, it's much harder to find help to improve your mental health.

This brings me on to my key topic today of mental health services for young people. As somebody who personally struggled and sometimes still struggles with mental health, I have seen what support you get. I believe it is so important to us that we invest in this topic and consider putting more funds towards mental health youth services to help us and our future children. As a young person, I have asked other young people what they believe mental health services have been like for them, and the most common answer is negative. We need to change this, as young people, for our friends, our families to feel safe, and to know that it's okay to not be okay and that they can speak about their issues.

Mental health should be normalised within younger people and it should be recognised by peers and adults that mental health does not have an age boundary or limit and that it can affect anyone. It can affect young people with their grades. The stress put on teenagers at the age of 15 to 16 to do exams that decide the rest of their future is unbelievably stressful and can affect their performance within school or at home. We should encourage schools to speak more about this topic in schools to ease students' minds from all the stress and constant work we are always doing. Exam stress is already bad, but for somebody who's already mentally struggling it can sometimes mean the difference between life and death. Suicide is the second leading cause of death for college students, with approximately 1,100 suicides in college per year. That is not even counting the number of students who have attempted and survived.

Thank you, Lillie.

Amber Elin Perrott next. Amber.

Bore da. Good morning. My name is Amber Perrott, and it’s an honour to stand before you today as a Member of the Welsh Youth Parliament for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney. I’m here today to address a subject that has affected us all in one way or another: mental health. In Wales, we often focus on critical issues like education, jobs and housing for young people, all of which are very important, yet there’s another challenge that rarely gets attention: mental health and well-being in young people.

Did you know that one in five young people aged five to 16 in Wales experience mental health challenges? And, sadly, these issues are rising. Only a third of those were able to access any treatment at all. It’s devastating to know that so many of us, my peers, friends, or somebody sitting in this very room, could be battling stress, anxiety or depression. These issues can come from school, bullying, social media and worries about the future. We cannot ignore this any longer because mental health affects all aspects of life, from having healthy relationships to growing into happy, healthy people.

School attendance is 10 per cent lower for those who struggle, with 95 lessons of school potentially missed during a year. Schools need more staff and resources to support pupils, and information on support needs to be clearer and easier to understand. Let me ask you this: if we don’t expect somebody with a broken leg to run, why do we expect somebody struggling with mental health to just keep going? Many people just don’t know where to turn and when they do need help, it’s not available.

There have been some developments with online resources and app-based support, along with crisis hubs and youth cafes. However, much more help is needed: more training, more early support hubs, more funding and more awareness. Progress has been made, but significant gaps remain. Early help and prevention is key, but some young people are still missing out on timely and effective support. Many young people are still only accessing support when they reach breaking point. We need to ensure that every young child and young person in Wales gets the right support, at the right time. They should know where to turn. Together we can make this happen. Thank you for listening.

Thank you, Amber. Eve Powell next.

I'm Eve Powell, and I'm here representing GirlGuiding Cymru. I am passionate about improving the lives of young people across Wales and representing those who don’t have a voice. The young people of Wales, my constituency, GirlGuiding Cymru, and my peers have all made clear that the most important issue impacting them is their mental health.

According to an NHS study published in November 2023, over 20 per cent of eight to 16-year-olds have a probable mental health disorder; that is more than one in five, or in real life, 12 of us here in this room. Mental health conditions are more than twice as common in young women than in young men. Even more worryingly, it has been reported that girls and young women under 24 have seen the largest increase in suicide rates since reporting began in 1981.

Eighty per cent of girls hide signs of distress from education staff. For those who speak up, one in five are told they're being dramatic, and one in four are told that their issues are hormonal. Conversations with my peers indicate that this is an extremely important topic for them whether they are already directly affected or not.

For young people who feel that their experiences differ from the so-called norm of their peers, mental health can be even more of a struggle. Comparing themselves with the lives of those around them and those seen on social media leaves them feeling different, inadequate and excluded by society. We must do better.

With the right support, all young people can bring their vital diversity of thought and experience into the workforce and society of the future. Diverse teams outperform their competitors with higher rates of innovation, better performance, and better decision making. With the right support, young people will know who they truly are as individuals, and what they bring to the world through the value of their own unique experiences. If young people are given the support they deserve, they will be able to live, not just survive. So, join me in advocating for young people’s mental health as a vital focus for this Welsh Youth Parliament. Thank you.

Thank you, and that's the last contribution on that theme of mental health services.

We'll move to the next theme now of sport, and the first contributor is Nate Hoccom. Nate.

Good morning. I'm Nate, and I represent the constituency of Newport West. I am 11 years old. I have decided to do my speech today on sport and, in particular, on creating more all-weather and indoor sports facilities. This is an initiative that I believe would have an immense benefit for the future of Wales. It's also very important to me, because I believe that it is unfair that some communities and some members in every community don’t have the chance to take part in sport and enjoy the benefits that it provides.

Sports facilities can serve as a community hub and help increase community spirit, mental health, physical health and general well-being. By being available to everyone, sports facilities can help create a happier, healthier Wales. Even though the national survey didn’t show much promise for sport being prioritised, we should think again because the long-term benefits are proven. Investing in sport can help create healthier communities, which will have a good impact on NHS costs and waiting times, because sport encourages a healthy and happy lifestyle. By giving more sporting opportunities to all communities in Wales, we can improve school and work attendance, and in doing so, have a positive impact on health and economic growth and success in Wales.

We can achieve this by having better opportunities and much lower, if any, prices for accessing facilities in all parts of the country, so everyone of all ages and backgrounds can use them. Also, some of the best sporting facilities are in schools, so we could get these to be open on weekends to bring the community together using sport. Outdoor sports get called off all the time because of the weather, so if we prioritise more all-weather indoor sports facilities, then opportunities will be available all year round.

In conclusion, more all-weather and indoor sports facilities will invest in communities' mental health, physical health and happiness. We should prioritise more all-weather and indoor sports facilities to make Wales a more inclusive place, ensuring a brighter and healthier future for all of our Wales. Thank you.

Tammi Louise Tonge is our next contributor.

Hi, I’m Tammi, I’m from north Wales, and I’m representing Learning Disability Wales. I have chosen sport as my topic.

I have good and bad experiences to reflect on if you are disabled. Sometimes I become bored and unhappy as I was paying the same amount as non-disabled people, but not getting the same opportunity. Some staff didn’t think about what could be changed to make it more inclusive. I have been fortunate to find two fully inclusive clubs that I enjoy. These are Pentre Allstars Football Club and Disability Ski Wales. Both clubs are run just by volunteers who really understand how to make sure every person has a good experience, no matter their ability.

We need to ensure every disabled person has an opportunity in sport. Existing clubs need to be able to adapt and have a disability team. There needs to be more money for all-inclusive sports. Unless charities are set up, it is hard for individual clubs to apply for funding and grants.

Sport has taught me how to be part of a team, improved my communication and social skills, adding to my own well-being. Sport has given me the opportunity in the future to become a ski instructor. It is my understanding that with greater knowledge, training and additional funding, we can make disabled people have a positive experience in sport. This will result in better physical and mental health. Thank you for listening. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Thank you so much, Tammi. That was the final contribution on sport. We move on to our next theme, and that is care-experienced children and young carers.

The first speaker here.

The first speaker is Makenzie Thomas.

Hello, everyone. I am Makenzie Thomas, representing Action for Children and Headlands School in Penarth. My chosen topic is care-experienced children, specifically adoption.

At a very young age, I was removed from my birth parents and placed with a foster carer. At the age of three, I was adopted by my parents. Most people think that when a child is adopted, everything will be fine. However, along my adoption journey, I have realised there are lots of failures of the post-adoption support system. This affects families, and sometimes there is little help available within the education system. My early years in school involved me having exclusions, attending two different schools, and I also suffered further trauma from the physical interventions I received. Only due to the determination of my parents to help and support me were we able to find a suitable educational establishment for me to attend.

But some children aren’t as lucky as me. Some adoptions break down and research suggests it’s around 3 per cent to 9 per cent and the reason for this could be a lack of post-adoption support for families during times of crisis. After an adoption breaks down, the child gets placed back into the care system. I believe that early intervention with adoption support could avoid some of these adoption breakdowns.

There is a lack of awareness in schools of how trauma has affected adopted children. This leads to adopted children being more likely to get excluded from school due to behaviours that are often misunderstood. Adopted children may have experienced trauma in their early lives, which can impact their ability to learn and concentrate. These behaviours need to be understood for what they are: an expression of pain and fear. I believe there should be more awareness and training for teachers on the effects of early childhood trauma on care-experienced children.

I’d really love to make other people's adoptive experiences more positive, like mine is now, and if we, the new generation, who are shaping the future, don’t take action, who will?

Thank you, Makenzie.

Ffion-Hâf Scott is next. Ffion-Hâf.

My speech topic today will be young carers and I represent Carers Trust. Hi. For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Ffion, and I’ve been a young carer since I was four. I am one of 22,500 known young carers and young adult carers in Wales, and I say 'known' because many young carers and young adult carers go unrecognised, even sometimes by themselves. Now, I have been ignored by professionals, judged and excluded by teachers, cast aside by doctors, been isolated from my peers and struggled mentally throughout the time I have been a young carer. We face so many things and they are just some of them.

To put them into perspective, at least 40 per cent of young carers and young adult carers do not receive the support they desperately need and deserve to balance their caring role and education. As a result, one in three young and young adult carers struggle to balance caring and learning, which was evident when almost half of secondary-aged young carers missed at least one day of school a fortnight last year. Those are big figures. I, personally, had to have a pastoral support plan just to be able to complete my GCSEs, to balance school, home and looking after myself.

Saying this, just under 45 per cent of young carers always or usually feel stressed because of their caring role. Young carers often don’t know how to put themselves first or reach out for support because of a lack of knowledge of where to go for help, or often they don’t even feel like they can. It makes it even more difficult that many young carers are often overlooked due to the challenges or illnesses the people they care for face, because most of the time, in their life, those people come first. That can have a big social impact on a lot of young carers. Forty per cent of young carers say that caring always or usually affects how much time they can spend with their friends, and I can relate to this. I often missed out on plans with friends due to things going on at home that needed my attention. With these statistics, things that may seem like obvious effects that caring would have on a young carer's life, in mind, you would think that young carers are discussed and recognised a lot more than they are. But, for example, most of these statistics are primarily UK and England based, and I want you to think about that, because the amount of carer-based stats that there are in Wales is critically low, and knowing that alone should speak volumes.

