On a busy day of campaigning across Wales, foreign secretary Robin Cook was promoting Labour's policies on training and education.

On his tour of south Wales, Cook argued that Labour's policies will make the most of Europe's economic opportunities.

Also on the campaign trail for Labour, consumer affairs minister Kim Howells visited Carmarthen along with Welsh Secretary Paul Murphy. Labour has a 3450 majority over Plaid Cymru in the Carmarthen East and Dinefwr constituency.

Former Welsh first minister Alun Michael was on Ynys Mon (Anglesey) where Plaid Cymru leader Ieuan Wyn Jones is stepping down as a Westminster MP, before visiting Caernarfon (a safe Plaid seat) and Clwyd West where Labour had a 1848 majority over the Conservatives after the 1997 election.

Speaking ahead of his visit, Cook argued that the expansion of the EU will make skills, technology and investment increasingly important.

"Wales needs to rise to the challenge of Europe by boosting skills and making education and training a life long experience. Labour is committed to make that happen. But the Tories, with their plans for £20 billion of cuts in our public services, would leave Wales behind," said Cook.

Education is also the key theme of the day for Plaid Cymru, which will be stressing the need for improved funding.

Shadow education minister Gareth Jones has been setting out his party's policies on education, which include an increase in teachers' basic pay and opposition to performance related pay. The party wants to see substantial investment with the assembly taking full responsibility for higher education.

"New Labour's education policies are alien to Welsh values and are proving to be a disaster for our schools. Successful schools get more and more whilst less successful schools get less and less," said Jones.

Attempting to put the row over Mike German behind them, the Welsh Liberal Democrats argued that in order to ease the burden on the NHS the next government should focus on preventative medicine.

In the Welsh assembly Labour accepted the Liberal Democrats proposals to extend free dental checks to people aged 18-25 and to those over 60, the party will argue. The party now aims to reintroduce free dental check ups for all.

Roger Williams, the party's candidate for Brecon and Radnorshire, said: "Less than one in two people in Wales have a regular dental check-up and thenumber is declining. In many parts of Wales, particularly rural Wales, people do not even have a local NHS dentist.

"The decline is directly linked to a lack of funding and Liberal Democrats are committed to reversing this decline. We will give £30 million to the Assembly so it can invest in Welsh dentistry. The money would bring back 60 dentists to NHS work in Wales," he said.

The Lib Dems are also committed to local referendums on fluoridation of the water supply.

The Conservatives in Wales also had a busy day of campaigning ahead of them.

Their leader in the National Assembly, Nick Bourne, was in Fishguard and Llanboidy as the party focuses on tourism.

Tory MEP Jonathan Evans was on Ynys Mon with the party's candidate Albie Fox.

Evans also accompanied the Conservative candidate for Conwy, David Logan to a press conference half way up the Great Orme to highlight the importance of the tourist industry to the North Wales coast.

The rail station half way up the Orme was part funded from European investment.

Nick Bourne, the Welsh Conservative leader, has called on the minister for economic development, Mike German, to ensure that European Objective One projects deliver employment opportunities.

"People throughout Wales were angry that Gordon Brown did not give Wales full match funding for Objective 1, above the Barnett Block, and they will be even more angry and saddened if this money is squandered on projects that fail to address the reasons why it is available," said Bourne.

Nick Bourne has also welcomed the news that former Liberal Democrat council group leader and parliamentary candidate, Keith Evans, has given his support to the Conservative Party.