Darren Millar: Formally.
Darren Millar: Diolch Llywydd. I move amendment 54 and I wish to speak to it along with amendment 61, which is also tabled in my name, and also make some references to amendments 56, 57 and 58, all of which I support, in the name of Llyr Gruffydd. Amendment 54 seeks to amend the Bill so that it will require the individual development plans for each learner with additional learning needs to contain...
Darren Millar: Thank you, Llywydd. Can I thank the Minister for her very reasonable response to the amendments that have been tabled? And on the basis of the assurances that she's provided about the transport provision, and knowing how passionately she feels that we must make sure that we sort out some of the issues that we've had in the past in relation to home-to-school transport for children and young...
Darren Millar: Formally.
Darren Millar: Formally.
Darren Millar: Yes.
Darren Millar: I want to put on record, first of all, my support for the Government amendments. They are sensible amendments, and I intend to support them and I hope that other people will too, but I'm a little bit disappointed by the response that the Minister has given to my amendment 13. As the Minister has quite rightly said, at the moment, the Bill as it stands will allow for the continuation of...
Darren Millar: Formally.
Darren Millar: Diolch, Llywydd. The purpose of the very simple and straightforward amendment 10 is to change the definition of a looked-after child on the face of the Bill. Section 13 of the Bill currently defines a looked-after child for the purposes of additional learning provision as a child who is, and I quote, 'not over compulsory school age’. But the Children's Commissioner for Wales has raised...
Darren Millar: Thank you, Llywydd. I've listened carefully to what the Minister's said, and it's certainly not my intention to cause confusion if somebody has gone off to college to do their post-16 studies. I think what we have to remember, though, is there's still a potential for confusion if that individual stays on at school to do post-16 education under the arrangements under the Bill, because, of...
Darren Millar: Diolch, Llywydd. I move amendment 11 and want to speak to amendments 19 and 20 and 21, also tabled in my name, and I also want to speak to amendments 42 and 46, tabled in the name of the Cabinet Secretary. I want to put on record at the start of this debate that we will be supporting the Government's amendments, which relate to the sharing of information and the ability of the tribunal to be...
Darren Millar: The purpose of my amendment 11 is to remove the ability of the national health service to ignore a ruling of the Education Tribunal for Wales when that ruling relates to something that the NHS must provide to support a learner with additional learning needs. At present, the Bill as it's written does not require the NHS to be subject to the rulings of the education tribunal, and NHS bodies...
Darren Millar: Diolch, Llywydd. I have to say I'm a bit disappointed by the Government's response. I notice that there were lots of references to the opinions of the president of the tribunal in relation to the Government's position in terms of welcoming what the Government had done so far, but this is the very same individual who gave evidence to our committee and who made it abundantly clear that she...
Darren Millar: Formally.
Darren Millar: Formally.
Darren Millar: Formally.
Darren Millar: Diolch, Llywydd. I rise to move amendment 62 and to speak to amendment 63, both tabled in my name. During the debate at Stage 2, I raised concerns over the potential implications of section 42 of the Bill, which relates to children and young people in detention. Section 42 allows for the cessation of the duties that the Bill places upon schools, colleges and local authorities to prepare...
Darren Millar: I'm very grateful for the Cabinet Secretary's remarks. I think it is important that this issue is addressed and that's why I've been prepared to work with the Government to do so in a way which allows for further consideration of the matter through more scrutiny, if you like, to ensure that these important issues are addressed. I very much hope the Members will support the amendments.
Darren Millar: Formally.
Darren Millar: Diolch, Llywydd. I move amendment 16 and also want to speak to amendments 22, 23 and 24, all of which have been tabled in my name. The substantive amendment in this group is amendment 16, and it seeks to provide for an Order-making power to enable Welsh Ministers to extend the scope of the new additional learning needs system to providers of work-based learning being funded by the Welsh...