I didn't know what being a young carer was or meant until I was eight years old. So, why is that? Why aren't there more stats in Wales? Why are young carers disregarded so much? Why are young carers so hidden? Many of you may not even know what a young carer is. Why don't so many people know about us? These struggles cannot continue. The rise of these statistics cannot continue. Young carers cannot continue to be invisible, cannot continue to struggle in silence. They cannot keep going unnoticed. And so I ask, with the same passion and compassion that got you here, when making your choices both today and in the future, please take young carers into consideration—take us into consideration. Everything has to start somewhere, and it cannot keep being 'tomorrow'. At some point, these things—big changes—have to start today. Thank you.

Diolch, Ffion. Emily Williams next. Emily.

My name is Emily Williams and I am representing both Tŷ Gobaith and Tŷ Hafan in this Youth Parliament. When I was two years old, my brother was born with severe disabilities, and I stand with you all today to speak for both young people like my brother and siblings like me.

To start, disabled children and young carers are more likely to struggle with mental health issues. That is a fact. Research shows that people with physical disabilities are five times more likely to struggle with mental health challenges, while 38 per cent of young carers have a mental health condition. This clearly shows that we need an emphasis on protecting and treating young disabled people and carers’ mental health. Surely, these high-risk individuals should be able to access support earlier and easier. Then let me ask why, when I went to my GP while battling both depression and anxiety, was I only told, 'You aren’t alone in this', and sent away? No support, no further action—nothing. It took me getting referred to the hospital due to a high risk of committing suicide to get a CAMHS referral. Let me reiterate: I had to want to die to be looked at. There is no focus in Wales on flagging up people at high risk of developing mental health issues or of informing GPs of the need for treatments and available therapies.

I would also like to highlight how this country is currently failing to provide proper physical care to disabled people. Almost everyone across the UK right now is facing the effects of poor healthcare. However, this greatly affects the people with disabilities, as people with disabilities have double risk of developing severe health conditions, which clearly increases their reliance on healthcare. Across the Welsh NHS, the overall waiting list has risen to 24,261.

Medication shortages are also hitting the country, having severe consequences, including loss of life. David Crompton was a vibrant and loving son and had a zest for life. On 13 December 2024, at only 44 years old, he passed away after suffering a fall due to a shortage of Tegretol, his epilepsy medication. All of these issues are combining to paint an ugly picture, one of a society that simply cannot provide health support to those that rely upon it.

I’d like to close by asking one thing: how many of you here have noticed the struggles faced by disabled people in this country? I’d guess not many of you. But just because it doesn’t directly affect you, it doesn’t mean that there aren’t currently 670,000 disabled people living in Wales right now facing these issues on a daily basis. Just because you have never come face to face with this issue, it doesn’t mean it isn’t in serious need of being resolved. I can ask only that you offer aid in the silent, invisible battle that many are currently facing. After all, the true measure of any society can be found in how it treats its most vulnerable members. Diolch. Thank you.

Thank you, Emily. Elliott James is next. Elliott.

Bore da. Good morning. My name is Elliott. I'm 15 years old and I love science, youth club and going out with my mates, but I am also a care-experienced young person. I represent Voices from Care Cymru, a charity run by and for care-experienced children and young people, which is also a partner organisation to the Welsh Youth Parliament. Today, I want to talk about why care-experienced young people should be amongst the top three issues we address. I've had the privilege of consulting with other young people, and these are their voices, their truths and their lives.

I came into care at 12 and will remain in the local authority's care until I'm 18. I am originally from Cardiff. However, I was moved to rural Valleys at 12 years of age, away from everyone I knew and everything I loved. However, this isn't just my story; it's a story of thousands of others. Reunification isn't always possible or the right solution. The care system, unfortunately, isn't designed to meet the needs of young people today. It provides a bed and a roof, but not always the safety or appropriateness we need. For instance, children in care are much more likely to have special educational needs and disabilities—SEND. In 2013, 60 per cent of looked-after children at 16 were recorded as having SEND, compared to 16 per cent of children not in care. More than half of looked-after children have behavioural, emotional or social difficulties, compared to just a quarter of the general population. This makes finding placements for children like me with SEND even more difficult. On top of that, 3,000 children experience more than two placement moves within two years. Around 38,000 children come into care every year, which is one child every 15 minutes in need of a placement. Every 15 minutes, a child doesn't know where they'll be staying, who they'll be staying with, if they'll go to school again or when they'll see their friends and family next.

Since 2019, the number of young people in care has increased by 7 per cent, but what's more concerning is the 45 per cent rise in the number of young people being placed in children's homes and supported accommodation. This type of care often isn't the right solution for young people. It is unstable, unpredictable and more prone to breakdown, leading to another move that could be avoided if these young people are placed appropriately the first time around.

Care-experienced young people are nine times more likely to face homelessness in Wales. Around 20 per cent of those who are homeless are care leavers. Additionally, only 15 per cent of children in care go on to higher education by 19, compared to 47 per cent of all pupils. This is due to the lack of funding and lack of support for young people who do their A-levels. If they want to go to university, they cannot. The outcome of care-experienced children are often poorer in education, mental health and overall well-being.

Thank you very much, Elliott, for that. Callum Schembri is our next contributor. Callum.

Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Callum. I'm 17 and I'm studying A-levels. On the Welsh Youth Parliament, I represent NYAS. That stands for the National Youth Advocacy Service. I'm determined to make positive changes for children and young people who are or who have been in care. I'm also a member of the YPAC, which is within NYAS, and it stands for the young people's advisory group.

There are two main aspects that are important to me and to those I represent: firstly, making those who are in care a protected characteristic, and secondly, the NYAS Cymru My Things Matter campaign. There is not enough awareness or understanding of the discrimination care-experienced children and young people face. It has been recommended to the UK and Welsh Governments, as well as local authorities, that care experience should be made a protected characteristic, like discrimination due to race or disability under the 2010 Equality Act. These recommendations were rejected, and instead it was proposed that corporate parenting was introduced and expanded.

Corporate parenting is a shared responsibility between local authorities, agencies and services to support children in care. It's based on the idea that a council should act in the best interests of children in care, as if they were the parent. We are also calling for a vote to be arranged so that care-experienced young people themselves in Wales can vote on whether or not it should be a protected characteristic. NYAS completed research with YPAC members and other care-experienced young people, local authorities and professionals who work across the care sector to find out about the moving experiences of children and young people who live in care. The research found that 80 per cent of children and young people who responded said that their belongings were moved in bin-bags at least one time during their care. Three in five young people said that at least one, but usually more, of their personal belongings had been lost or damaged during a move in care.

On 12 March, in the Pierhead building in Cardiff Bay, YPAC are organising an event to promote our My Things Matter campaign. This is also known as the bin-bag campaign, but it's much more than that. The event is to raise awareness of the campaign and to encourage more local authorities to sign a pledge to promise that care-experienced children and young people and their belongings will be respected when they move in care. Only nine out of 22 local authorities have signed the pledge so far. It is essential that more local authorities sign the pledge to ensure that care-experienced children and young people know their belongings are safe and protected.

We in care are too often ignored and forgotten about, and the system has let us down countless times. Change has to happen to stop discrimination and to ensure equity of experience for children in care. I implore you all to vote when the time comes so that care-experienced children and young people aren't discriminated against for something they have no control over. Thank you.

Thank you, Callum.

The next theme is public transport and active travel. The first contributor will be Dylan Vaculin in this session.

Dylan, you're the first contributor in this session.

Prynhawn da. My name is Dylan Vaculin and I represent the Rhondda. I'm here today to address a topic affecting my area: public transport, a matter that's deeply important to me and many of my constituents. In the Rhondda, we rely heavily on the Treherbert to Cardiff train line, which is especially popular among local students commuting to secondary schools and workers travelling to Cardiff city centre and surrounding towns. However, there's growing frustration within the community regarding the inconsistency of this service. Delays, cancellations and rail replacement buses are a regular occurrence. On school days, these disruptions significantly impact local students, often resulting in them being late to school due to last-minute changes. Given that many students live between two and five miles from their schools, walking is simply not an option.

In addition to the train service, we have the local bus service operated by Stagecoach Wales. While it is currently seen as more dependable than the train service, feedback from the community highlights that the bus fares are expensive. For example, a 12-minute three-mile journey can cost over £7, which many residents find unaffordable. This high cost discourages people from using the service, except for those over 60 who can travel for free with a bus pass.

I firmly believe that we must encourage the use of public transport in Wales as the primary mode of travel, wherever possible. Significant financial investments have already been made in the electrification of the Valleys train lines, which will undoubtedly benefit Wales in the long term. However, to truly maximise the potential of public transport, we need to offer a service that is not only reliable but also affordable. If we can achieve this, I am confident that public transport usage will increase throughout the Rhondda and across south Wales. Diolch.

Thank you, Dylan. Zjackaria Meah next.

Thank you, Llywydd. Hi, I'm Zjackaria, and I'm the Youth Parliament Member representing Neath.

Hello, my name is Zjackaria and I'm representing the constituency of Neath. My constituents have come and complained to me about the prices and safety of transport. I will now tell you about the struggles that the children and young people of Neath face just to go to education. On average, the per child fare to travel from the town centre to my school weekly is £13. Annually, that's £494 and, after five years of secondary education, that adds up to £2,470. Let that sink in: £2,470. Especially during the cost-of-living crisis, should children and young people have to pay to go to education, which is a child's right, especially in Wales where the terrain is high and walking up hills with instruments, heavy bags, cooking ingredients, can be very tough and, during severe weather conditions, even worse?

This is why many children and young people prefer transport, not walking, but they want the transport to be sustainable and they want it to be on time. This also affects parents who have multiple children. Paying a lot of money can cause financial stress. Welsh Government want to promote the use of public transport, but the prices are high, especially during these times. The overcrowding on school transport is very unsafe, with people having to stand in buses right next to the windows right at the front. This is extremely dangerous and could be fatal. This could also cause panic attacks, claustrophobia, and children and young people may not be used to using public transport after COVID, and may still have post-COVID anxiety.

I believe children and young people should be able to go to school in the best and safest way possible. So, please, take time to think about this. We live in a country where it's safe to use transport and we should use it also to better the environment, but factors like these make it nearly impossible to use transport. Let that sink in. Should children and young people have to pay to go to education? This is why I ask you to vote for public transport as your topic. Diolch yn fawr.

Diolch, Zjackaria. Benjamin Thomas Harris next.

Llywydd, ladies, gentlemen, and other distinguished Members of this Parliament, my name is Ben Harris and I represent Delyn here on the backbenches. I've risen today to push for us to make public transport and active travel one of our three main priorities. How many of us have suffered with Wales's poor transport network? How many of us have seen our train delayed or formed of only two carriages? How many of us have watched our bus not show up or complained about 20 mph? How many of us have heard the dreaded words 'rail replacement bus service'?

