Rhianon Passmore: Cabinet Secretary, you recently wrote to schools in Islwyn to inform them of the Welsh Government's—
Rhianon Passmore: That's the question that I have in front of me.
Rhianon Passmore: I got there.
Rhianon Passmore: Okay. Thank you. The pupil deprivation grant for the youngest learners—pupils aged three to four—has increased from £600 to £700, building on last year's doubling of financial support from £300 to £600 per learner in the early years, a stark contrast to the UK Tory decimation of support for poorer learners. Will the Cabinet Secretary outline, then, what difference the continued...
Rhianon Passmore: What action is the Welsh Government taking to assist the poorest people in Islwyn?
Rhianon Passmore: Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. I'll be giving a minute of my allocated time to my colleague the Chair of the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee, Bethan Sayed. Members of this Assembly will know that this is a profoundly important issue for me, but it is also a matter of significant importance to Wales. My passion as a child was music and my profession as an adult was teaching...
Rhianon Passmore: The Economist in March published an article entitled, 'The quiet decline of arts in British schools'. They used a Welsh case study of a local authority impacted by funding cuts. It was reported how the music service budget had recently been reduced by an eye-watering 72 per cent. The then head of the council's music service put it succinctly—'Many will give up'. And, of course, he's...
Rhianon Passmore: First Minister, Cabinet Secretary Ken Skates has been proactive in setting out the Welsh Government's ambitions for rolling stock fit for a twenty-first century rail network. In July last year, Ken Skates stated, and I quote, 'I've made no secret of the difficulty in adding good quality rolling stock in Wales', and it's been absolutely clear that the next franchise—the Welsh Government's...
Rhianon Passmore: Will the Cabinet Secretary join me in praising the stalwart work of Welsh councils up and down the country, like Islwyn's own Caerphilly County Borough Council, who are continuing every day to provide strong public services in the face of dramatic cuts to their budgets, thanks to the UK Tory Government? Real cuts year on year to Wales since 2010. And with this in mind, what assurances will...
Rhianon Passmore: I'd like to thank the Members of the Economy, Infrastructure and Skills Committee for producing this report—thank you—on apprenticeships in Wales. It is clear that qualitative apprenticeships play an essential role in our economic success, as well as in building a stronger, fairer and more equal Wales. I'm proud of the Welsh Government's commitment to create 100,000 apprenticeships by...
Rhianon Passmore: 4. What is the Welsh Government doing to support credit unions? OAQ52204
Rhianon Passmore: Diolch. The Minister for Housing and Regeneration has rightly commented that credit unions in Wales deliver financial awareness education for adults and children, they support people dealing with debt problems and provide some of the most vulnerable people with sound and ethical financial products, and therefore I very much welcome that the Welsh Government recently announced that credit...
Rhianon Passmore: The amount of emergency ambulance calls during 2016-17 was up 116 per cent on the number of emergency ambulance calls made in previous years. This is a staggering increase by any calculation, yet the Welsh ambulance service has for 30 consecutive months met its national response-time target for red calls, thanks to our clinical response model and our staff delivering care quicker to those who...
Rhianon Passmore: It is a hard fact that the shrinkage of local government non-statutory services across the UK is happening due to the UK austerity agenda, but I'll leave that. I therefore wish us to ask for a statement to this place on the status and health of music support services across Wales and the subsidised instrumental tuition and incremental ensembles access that they provide. I would like to...
Rhianon Passmore: I welcome the Welsh Labour Government's robust and highly proactive work in negotiating with the United Kingdom Government to stand up for Wales over the complex consequences of Britain's withdrawal, still to unfold, from the European Union. It is evidence, if any was needed, that the Welsh Labour Government stands up for Wales and Welsh interests within the fabric of our family of nations...
Rhianon Passmore: I will.
Rhianon Passmore: Fundamentally, I don't agree with the connection that you have made, and I hate to say this, but I think in regard to what David Melding said earlier, I think some of his points are extremely valid. So, finally, would the Cabinet Secretary agree with me that in a devolved UK—[Interruption.] I did caveat it. I did. Would the Cabinet Secretary agree with me that in a devolved...
Rhianon Passmore: What action is the Welsh Government taking to support infrastructure investment in Islwyn?
Rhianon Passmore: What is the Welsh Government doing to support older people?
Rhianon Passmore: Thank you. Many of the points that I wanted to make have already been stated, but I want to welcome the statement today. As a former teacher and lecturer, and a former cabinet member for education, I very much welcome this ongoing reform in terms of the potential that this new academy has. I'll go straight to my questions. How can the Welsh Government then ensure that the educational...
