Increase in Education Maintenance Allowance in Wales

That this House welcomes Welsh Government's decision to increase the education maintenance allowance payment above £30 to £40 a week; congratulates members of the Senedd, NUS Wales and NEU Cymru for championing the increase; recognises that more must be done to deal with the cost of living crisis and the need to encourage 16-19 educational attendance, including a regular increase in EMA; regrets the cancellation of education maintenance allowance in England in 2010; further welcomes the calls of NEU and NASUWT unions for the reinstatement of EMA in England; and calls on the Government to reintroduce the education maintenance allowance in England at the same rate as Wales at the earliest opportunity.