This issue is so important for the young people that we represent. Most people of that age don't have driving licences. A few do; the majority don't. And so, when their bus is unreliable, when their train is unreliable, they often have no choice. It is our duty to vote for public transport, to improve it for the people we represent. Now, I personally cannot remember ever thinking that Welsh public transport is good. Can any of you guys? I can't. It was slightly better before COVID, but not by much. Our buses have always been infrequent and unreliable; our trains have always been too slow. We can make this better. It doesn't have to be this way.

I've seen French high-speed trains, I've seen the Paris metro, I have seen what London have; we deserve that too. And yes, Wales is a largely rural nation, our population is largely spread out, but we still can get the public transport that we deserve. We can look at the examples of Italy, Switzerland and Austria, the largely rural nations that still have excellent public transport. Just because we are not a huge city like London does not mean that we cannot have good trains, good buses and good roads. But this is not a fight between those of us who represent the cities and those of us who represent the countryside. I myself represent a constituency in north Wales, a largely rural one, with only a single railway station. My area deserves better public transport, but so does yours. Some of us will be from north-west Wales and are no doubt delighted about the news of the push to reopen the Bangor to Afon Wen railway line. Some of us represent parts of Cardiff and will be delighted with the work on the south Wales metro. I am delighted about this too. Just because I'm not from these areas doesn't mean I don't think they deserve the best transport possible.

If we have better transport, then our environment benefits, our economy benefits, and we benefit, and, if we push for it, the future of transport will be bright. Whether it's young people's bus fares being capped at £1 or whether that's the north Wales mainline being electrified, Governments are finally starting to take transport seriously. If, this afternoon, we vote to make transport one of our three priorities, we can hold their feet to the fire and hold the Welsh Government to account on its transport policy. It is time for the Welsh Youth Parliament to change the three key issues, which have been the same since 2018. Even if you make your speech on another crucial and important issue, remember to select public transport as one of the three issues that you will vote on this afternoon. You can vote on three issues: make transport one of them. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

Thank you, Ben. Morgan Peters next. Morgan.

Hello. I'm Morgan Peters, and I'm the representative for EYST—Ethnic Minorities Youth Support Team Wales. Today's world is one where travel is essential. From the moment you are born, you travel from the hospital to your home, and then you grow up, you go to school and jobs and events, yet this brings an issue of transport, especially when it comes to availability and cost.

Young people are our future, and they are the most innovative minds available at the moment. With this in mind, we have to hold in our regard what young people need support with, and transport is certainly one of them. Whether it’s getting to school, work or an event, there is a high chance of requiring a method of transport such as a car, bus or even train, in some cases, to arrive at the location. Unfortunately, in this society, and with the cost of living increasing every day, transport is not cheap, and money is not easy for young people to get. With all this in mind, it’s reasonable to conclude that all young people deserve free transport whenever they require it, and it also allows them to save money for their own futures rather than having to buy a bus pass or a car so early in life, and struggle to budget at such a young age with little funds. By having free transport for all young people—. There are one too many cases of people lamenting events they may have missed: life-changing events, because they could not arrange plans to travel there or did not have the funds for a taxi and such.

Everyone has the responsibility to contribute to society, otherwise society wouldn’t function, and by not having transport available for free for young people it prevents them from engaging with their community. Yes, you can argue that young people can simply engage online via social media, but no amount of digital engagement will come near to real life, because they are unable to get transport. If we provide free transport for all young people, we also inspire children and even older people to participate in society too, and young people are who spread news quickest, who work best, and who have the most accessibility in society at the moment. If they are crucial to us, we must provide the things that are crucial to them.

There have been attempts to reduce the strain on students who live far distances when it comes to travelling, as there are bus passes and train passes, which allow people to pay a shorter amount of money for a long-term ticket rather than buying one every day. However, these are no use when they are still ending up significantly late to lessons due to the bus being late or traffic or the train being cancelled. Why should we have to pay to go to the place where we need to go to learn?

With all this and their previous points in mind, public transport is now required to survive in the new, modern world, and must be available for all young people who are currently the most important yet most vulnerable members of society at the moment. Young people are the ones who will challenge the world for the better, and to continue to make improvements for everyone, but, in order to do that, we must first make improvements for them, and we can start with something as simple as making public transport free for them. Thank you.

Thank you, Morgan. Kiani Francis is next. Kiani.

Good morning. My name is Kiani Francis, and I'm a representative for Ceredigion in this Welsh Youth Parliament. And with that privilege, I'm grateful to be here today to discuss the problems we face due to inaccessible transport.

As many of us can't drive, or must rely on our parents, public transport isn't just a way to go from A to B. It's our route to our education, jobs and social lives. While some of us are fortunate enough to take advantage of these transport sources, I believe that there are improvements that we can make for our public transport to make it more accessible, to help everyone.

We collectively face several key barriers that prevent public transport from being feasible as, with the cost-of-living crisis, the current prices prohibit many from its usage, especially for trains. It's incredibly encouraging to see that changes in bus services have already been set in motion, with the Welsh Government introducing the 12-month pilot scheme, which will make bus fares just £1 for all young people aged 16 to 21 in Wales. This is proof of what we can achieve, but there is more to be done as, in addition to this, the timing and the frequency of bus services has been raised as an issue for many young people, with a lack of buses at times, such as after school and during the weekend, when we need them the most.

Only 30 per cent of young people in 2023 felt that the frequency of bus services was to a good standard, compared to the 32 per cent who felt the same way about train services. This issue is especially prevalent in the rural communities that have seen a reduction and significant delays in places where one could argue they need it the most. Rural areas rely on these services to access necessities, such as healthcare and groceries. The limited transport services not only contribute to their social isolation, but also disproportionately affect young people from these communities who find it harder to access education and employment opportunities, whilst spending over 10 per cent of their income on transportation. These problems, combined with the concern over the safety of marginalised groups that fear discrimination, have caused negative views of our public transport services that I feel it is our duty to change.

In helping make these changes, we are not only creating more easy and affordable ways of transportation for our peers, but also encouraging the use of more sustainable methods that, in turn, help the Welsh Government to increase sustainable journeys. By pursuing this further, we can also create more fulfilling social lives, as we are able to travel and experience more, thereby reducing the number of young people that seek entertainment in potentially dangerous ways. Our contribution will also help us gain more independence, as we can access jobs and educational opportunities without being restricted by how well the hours adapt to the bus timings.

I've listened carefully to all contributions this morning, but I listened especially carefully to Kiani's contribution because we share the constituency of Ceredigion. I'm the representative in the Senedd and you're the representative of that very special constituency in this Youth Parliament. You're no better than anybody else here, but you're a little bit special to me.

Charlotte Williams is the next contributor. Charlotte.

Hello, everyone. My name is Charlotte Williams. I represent the Stephens and George Centenary Charitable Trust.

Billions of people globally use public transport and active travel every day. While other countries invest in world-class public transport and cycling infrastructures, Wales is falling behind. Why should we settle for less? This topic is very important to me, as I am a college student who relies upon these methods often. Public transport is growing in Wales but is still lacking. There is a need for more support for students so that they can get around easier.

In 2021, a Welsh Government survey found that 6,000 people per day use buses compared to over 100,000 people per day using cars. This is especially prevalent in north and mid Wales, as the infrastructure is less comprehensive. Another issue is the cost of public transport. In my local area, students spend around £40 a month just on travel to get to school. This is a lot of money for people to spend on getting around, even more so in the cost-of-living crisis. For many, public transport is not just a convenience but a necessity. Many students are pushed to lean on their parents and carers to get them to school using cars. People rely on buses, trains and trams to go anywhere, not just school, and investing in reliable, affordable and accessible transport networks ensures that no-one is left behind.

Now, while improving public transport is crucial, we must also promote active travel as a viable alternative. Active travel is more prevalent in primary schools, and reduces significantly above the primary phase. There is a need for a push in active travel. Just 32 per cent of secondary school students use active travel, compared to in the Netherlands, where 50 per cent cycle to school every day. This method is vital, not just for personal health but also for reducing pollution. Active travel helps lower emissions, ease traffic congestion, whilst improving your health by reducing the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. If we invest in better walking and cycling infrastructure, more students will feel confident, safer and healthier choosing active travel over cars. We can better Wales for future generations to come by making a more connected and accessible public transport system, but also make a better planet by investing time in showing people that active travel can be safe in Wales. The small changes we make today can lead to a cleaner, healthier future for everyone. People shouldn't be forced into car dependency when much better options exist. Wales has the potential to lead in public transport and active travel and there needs to be more commitment to making that happen. Thank you, everyone.

Thank you, Charlotte. The next theme is the environment and climate change. Zac Jones Prince is first. Zac Jones Prince.

Hello, all. My name is Zac Jones Prince, representing the constituency of Wrexham, and the topic of my speech today will be climate change.

A century ago, climate change was commonly believed to be a lie to hurt oil companies, but over time people have come to realise the truth of the matter. Climate change is real, climate change is here and climate change must be stopped at all costs. People started believing in the fact that climate change was a threat about five decades ago and we've seen just how destructive it can be since then. The people of Wrexham can attest to this, having taken on three severe storms in less than one week in the month of January. These storms forced us to endure winds of up to 80 mph, which damaged homes, schools, workplaces and closed modes of public transport; heavy rainfall, which flooded crop fields and main roads; and airborne debris that forced people indoors and damaged anything unlucky enough to be outside. Climate change was responsible for how destructive those storms were, and if people continue to ignore the effects of climate change then storms and droughts will continue to become worse and worse.

I know everyone in this hall is fighting for something that they believe needs to be improved, but I would like everyone to take a moment to consider the fact of how severe the consequences will be if their topic is not chosen today. How many deaths will be caused? Because I know, currently, that climate change leads to around 400,000 deaths per year and that number is only rising. And most of those people who are dying have nothing to do with the rapid acceleration of climate change. The people most responsible are billionaire oil corporations and the Governments that support them. But there is still hope for change. If we all band together and fight for our planet’s right to live, here and now, we can begin to fix our past generations' mistakes and create a world in which our children can grow up without the fear of humans condemning themselves and every other species on the planet to damnation. Thank you for listening.

Thank you, Zac. And Daniel Vlad will be the final contributor to this morning's session. And just to remind everybody, if you have contributions in favour or against any of the points that you've heard in the contributions, just in this latter session, I'll be calling some of you to speak after Daniel has spoken. Daniel.

Diolch, Llywydd. How would you describe the environment? Perhaps 'natural, green and beautiful' come to mind. Now, what about if I said 'Wales'? You may be thinking the same sort of thing—natural, green and beautiful. But is this true? Is Wales as perfect and environmentally friendly as we all think?

