FIRST MINISTER’S QUESTIONS: Plaid Cymru’s Sionedd Williams asked FM Eluned Morgan about the Welsh government’s international obligations under the Future Generations Act yesterday and what it was doing to stop the genocide in Gaza.

Welsh Labour’s John Griffiths and independent MS Rhys ab Owen also asked about using powers to divest Welsh public-sector pension funds from Israel.

The FM said: “We will do what we can within our powers, but what we can do on pensions is limited.”

BUS SERVICES: A Bill early next year is planned for a bus franchise model in Wales, replacing the current deregulated system. 

Transport Secretary Ken Skates is promising to “fundamentally change the way bus services are delivered.”

The new franchising model will lift the restrictions on existing publicly owned bus companies and put them on an equal footing with other operators when bidding to run services.

TEACHER SHORTAGE: Supply teacher availability is struggling to keep up with demand in Wales, the Senedd’s public accounts committee reports today.

Schools are sometimes forced to employ unqualified staff to provide cover and the scrutiny committee concluded that progress is still too slow. 

Finding cover in rural areas and a lack of Welsh language teachers were major issues in 2020, and remain a specific problem.