According to the Welsh Government, 15 per cent of Wales is covered by forests. Let me rephrase that: 85 per cent of Wales is not covered by forests. Eighteen per cent—that is more than one in six—of all species in Wales are at risk of becoming extinct. And ultimately Wales is one of the most nature-depleted countries on Earth, according to Natural Resources Wales. So, I ask: how has this happened? How has Wales got such a large environmental problem?

In 2010, the Welsh Government pledged to plant 100,000 hectares—that is 5,000 hectares a year— of trees by 2030. However, since then, in 2020, only 430 hectares were planted a year on average, well below the 5,000 hectares a year promised. In 2016, the Welsh Government published an environmental Act, which set to maintain and enhance biodiversity. However, this Act failed to curb the trend of loss of biodiversity and was later altered in 2020. So, I call on the Welsh Government to stick to their promises, to be realistic but ambitious and to deliver on all environmental schemes.

As a Welsh Youth Parliament, we need to question. We need to question fallbacks on promises. We need to question a lack of action. However, we need to act. We need to act by aiding environmental initiatives and by doing work in our communities to improve the environment for the better. I am Daniel Vlad. I represent the Vale of Glamorgan, and I believe the Welsh Youth Parliament should focus on the environment and climate change. Diolch, Llywydd.

Diolch, Daniel. That concludes the formal contributions to this morning's session. Anybody have a view to share, either for or against? I may not be able to call all of you, because we are slightly running out of time, so I will start on this side this time.

You first.

I strongly agree with the speeches on the care experience. I am a foster carer and I do see the problems that people who have been fostered do have. I think that a lack of stability is a huge challenge for them, and a change in social workers and support workers happens far too often, which is a barrier to individuals developing a relationship and trusting in their support workers. But I also feel that the complexity of the process is an additional feature. Most often, it's not their fault that there is a difficulty, but I strongly believe that the process punishes them and ignores all of the challenges that they face. Thank you.

I agree with my good friends on their main priorities, however these points cannot be made or fixed by cold, hungry people. Like one of our fellow Members said earlier, hunger, warmth, safety and security make the grounds of civilisation and society. I believe that you need to fix poverty and bring extra funding to younger generations before we even attempt to consider these more ambitious problems. Diolch.

I just wanted to add with public transport, then, a lot of disabled people, especially, really rely on it. A large number of disabled people just can't drive either, just due to their disability, just general issues. So, I think it's really important that there is an increased look at it, especially with regard to disabled people.

Thank you very much. Who's next?

I would just like to echo the comments made by my next-door neighbour, Emily, in her very powerful speech. I agree with her fully on the point that the system is broken as it stands, and also you linked very well, as it links to transport with disabilities here.

Diolch yn fawr. Right, let's see. No more takers on this bench. Let's move—.

Yes, go on.

I just wanted to make a point about the connection between the environment and poverty. Poverty is the main obstacle to being sustainable for many people, especially in Wales, so I think it's important, if we do work on this topic, that we target corporations rather than put the pressure on individuals, as there's only so much you can do with limited resources.

Who else—anybody? Okay, we'll take the two at the back, then. You first.

Thank you, Llywydd. I just want to say how privileged I feel to sit here and listen to everybody talking about such interesting topics, things I haven't considered before.

I’m going to be annoying now and switch to English. But also I found it so so interesting to consider, especially regarding public transport, how it ties into student life. Many people in my constituency have really shared with me how concerned they are about prices of public transport, and why should—and it ties again into education—why should prices of transport be a boundary and a barrier that stops young people from being to access education. Diolch.

Thanks. Thank you.

Diolch, Llywydd. I just wanted to say a bit about care-experienced children and young carers. One of my nans fostered a child a couple of years ago, but then, sadly, left after she got—. Her first child got taken off her, because she was able to move back in with her parents, but she didn't want to carry on because there was no support for the foster parents. So, I think we need to call for the Welsh Government to look at getting support for the young people, but then also support for the foster parents to be able to get advice and stuff like that, and then, with young carers, I fully agree that the Government and us should support them. With doing a youth work placement with a charity based in Wrexham, who were supporting the young carers group there, the stories that I've heard are mind blowing, and I think we need to call for the Government to support young carers and to put it out there to say there is support for other young people who may not know if there is a young carers trust or a young carers group in their area, and to promote it more. Thank you.

Diolch yn fawr. Thank you for that. Okay.

Yes, here, and then—yes, you.

I want to say—. I can't remember who said it, but I know somebody who was on the topic of mental health did say that there are a lot of people on waiting lists because of mental health, and I want to share a bit of a personal experience: I remember—I think it was back in 2021—I was suffering with some mental health issues, and I went to a GP about it and they told me to refer to a local mental health service, and they never got back to me. And even though I did get the help I needed, it could have been more serious.

As some of you may know, I attend Ysgol Dyffryn Aman, and, last year, there was a very bad incident at our school and I had to deal with a lot of mental health issues. If I hadn't been able to get the help that I needed even then, I think that maybe—. I don't know where I'm going here, but I think that, yes, waiting lists definitely do need to be solved when it comes to mental health issues. Thank you.

Thank you for your contribution.

Yes, you're next. Oh, both of you had your hands up. Let's take you first, then, and then—. Yes.

Just to add on to—

Sorry, I was pointing, and I pointed at the wrong place. Sorry. Kiani, we'll take you first. Kiani, you carry on. You were on your feet.

I just wanted to carry on with Devlin's point about other resources apart from the mental health services that we have in CAMHS. Though people on waiting lists are referred to digital resources and services that are provided within the community, I think what we fail to acknowledge is that when people are referred to these services, sometimes they're not in a position to be able to help themselves, to be able to go to these digital resources for support. I am here today because of the support that I had from my friends, and I can't imagine what I would have done if I hadn't had them. So, I think it's important that we acknowledge that when we talk about these things. Thank you.

Diolch i ti. Yes, we'll take you next. I'm pointing, and I'm not getting it quite clear, because I don't know everybody's names yet. I will get there. Yes, in the black, then.

I just wanted to say that I think it was Makenzie's speech that was about adoption, and I get that, because I am adopted, and so is my cousin. Because the caring system didn't understand why he acted the way he did, it led to him getting dropped out of school and getting put into different places where he shouldn't have been, if that makes sense. I really agreed with what Emily's speech was. I think it was really powerful, and the way that she was also speaking about the disabled part, like with public transport, I think it just really went well together.

Thank you. You, then, yes.

I just wanted to say that I support the issue on mental health support, because many young people in my constituency have expressed concerns about the lack of sufficient mental health resources available to them within their schools, communities and local hubs, and also to add that the issue of homelessness and transportation relates to the cost of living also, if that could be addressed.

Diolch. We'll take four last contributions here, then, in this set.

Yes, you first.

Diolch, Llywydd. I also just want to clarify that, as I think someone mentioned it—overcrowding on public transport is the reason why many people, if you've got a wheelchair, on some Valleys lines, especially in the Cardiff city area, may not be able to use public transport during rush-hour times when the trains are really busy. There's not space for just people to get on the trains, let alone people in wheelchairs, children in prams, and so many seats—. There are only limited seats on the train, which means that people have to stand in the train, which causes overcrowding, like I said earlier, and claustrophobia, panic attacks. Also, it not only stops that train, it also stops, as well, more trains, because in trying to get on the platform, there's not enough space, trying to get on the train, and you can't go to your destination, which causes stress, especially for people who want to go to school. That's why there's a reason, and then the schools say, 'Why are you late?', but when you give your reason, 'Because the bus was packed and I couldn't get on and it was unsafe,' they will say, 'Find other ways of transport.' I just want to break that stigma of it, because it's not our fault that we can't go to school. You should understand that it's not our fault. We want to go to school, we want an education, but the transport system is just not good enough to take us to our place of education.

Thank you very much. Callum.

I just wanted to quickly add a really valuable insight, which I think would benefit a lot of these points. Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child states that we, as young people, should be able to be as healthy as possible, and I infer from that being emotionally happy and physically happy. Wales joined the United Nations in 2011 and, subsequently, as a result of that, we also joined the UNCRC with all the 42 rights applicable to us. So, my comment is—and it sounds like a question, but it doesn't matter—about why, 14 years on, we are still seeing children finding places to sleep at night. Why are we still hearing from young people that feel disregarded by the young carers system, and why are we witnessing care-experienced children feeling absolutely crushed by the system?

And I think it's a really big point to note, about if you are feeling—. We've all got very valuable points and insights to make, with a lot of problems, and it is so phenomenal that we actually get the chance to experience this and to actually voice our opinions on a national scale, and I'm really thankful for that. Thank you.

Thank you. Daniel.

I totally sympathise with what everyone has said about transport as, in the more rural areas of my constituency, people are unable to use public transport as it's either inaccessible or too far away. I understand this is the case for many of our more rural constituencies. So, as a Welsh Youth Parliament, it would be a brilliant idea for us to choose transport as one of our issues, as it disproportionately affects people in more rural areas. Why shouldn't young people in more isolated areas of Wales have the same opportunities as young people in urban areas to get around and live their daily life? Thank you. Diolch, Llywydd.

Thank you very much. The last word this afternoon goes to Ffion.

Firstly, I just wanted to highlight something that was repeated multiple times in terms of mental health. For the majority of the people in this room that have suffered with mental health issues and things in that area, it's taken them a long time and getting to the brink of, as we've heard, things like suicide and just the edge, really. And that happens quite a lot for young carers as well, because, as I said, we tend to go unnoticed quite a bit because of the people we're looking after. So, the people I care for and used to care for had mental health issues, and I was diagnosed rather late for a lot of things because they were looked at first. Young carers are also more likely to suffer with mental health issues and not be treated for them.

Secondly, I wanted to second what you said about public transport. It made me smile when you said it, because I was like, 'Yes, that's exactly how it is for me.' A lot of young carers are late to school anyway. They don't make it in on time because of things that are going on at home, or they've overslept because they've had to stay up late and do things. To then rely on public transport that isn't reliable doesn't work. So, for example, just last week I had an absolute meltdown, because something had happened at home and then I had to go to school, but I was already late. But I thought, 'Oh, I'm just going to manage to get the bus that will get me there just on time.' But, unfortunately, that bus didn't show up. I was then an hour late for school, which not only would have an obvious effect on my education, but I also got yelled at. As soon as I walked in, I got yelled at for being late, and even though I explained that I was a young carer and that they knew that anyway, and so being late was a regular occurrence, it was the fact that the bus hadn't shown up.

Multiple times throughout each term, I am ridiculed because of something that isn't my fault. I have to think and predict how public transport is going to be that day on top of all of the things that I already have to deal with. I have to leave more than an hour and a half early to go to school sometimes, just because I know that if I don't I won't make it, because buses are late or they don't show up. I know that this isn't just an issue that I face, and I know that it's something that is affecting the attendance and achievement levels of other young carers and my peers.

Thank you. Thank you very much, Ffion.

I was going to have you as the last contribution, but I've got one keen other person wanting to contribute.

So, you come in.

Talking about public transport, it's especially, I find, in central Cardiff and the surrounding cities of Cardiff not too bad. I'm from Cardiff, originally from Llanishen, so the buses are every 20 minutes or half an hour and, on a Sunday, they were every hour, so they were regular. But where I live now, in Gilfach, the bus is every hour from Monday to Saturday and then every two hours on a Sunday, but they don't start until 12 o'clock. My school starts at 9 o'clock, I have to leave the house at 6.50 a.m. to get to school relatively on time, because of the way the buses go, and the buses don't turn up. If I miss that bus, there's not another one I can catch until 8.30 a.m. or 8.40 a.m.

Public transport is not accessible, especially in areas that are deprived—it's not accessible. And the bus prices are outrageous at the moment. I was in Bridgend, trying to get home. Half-an-hour journey it would be in the car, and 45 minutes on the bus. I went in, 'Can I have a child single to Hendreforgan, please?'. Five pounds for a single journey practically up the road, which I could have walked in an hour and a half. So, that makes it inaccessible. And then, bus passes don't necessarily work, because if you have to pay for a bus pass as a young person, when the education maintenance allowance, I think, is £40 every two weeks, if I'm correct, so that covers £20 for a bus pass. It's not accessible to those with additional learning needs, to those who are in care, to those who have that as their only transport. It's not accessible.

Thank you. Okay, I'm going to draw everything to a close for this morning's session. I've let it go on longer than I was meant to, because your contributions have been absolutely fabulous, I must say. I've been inspired by both previous Youth Parliaments and the contributions that Members have made to both previous Youth Parliaments. I can tell you that you're equally inspirational.

So, thank you very much to you all for your contributions this morning.

I'm finishing my time now in chairing your session, and Paul Davies, the Member for Preseli Pembrokeshire, will be chairing the session this afternoon.

Thank you to you all, and I look forward to working with you in the future.

I look forward to working with you into the future. We'll finish this session now for lunch. Diolch yn fawr.

Welcome back. It’s a privilege to join you this afternoon and to chair the second half of your very first Plenary. In this part, we will be discussing the remaining topics, namely equality and rights, crime and security, economic development and tourism, community resources, smoking and vaping, agriculture, farming and food, and healthcare.

We will start this afternoon's session with the theme of equality and rights, and our first contributor is Olive Burns.

Hello. My name is Olive Burns. I am speaking today as a representative of Digon, an LGBTQ+ equality group in Ysgol Plasmawr. The name 'Digon' translates as 'enough'. I believe it is essential that we focus on equality, and I will be presenting three reasons why.

First of all, we must ensure that schools are inclusive and represent all aspects of society. According to the charity Theirworld, almost half of LGBTQ+ youth in the UK have been bullied or discriminated against at school because of their sexual orientation, but half of those did not report the bullying to anyone. As Members of the Youth Parliament, we have a real opportunity to take a stand against these prejudices and make schools a more inclusive space for so many people. If we can feel happy and safe in school, then we will be more able to concentrate on our studies and succeed.

By focusing on equality, we can also improve the emotional well-being of many young people in Wales. Mental health services took an overwhelming lead in the issues survey, receiving 564 votes. It is clearly a priority for young people across Wales to improve services and take care of our generation’s mental health. If we can create a more inclusive, accepting society, this will be an essential step in the process.

The third reason we should focus on equality is to eliminate hateful language and any verbal abuse towards minorities. With the rise of social media, and certain populist politicians, we have seen a rise in offensive terminology used, as people reflect the language of online trolls in everyday interactions. Freedom of speech is essential in any democracy, but we cannot use it as a weapon to attack marginalised communities. Free speech should mean ensuring that everybody’s voice is heard, not only those with power. If Wales is to be an anti-racist country and the most LGBTQ+ inclusive country in Europe by 2030, let us as a Youth Parliament use our voice to ensure that this is not just a possibility, but a reality.

This is our chance to shape policies that reflect the values we actually stand for. Many schools have tried to set up similar organisations to Digon and have been refused. This is not ensuring the well-being of future generations. We must strive to eliminate any discrimination and hate towards any minorities. If we can do it in schools, then we can ensure that, across society, individuals will be valued for who they are and how they behave towards others, rather than who they love, their gender, identity, their ethnicity or their race. Your protected characteristics should not have to define you or your life experience. I believe we can only focus and succeed with other topics once equality, diversity and inclusion underpin all that we do. Diolch yn fawr. Thank you.

Diolch, Olive. The next contributor is Elizabeth Bartlett.

Good afternoon. My name is Elizabeth Bartlett.

Good afternoon. My name is Elizabeth Bartlett, and I represent Islwyn.

In 2011, Wales made the UNCRC, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, part of its domestic law. We were the first country in the UK to do so. The UNCRC protects our most crucial rights, like the right to food, to life and to not be detained or tortured. One of the rights most relevant to our activities today is article 12: the right to have your voice heard. Right now, we are able to have our voices heard. We are able to express our opinions and have this discussion. This is not the case for every child in Wales.

I want to be able to enforce this legislation, to go to our constituents and ask them what needs to change. We have a great opportunity here. We have young people from every constituency and a variety of focused charities. We need to not just provide our own views, drawing from our personal experiences, we need to genuinely reach out and ask the young people in our areas what their problems are in depth and detail. It would be naive to think that we can represent the young people of Wales without listening to their varied experiences and opinions. We can be the link between our peers, those older and younger than us, and the politicians that seem so hard to reach.

We're also incredibly privileged to be here today. We are the young people that can afford not to work for a whole weekend. We are the young people whose parents and carers have supported us to access this kind of activity. We can be here because we can take on this responsibility. We have the mental load to be able to free up our time to be here, and we are the young people that are able and well enough to be here today. We can use this privilege to ensure that every child has access to article 12, that they are heard and listened to, so we can genuinely try and solve their problems.

We can use consultations, surveys, focus groups, interviews, school forums, youth groups. We can encourage our adult counterparts, our Senedd Members, to support young people in our constituencies. Every other issue that we will address today affects young people, so surely we would want to consult those affected. Who could be better at connecting with young people across the country than us? How many other organisations can say they have the geographical range to get such a wide range of views heard? We have a great opportunity here: instead of focusing on three narrow issues, we can allow every child in Wales to access their right to be heard. Thank you.

The next contributor is Riley Lubinsky.

Hi, I'm Riley Lubinsky and I'm representing Alyn and Deeside. I've lived here for six years now. I moved here from Cape Town, South Africa, and on a real note, I feel like I've never been taken seriously here, and I know I'm not the only one. So, I stand before you today with a heavy heart, because I need to talk about something that should have never existed: discrimination. It's not just a word, it's the deep hurt in someone's eyes when they realise they're treated differently because of their skin colour, gender or their background. It's a pain that lingers long after the words are said, a shame that people carry silently for years.

Everyday discrimination breaks lives, isolates people and takes away their humanity, which can lead to bad mental health. For too long, we've let it happen. We stayed silent when we should have spoken. We've looked away when we should have acted. We've allowed this injustice to live in quiet places, in the places where it's easy to ignore. But the silence has never healed anyone. Silence lets hurt grow. If we don't talk about discrimination, if we don't speak up for those who are suffering in the shadows, it will continue to tear us apart. Imagine the children who grow up with the belief that they are not good enough because of where they are from, the colour of their skin or who they love. Imagine the isolation they feel when the fear sets in their hearts. This is real, it's happening right now in our world, in our country.

We can't wait any longer. We can't afford to let anyone else feel the deep-cutting loneliness. We can't allow this to continue, knowing the damage it's causing, knowing how much people's lives have changed every single day. The time to speak is now. If we don't speak, who will? If we don't teach our children to be kind, to see humanity in everyone, then who will show them?

The road to change is painful and it's long, but it starts with our voices. It starts with us deciding right now that we will not be silent any longer, that we will not stand by while others suffer. We are united in our fight for a world where no-one else feels less than. Please let us be the generation that stops the silence. Let us be the ones who look discrimination in the face and say, ‘Not here, not now, never again.’ Thank you.

The next contributor is Devlin Jack Stanney.

I'm really nervous right now, sorry, but I'm going to get on with it. Hello, my name is Devlin Stanney and I represent the constituency of Carmarthen East and Dinefwr. In my speech, I've chosen the topic of equality and rights. Firstly, I'd like to say thank you for the contributions by Riley, Liz and—I can't remember the name of the other one—Olive, sorry. And in my speech, instead of asking to stop discrimination, I would like to ask why discrimination happens in the first place.

Some of you may know that I am in fact a gay man and I would like to speak about my experiences on a daily basis and why I think that this happens. In my daily life, it's okay. Most people aren't that discriminatory to me. I go to a school where people are generally accepting of my identity, but even then there are still people who aren't the nicest to me. There's somebody in my class who always says, 'That's so gay' in a negative way, and sometimes I just say it's funny, say it's a joke, but maybe sometimes that's not a joke. In my biology class, I had a kid say, 'I hate gays', right after I'd finished having a conversation with him. And I didn't take that seriously, but I know that maybe another kid in my situation definitely would have. The age-old, 'Is being gay a choice?' discussion has come up at least once a fortnight since I came out.

But even then, I’m quite lucky. Have you ever noticed that usually in your school all the queer kids band together in one group? That is not by choice. Pretty much everywhere we will try to integrate ourselves, we will always be discriminated against, and we will always feel like we are inferior to people. Usually, we're kind to each other and usually we're happy in our group, but even then it feels limiting. And even though all these things are minute situations, sometimes they do get to me and sometimes I feel like I don't have any confidence. There’s a reason mental health issues and suicide rates are higher for queer kids and adults, but why does this happen?

Here is where it starts to get a bit unrelated. Does anybody remember those misinformation videos that would always be, like—? I remember seeing one recently where they looked through a microscope and it was a fake video of these worms in bananas, and it was saying, 'Look how dangerous this thing is.' But even though it was total misinformation, many people saw that and thought, 'Maybe I should look at the things I'm eating and maybe I should be careful.' The reason why this happens is because people are ignorant of things that they don't know.

A YouTube video I watched a few years ago said something, and I don't think I could encapsulate it better. She said, 'If I told you that some of the cakes that you buy and eat at the shops have sodium hydrogen carbonate in them to make them a little bit nicer, you might get worried about that, but if I told you that that is the chemical name for baking soda, you'd be like, "I know what that is, I know what that does, it makes the cake rise, and without it, it would be very flat."' And I think when it comes to people like me and people of other minority groups such as race, disability, gender, I think it is the exact same thing. People don't understand. They never knew that gay people really existed as a child, so when it comes to comprehensive school when people like me are discovering their identity for the first time and people are reacting to me, the reason why people make these remarks is because this is something new to them and they don't know what is right and what is wrong to say to me.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Devlin. The next theme is crime and security and the first contributor is Abdul Aziz Algahwashi.

Hello, my name is Abdul Aziz Algahwashi and I'm representing Cardiff Central in the Welsh Youth Parliament. The topic that I want to talk about today is crime and security. Today, I want to talk about an issue that affects all of us.

Every day, we hear about young people involved in crime, whether as victims or offenders, but have we ever stopped to ask why this happens and what can we do about it? Many factors push young people into crime: peer pressure, lack of guidance and even social media influence. Some turn to crime out of desperation while others do so for a sense of belonging, but the consequences are serious: violence, lost opportunities and broken futures.

So, how do we make our communities safer? Prevention is the most important thing. Schools, families and local leaders must work together to provide education, mentorship and safe spaces for young people. We need more programmes that engage youth in positive activities, such as sports, arts, skill building and much more, as well as stronger relationships with parents, teachers and mentors who can also guide young people away from crime.

But safety isn’t about just preventing crime; it’s about looking out for each other by supporting our friends in making good choices and always remembering safety starts with awareness and being careful about where we go and who we trust and what we share online. Together, we can build a future where young people feel protected, valued and empowered. Let’s choose safety for a better path for the young people. Thank you.

Grace Tilbury is next.

Hello. I'm Grace.

I'm talking to you today about three words, three words that have killed: trosedd mewn ysgolion. All across Wales, movements are being made in an attempt to control the growth of students committing crimes in schools. In spite of this, bad behaviour is worsening to the point where threats are being made, lockdowns are being declared and lives are being lost—lost in the sense that victims’ lives are being tainted, broken. They’re being killed.

In the past year, crime in schools has become more and more frequent, to the point I could count the numbers on my hand. It has become a familiar term now. Tragedies that were considered rare and unfortunate are becoming increasingly common, yet still so unfortunate and devastating. Crime in school is jeopardising what was a safe place and what should be a safe place. On 24 April last year, two teachers and one pupil were stabbed, almost fatally. 'I saw a girl take out a knife. Everyone was running, everyone was screaming. It was so scary. I’m going to remember that day for the rest of my life. It was terrifying. It was chaos.' Everyone in Ammanford was impacted by 24 April. For the 14-year-old culprit, carrying a knife started as a defence mechanism for bullying, but when a teacher suspended her for carrying a weapon, she became her target. The day of the crime started with a simple routine check-up not being carried through and ended in emergency services. Since then, the 14-year-old in question has been charged with attempted murder. But what has changed?

Schools across Wales are revising their lockdown procedures, reviewing what could be done to make their school safer, and yet knife crime in schools is only rising. Two days after the Ammanford stabbing, another lockdown in a nearby school was placed after receiving a threat. Three weeks ago, my school was placed into lockdown after receiving a threat. The 14-year-old from Ammanford was a victim of bullying. The 14-year-old from my school was a victim of bullying and a complicated home life. They were scared, angry, confused. Tightening up on security won't prevent these attempts. Finding the reason will. Both attackers needed support to prevent their anger from catastrophising, and they still do. A quick search on Google brings up eight ways to manage anger, so why does violence appear to be the only option?

By voting for crime and safety this term, we can change the attitude to managing anger and ensure that schools stay safe. So, when you vote, please remember that we should not be in danger for receiving an education. We should not have to question the safety of a safe school. We need to focus and prevent crime in schools from happening all over Wales. Diolch.

The next contribution comes from Jake Dillon.

Thank you. My name is Jake Dillon. I'm the Member for Montgomeryshire, and I have been since 2021.

I live just outside the town of Welshpool, which boasts such attractions as four barbers, five charity shops, zero banks and seven drug farms found in the last 18 months. That's one drug farm for every 780 people in Welshpool. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and the mass exodus of the high street, county lines gangs took advantage of empty shops and buildings. In Welshpool, many empty shops and buildings have been taken over and repurposed into drug farms. For example, the HSBC bank in Welshpool closed in 2021. Inside, it was converted into a drug farm worth over £200,000 whilst it was still on sale to the general public. In another case, the former offices of the County Times newspaper were raided and a drug farm was found. You would assume that that would be the end of that. But, four months later, the same offices were raided again and another drug farm was found. County lines gangs take advantage of vulnerable young people in our communities, to help them transport drugs from places like Welshpool towards places like Manchester and Birmingham. We have to show that as young people we will not tolerate county lines gangs using our towns, villages and communities as breeding grounds to take advantage of vulnerable people and getting them hooked on illegal drugs. Thank you.

The next theme is economic development and tourism, and the first contribution is from Elin Llwyd Brychan.

Thank you. My name is Elin Llwyd Brychan and it is a privilege to be here today to represent Arfon. The issue I want you to consider is economic development and tourism. For tourism to be sustainable, the economy, the environment and the local community must benefit while also meeting the needs of the visitor. This is not the case in Wales at the moment. Yes, measures are being put in place, but more needs to be done. Tourism generates an annual income of £5 billion for the Welsh economy and 25 per cent of the workforce in my constituency is reliant on the industry. But it is a seasonal industry and overtourism in the summer adds to councils' costs, and the maintenance work is often reliant on the goodwill of local volunteers.

Whether you agree or disagree with the visitor levy, we do need to expand the discussion on the future of our economy and the impact of overtourism before it is too late. If you go down to the Menai straits in Caernarfon in the summer, you will see rows of campervans wild camping. It's a very familiar sight also to see a crowd of climbers waiting for their turn to get a selfie on the Wyddfa's summit. In comparison, these tourist destinations are very quiet in the winter, with seasonal shops and cafes closed. In addition, the problem of holiday homes and Airbnbs endangers the future of young people in their local communities by increasing house prices beyond their reach.

Like many of you, I'm sure, my plan after studying at university is to return home. But what will be left of my community by then? Like the Wyddfa's paths, our identity and heritage is being eroded before our eyes. How are we to maintain our communities if our local areas are turned into a playground for visitors? Our future is at stake. That's why I am urging you today to choose economic development and tourism as one of our issues. Thank you.

Diolch, Elin. The next theme is community resources, and the first contributor is Nicholas Nzomosi.

Good afternoon, everyone. Prynhawn da, pawb. My name is Nicholas, and I'm here to represent Swansea Council. I'm here today to talk about something that affects us all: community resources—things like youth clubs, family hubs, playgrounds, and funding for charities. These aren't just extra things; they’re essential for young people to have a safe space, to make friends and to learn new skills. I know first-hand how important it is to have a youth club. I have one in my community, and it's one of the best places to go after school. It gives young people a chance to hang out somewhere safe instead of being stuck at home or outside with nothing to do. Whether it's sports, games or just chatting with friends, it brings people together.

But not every area is lucky enough to have these spaces. Some youth clubs have closed because of funding cuts, and not all communities have proper playgrounds or family hubs. This isn't fair. Young people need places where they can feel supported, have fun and stay out of trouble. We also need to support charities and organisations that help young people and families. Whether it's foodbanks, mental health support or activity groups, they all make a difference. But without proper funding, they struggle to keep going.

So, what can we do? We need to push for more investment in youth services. We need to make sure every young person in Wales has access to these resources, no matter where they live, because when we invest in young people, we invest in a better future. Thank you.

The next contributor is Lewis Williams.

Good afternoon. My name is Lewis Williams. I'm from Tremadog in Gwynedd and I represent GISDA.

I'm Lewis Williams from Gwynant, Tremadog, and I'm here representing GISDA. I want to talk about community resources.

My speech will be in English, and I'm mainly going to talk about youth clubs, because it's who I'm representing, so I figured why not?

The first issue is that, mainly, youth clubs are dying, essentially. That might sound a little bleak, but it's the only way I know how to describe it. In my local area, the club that I represent is only targeted towards where I live, which is Gwynant, and that's it. It's a club for LGBTQ people, and they're housing the homeless and it's also for new parents who are struggling. It supports three different groups of people, but it's not going anywhere more public, it's just in Gwynant. And it doesn't seem fair, because I know many people who would benefit immensely from just going once.

And most youth clubs now, not just GISDA, aren't getting enough of a budget and funding for certain things. There's not enough food. A lot of people, when they go to their youth clubs, essentially, they don't go for the—. No. Sorry, that was the wrong thing—I'm nervous. What I was trying to say is that the reason I'm talking about youth clubs is because I looked through the list of all of the 23 issues, and I noticed that most youth clubs or any clubs can support about six of those things, because they're youth clubs for young people and have trained professionals who can help with mental health issues, because they're qualified; there are sports clubs outside and inside schools; there are clubs in schools for anti-smoking and vaping; and also GISDA, again, is housing the homeless; and finally, as well, helping with culture and the arts and even careers advice. And that's why I'm mainly talking about these, because youth clubs benefit almost everyone, because there's a youth club for everyone, because that's what a youth club is—at least it is to me. Sorry, I'm jumbling my words, but that's everything I wanted to say. Thank you.

Thank you, Lewis. The next theme is smoking and vaping, and the contributor to this is Mirac Solmaz.

Hello, everyone. My name is Mirac. I represent TGP Cymru's Belong project. Today, I will talk about smoking and vaping and their effects, especially on young people. Smoking has been a common habit for many years. Cigarettes contain tobacco and chemicals, like nicotine, which is very addictive. Smoking damages the lungs, heart and other parts of the body. It causes diseases like lung cancer, heart disease and breathing problems. It also affects non-smokers through second-hand smoke, which is dangerous for everyone.

Now let’s talk about vaping. Vaping has become popular among young people. Many think it is safer than smoking, but it's not. Vapes contain nicotine, which is harmful for the developing brain of teenagers. It can cause memory problems, difficulty concentrating and increased stress. Vaping can also lead young people to start smoking traditional cigarettes later in life. Vaping is marketed in ways that attract young people, such as flavoured products or advertisements that make them look cool, but it’s not. However, these habits can lead to addiction, serious health problems, and a lower quality of life in the future. Thank you for listening.

Thank you, Mirac, for those comments.

The next theme is agriculture, farming and food, and the first contribution is from Celyn Richards.

Annwyl gyfeillion, fy enw i yw Celyn Richards, ac rwyf yn cynrychioli clybiau ffermwyr ifanc Cymru. Rwyf wedi bod yn aelod o’r mudiad am bron i chwe blynedd, ac wedi derbyn amryw o gyfleon, o ddatblygu sgiliau i greu ffrindiau newydd. Heddiw, rydw i am drafod un o’r problemau mwyaf sy’n wynebu llawer o gymunedau gwledig yng Nghymru a thu hwnt: y diffyg atyniad sydd yn denu pobl yn ôl i’w cefn gwlad. Mae’n fater sy’n cael effaith sylweddol ar ein cymunedau, ein heconomi, a’n ffordd o fyw.

Gadewch i ni edrych ar y materion hyn mewn mwy o fanylder. Un rheswm amlwg yw pan fydd pobl yn gadael am y brifysgol. Er bod gan Gymru wyth prifysgol, rydw i’n siŵr y gall llawer ohonoch uniaethu â’r feddylfryd hon, bod pethau’n well y tu hwnt i Gymru, a bod llawer o ysgolion yn rhoi gormod o bwyslais ar brifysgolion y Russell Group. Ond er bod pobl yn mynd i brifysgol gyda’r bwriad o ddychwelyd i’w cymunedau, mae’r realiti yn wahanol.

Fawr yw’r sioc o weld nifer o bobl yn gadael ac, yn y pendraw, nid yw’r cynllun i ddychwelyd yn digwydd. Pam felly? Mae hyn oherwydd bod llawer o broblemau yn y cefn gwlad na welir yn y dinasoedd: band eang israddol, traffig ac amrywiaeth o drafnidiaeth gyhoeddus sy’n pryderu pobl ifanc, diflastod gwaith, a phrisiau tai anfforddiadwy.

Mae ardaloedd gwledig Cymru yn cyfrif am 82 y cant o arwynebedd y tir, ond dim ond 32 y cant o’r boblogaeth sy’n byw yma. Yn ogystal, mae astudiaeth a gomisiynwyd gan Virgin Media O2 yn dangos bod bron i ddwy ran o dair o bobl ifanc 19 i 24 oed sy’n byw mewn ardaloedd gwledig ar fin gadael, gyda’r gobaith o wella eu bywydau mewn dinasoedd. Er bod y dinasoedd yn ffynnu, mae’r cymunedau gwledig yn gweld dirywiad: llai o fusnesau, llai o weithleoedd, ac yn anffodus, llai o wasanaethau i gefnogi bywyd dyddiol.

Fel aelod o glwb ffermwyr ifanc, mae’r niferoedd sydd wedi gadael am gyfleoedd gwell mewn mannau arall wedi bod yn niwed anferthol i ni, ac yn ofidus, wrth fynd o glwb gyda dros 30 o aelodau yn troi lan bob wythnos, i nawr, yn ffodus i weld 10.

Gyfeillion, nid yn unig yw ein heconomi yn cael ei effeithio, ond hefyd ein cymunedau, sydd wedi ffynnu am ddegawdau, nawr yn dirywio. Ffrindiau, er fy mod wedi rhestru nifer o resymau, a mwy na thebyg wedi dychryn rhai ohonoch rhag erioed byw mewn ardal wledig, mae'r bywyd gwledig yn cynnig pethau gwerthfawr nad ydyn ni'n gallu eu cael yn hawdd mewn dinasoedd: cydbwysedd rhwng bywyd gwaith a bywyd personol, awyr iach, a chysylltiad agos â natur. Ond, i ddod â phobl yn ôl, mae angen newid sylweddol.

Mae angen i ni fuddsoddi mewn creu cyfleoedd gwaith sy’n addas i’r oes ddigidol, ond hefyd galluogi pobl ifanc i sylwi bod gan yr ardaloedd rhywbeth i'w gynnig. Fel un sydd yn byw mewn ardal wledig, roedd sefydliad canolfan Yr Egin yng Nghaerfyrddin, sydd tua 15 munud i ffwrdd o le dwi’n byw, yn enghraifft aruthrol ac y mae wedi bod yn hwb enfawr i bobl wrth ystyried symud yn ôl i’w hardal, gan gynnig swyddi eraill. Mae yna ddigon o swyddi ar gael yn ein cynghorau lleol, adlewyrchiad arall o ble allwn ni weithio i godi ymwybyddiaeth pobl ifanc o beth yn union mae ardaloedd yn cynnig.

Thank you, Celyn. The next contribution is from Oliver Higgins.

Good afternoon. Prynhawn da, honourable Members, Llywydd. I am Oliver Higgins, representing the brilliant people of Ogmore, and I'm here today to give a needed, yet glum assessment of the current state of agriculture in Wales, an issue of immense importance to my constituents, but also for the whole nation, I'm sure you'll know. When you look at jobs, the pits, gone; the factories, gone; the high street, gone; the steel, gone, and on and on. In agriculture, the same fate could lie ahead if we continue to bring it to its knees.

Young farmers are uncertain that their formerly inevitable future of continuing to farm is viable in the present, all because of Government taxation and regulation. Whether deliberately, out of existing but exaggerated environmental concerns, or not, and rather out of incompetence, the Government's actions have been next to suicidal for domestic agriculture in a country that is ripe for growing and nurturing good-quality food.

In solving these issues, we need a robust and ambitious plan to shred red tape for farms and give confidence to farmers in their work being valued and strengthen their ability to work independently. Farmers must be liberated from said regulation if domestic food production and our cultural countryside and local communities are to be preserved. As a constituent, a long-time farmer and friend of mine, told me, 'Take the boots off our necks and we'll use them to get to work.'

To conclude, Members, I would implore you to give this Youth Parliament a firm agenda in voting for it to include agriculture, farming and food as part of our aims. Renewal is possible, renewal is needed, renewal is our duty to deliver as elected Members representing a great people such as our farmers. Thank you. Diolch yn fawr.

The final theme today is healthcare, and I call on Ameesha Ramchandran to speak on this topic. Ameesha.

Thank you, everyone. Imagine: you live in a nation with a service dedicated to helping and serving our communities, a service renowned for its significant medical contributions, a service that has the fundamental principle of sustaining all of our lives here in the UK. Now, imagine what the environment of the service would appear to be like. Would it be funded extensively? Would it have an efficient and organised workforce with a healthy work life? I can assure you that's what I'm thinking of.

However, in reality, this service is severely underfunded, with waiting times for accessing this service skyrocketing, and with staffing for this service plummeting. Shocked? I know I am. My name is Ameesha, and today I will be discussing the issue of healthcare with you. The NHS, created in 1948, is arguably one of the greatest things about the UK, allowing all of us to access something that allows us to live, grow and be healthy. However, at this current stage, the NHS is experiencing a significant lack of funding, unable to meet the demand for the new innovations of science and technology.

As stated by a surgeon working within the NHS with a decade of work experience, 'The NHS seems to not hold the necessary funds to allow us to provide the highest quality technology at the moment.' Moreover, the immense shortage of staffing simply creates a devastating effect on not only the patients, but the staff themselves, as healthcare professionals, such as nurses and doctors, et cetera, work increasingly hard to maintain the requirements that are put on them, often leading to burn-out. It's quite clear to see that this situation is not ideal for anyone, and I'm sure that this doesn't go unnoticed. Within the survey created by the Welsh Youth Parliament, out of the 1,665 people, 505 people chose this issue as one of the most important and pressing issues within our communities and our country.

To conclude, I urge you to consider the shocking environment in which the NHS runs and to consider the possible advances that could be attained and the potential that could be reached if we aimed to support this situation. Thank you.

Thank you, Ameesha, for your comments and for concluding the speeches of the first meeting of the third Youth Parliament. Thank you to all of you for your comments. You'll now have an opportunity to respond to what you've heard this afternoon, so who would like to respond to the topics you've heard this afternoon? I'll start on this side. Is there anybody on this side? Riley Barn.

I'd just like to speak in response to the very, very good statements that were made on the side of crime, especially for the younger generations. It needs to be educated from the foundation of a child's life to as soon as they leave secondary school that crime is in no way good. But, sometimes, it is necessary to understand that some people are driven into situations that lead them in ways that they just do not want to be in. It's one of the few options for some people due to poverty and loss of housing and all such things, which can lead to people becoming desperate. Due to people being desperate and the lack of help that they have, crime is one of few options, which is such an unfortunate statement, especially for young people. Young people need to understand and there needs to be provision for young people instead of crime. There have been attempts made by the Government, but it is a statement, regardless of whether or not crime is picked as one of the main three, that young people and more people need help other than crime to stop crime from being one of the few options that they have.

Thank you, Riley. Yes, in the front here.

Diolch. I too campaigned on community resources, and I think for those who spoke about that, I think it's a really important issue. What you talked about was having youth hubs for certain minority groups, especially for mental health or certain groups. And although I feel that that is really important, I also feel that, for the majority, as well, we need youth hubs just for ourselves, instead of specifically learning about something or being taught skills, we just need places, as young people, to go and relax and to just be. Because I feel like we fall into a really weird category because we're not legally old enough to go out to clubs and do all of that and we're too old to be having babysitters at home. So, we don't really have anywhere that we can go and I feel like there really needs to be funding for youth hubs, just for young people to just be and to have a safe place to just relax. Thank you.

Oliver.

With regard to crime, I want to say how harrowing it is, what's been going on at the minute, like you were saying with the drugs and the knives and the crimes. Just in my neighbouring constituency, in a school, there was an incident where a boy had pinned another boy against a wall with a knife, just a few weeks ago. And just yesterday, in school, I had to have a lockdown drill, and it's the first time we've ever had to have one, because of how serious the situation is. And it shows how dire the state of policing is, and that we are, to a certain extent, underfunded. But also, we are misallocating resources to busting drugs or to dealing with knife crime, and we have, for example, so-called hate speech, which you may not like, but is being policed, where people are being investigated over things they post online, which may be displeasurable, may not be very nice, but it's more important to be dealing with these serious crimes over something you might not like someone saying on the internet. So, I would just like to add that to the statement.

Thank you very much. I would like to raise two points, if you will, just based on my constituency. First of all, with the crime and criminals going around the case, when it came to Grace telling her story about the Ammanford stabbing, it was actually quite resonating to me, because my dad works at Brynteg Ammanford surgery, and he was involved with the stabbing and the hospital procedures, and my best friend who lives in Ammanford has many friends in the same school that the stabbing happened; I had to receive phone calls from them screaming in despair. This is the same thing with Llanelli as a district itself. There have been more drugs, there have been more stabbings and there have been more crimes now more than ever, particular in areas like Llanelli train station, where kidnapping attempts have been going on. It's absolutely disgusting and there needs to be resolve for that.

I would also like to touch on as well, in the agricultural field, it's incredibly undervalued. Llanelli is a prime and is a growing farming community, and yet, under the new inheritance tax policies, they have completely disregarded Welsh farming as a whole thing. Welsh farming is essential for the food we bring onto our tables, and, despite protest after protest, it falls on deaf ears in this Government, which is unacceptable for many people from my constituency, who I'm supposed to be representing, who are struggling when it comes to even affording food, despite all the work they do in food. It's unacceptable. We need to put Welsh farmers first of all. Thank you very much.

I just wanted to put an extra emphasis on Jake's point about county lines. When I was going through school, our school did a really good job on telling us about county lines and the dangers of it, which was a good job, really, because county lines tried to come to my town and tried to get in with a lot of the kids, and it took a few weeks for us to realise what was going on. I thought people were well educated on it, but, when I went to college, most people I spoke to about them had never heard of them and had no idea what they were. So, they were very vulnerable to them, and I feel like people don't realise the dangers of county lines, and awareness needs to be raised of it, as well as tackling the issue. Thank you.

Elizabeth.

I think that lots of the points that we've been bringing up with youth clubs and with crime go together really well. So, with the cost of living, you've got young people that don't have any money and don't have anywhere to go, and we don't have third spaces anymore. Many of our libraries have closed, or they have really reduced hours. My local library just simply isn't open. When I was in comp, it was just something I couldn't access, because it would close by the time I would be able to get to town. So, if you've got people dealing with the cost-of-living crisis, if you've got kids that are living in poverty that have no money, and they have nowhere they can go without spending said money, I think they're obviously going to turn to crime. If we can put our money into other alternatives, and we can fund places for kids to go, we can fund youth clubs, we can fund resources for them, then we can funnel people away from that life of crime. Thank you.

Thank you. Yes, in the back.

I just wanted to talk about Lewis's point about youth clubs. I myself am a trained youth worker. I've done quite a lot in youth work. Sadly, it's come to the point now where I'm not able to continue doing youth work due to the lack of funding that's going to the sector. Youth work does go to every single subject I think we've all talked about. It tackles hate crime, it tackles health, it tackles mental health, it works with young people and stuff like that, it supports young carers, and everything like that, and as well youth work fits in the majority of the sectors that this Government's manifesto is in. So, I think youth work does need fair funding, and the Government need to look at tackling it, to get more youth work in all our constituencies. Thank you.

Devlin.

I would like to add on to Grace's point about the Ammanford stabbings. I think that it definitely does tie back into mental health and care-experienced children. As I was in the perpetrator's year when it happened, and I was fairly good friends with her, I could definitely see that she had a lot of mental health problems, and also—some people may not know this—she was in the foster care system. And she often told us of some punishments that her parents gave her that were very unfair. And I think that definitely her life, the things that happened to her in school and outside of school, could have only led to the crime that she committed. And I think that, genuinely, if she had had the help that she needed, I do think that that incident last April could have been stopped.

Often I think back to that incident, and I think how sad it is that there is a 14-year-old girl who is now in a jail cell for a crime that she committed probably not in a good mental state. And she had her whole life ahead of her. She could have done so many good things in the world, and that will never happen. Thank you.

Elliott.

I've got two points to make. So, first, with Lewis, he explained about youth clubs and things like that, and I want to give a better insight on it for young people who are care experienced. For me, my local youth club—I'm up in RCT—it's not a YEPS youth club, it's an open access youth club, which means I don't have to book to go there. I can just turn up and say, ‘Hiya, Debbie’, and walk in. And that is a lifeline for me. If I did not have that youth club, I wouldn't know where to go, I wouldn't have any friends, I wouldn't have a warm space where I can go chat with one of my youth workers and say, ‘I'm upset today, can we have a chat?' or, 'Can you just make me laugh?’

Youth clubs are a lifeline for young people who are care experienced, but not just young people who are care experienced—for young people as a whole. But for the care community, and the young carers community especially, it's a way of life. I know for myself and other young people who live in foster placements, who live in children's homes, we don't want to be there all the time. We want to get away from the other residents there because the other residents may be violent, the staff may not be great, foster parents may not be brilliant, and we want to get away from them. And we want to have that chance to make friends and be with young people that are our own age, but also have experiences. If I didn't get involved in my local youth club, I wouldn't have become a volunteer there, I wouldn't be doing my level 1 playwork qualification, I would not be the person I am today with the confidence I have today without that.

And then the second point is about allocating police resources. The way that it was said—. It's a very difficult thing, obviously, about hate speech and online cyber bullying. But I'm going to give you an insight on my own experiences, where last year I was physically assaulted and I was cyber bullied for being a queer man, and that got investigated by the police because it turned into an assault. So, not all hate speech online is investigated. It can be reported, you can ring the police, but it's not dealt with effectively all the time. And to unfairly say that all the police resources are being allocated there instead of on drug use, on knife crime, on assaults, things like that, is unfair.

Being an openly queer man in my secondary school, just in life in this day and age, is very difficult, and I know there are lots of young people here that can resonate with that, but that does not mean that we are taking all police resources for bullying and cyber bullying.

Daniel.

I totally agree with what was being said about healthcare over there, especially with the nursing degree in Cardiff uni at risk of being cut. So, there's especially an emphasis on there being fewer ways into healthcare for young people. I think it's very important that we make it more accessible for people to get into healthcare, to help especially with staffing in hospitals, and GPs, because it's not as accessible as it should be. Diolch.

Ffiôn.

Yes, so I wanted to reiterate a lot of what Elliott was saying. So, me personally, as I said, I'm a young carer, and one of my main organisations is a non-profit organisation. And like you said, without them, I wouldn't be stood here, and I wouldn't even be speaking; I would have left. But I agree with the point that organisations don't get enough funding. What a lot of people don't realise is that non-profit organisations—youth clubs, charities, all of that—depend on grants. They use the money that they get from the Government quite fast, because the amount of young people that rely on them is major. Also, I like that you said it was—for you and for other people, it was a lifeline. I wouldn't be stood here for many other reasons today if it wasn't for the organisations that I am with. I know that's the case for a lot of other young carers and a lot of other young people that I know. They do go to youth clubs. In Wrexham, it's a big thing. Obviously, I don't represent that constituency, but I do live there, and there are a lot of youth clubs. There are a lot of different organisations that are there that all of the youth in my area rely on. I don't think a lot of us would be as far as we are without them, and I know a lot of people in here probably rely on them too, whether that is for clubs like rights and LGBTQ, and, like me, young carers, and all of that. So, I really do think they're underfunded and I really do think we should work on getting them more funding.

I'm afraid time is against us, so I can only take one more contributor. Jake.

Thank you. I'd just like to make two comments, first on crime—you mentioned about stabbing—and also lockdown drills. We had our first lockdown drill in school about a year ago and it's always something that seems so foreign to me—something that you hear on the news, lockdown drills happening in other countries, not in this country—and it's now happening on our doorsteps. It's frightening to see crime going on and it's only increasing, and it's scary.

Oliver made some great points when it comes to farming, as did the other person that mentioned agriculture. Farming is no longer for many families a sustainable practice, especially in my constituency of Montgomeryshire, definitely because of inheritance tax, amongst many other things, amongst other regulations. Farmers, especially their children, are no longer seeing that they can carry on with this business. That also goes hand in hand with what was said about tourism, about how they're leaving our communities and not wanting to come back. Now, you're having ghost towns in rural communities where we're losing a lot of people and work because of regulation, taxes, amongst other things. Thank you.

Thank you very much indeed for all your contributions this afternoon. They've been absolutely amazing. I've enjoyed chairing this session. I'd now like to call on the Children's Commissioner for Wales, Rocio Cifuentes, who has been listening very intently to your speeches today, just to say a few words. Rocio.

Thank you very much, Llywydd, and thank you for the invitation.

Thank you so much for the invitation. I'll be speaking in English now. I'm learning Welsh, but I'm not yet able to speak it fluently. I have been so inspired and impressed by what I have heard today, and so many of the issues that you have all spoken to and about have really resonated with me, and echo the issues and messages that I hear from speaking to, reaching out and engaging with children and young people across Wales. Some of you may know what my job is and some you may not; I know some of you have come up to me and asked, 'What is your job?', so I will very briefly set out what it is.

So, I'm the Children's Commissioner for Wales. That means that my job is to promote and protect all of your children's rights under the UNCRC, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. One of you mentioned—I think it was you, Callum—article 12, your right to be heard, to have your voice heard. That is what you're all exercising today and some of you have spoken about how important this is, but also you have recognised your own privilege in being here, which is an important recognition.

Part of that right, article 12, is to have your voice heard but it's also the right to be taken seriously, and I think that is an element that I would like personally to challenge Welsh Government further on to make sure that all of your hard work, all of the important issues and messages that you have so eloquently and passionately put forward today actually are considered more effectively, more seriously, and lead to change. So, I would like to see progress made and for Welsh Government to think further about how it could do that. Could it, for example, make new rules that mean that they have to respond more formally to the important report that you put out?

I would also like you as a Youth Parliament to play more of a formal role in scrutinising what I do with my team. So, I have a team of 22 other people. We are based in an office in Port Talbot, but we cover the whole of Wales. So, the job, in a short nutshell, is to make sure that we go out, engage, listen to issues affecting children and young people. I do many of those visits myself, but also team members go to schools, go to youth clubs. So, we listen and we also need then to speak out, to speak to decision makers, to speak to the media, to try and pass on the messages about what I have heard and influence and convince them to make the changes that will improve your lives.

I also have a specific team within my organisation who help children and young people directly and individually. If you have any issues yourselves, if you have a problem with experiencing any of your children's rights—your right to education, your right to healthcare, your right to housing—you can directly contact my team, and we have an advice service that can take on and look at individual cases, and we can then challenge services and decision makers on your behalf. So, I would like you all to know that that is a practical service that is there to actually help you experience your children's rights, to make them real.

Thank you, Rocio, for those comments. Now, the time has now come for you to decide the issues that matter most to you. The young people of Wales have also voted in their hundreds, and you may choose to consider the result of that vote when you decide. But this is your decision, based on what you have heard in this Chamber this afternoon. So, we'll go to a break now to actually take the vote.

Well, the result of the vote has reached us, and the three topics that have had the most votes are: cost of living and poverty; public transport and active travel; crime and safety. Can I just say I thank you very much indeed for your contributions today? I have enjoyed it immensely chairing these proceedings this afternoon. Thank you for all your powerful and effective speeches in this Chamber. We've heard about a wide range of topics affecting the young people of Wales, and you've represented their voices, their aspirations and their concerns with dignity. You as the Welsh Youth Parliament will now set about planning how you will undertake the work of investigating these matters and to present any findings before the Senedd. Good luck to you all with this work, and I look forward to hearing about your efforts in the coming months. Therefore this concludes the session. Diolch yn fawr iawn ichi i gyd. Thank you very much indeed.