Mohammad Asghar: Natural Resources Wales is not fit for purpose. The creation of Wales's largest quango came from an ill-conceived and poorly executed proposal to merge three different organisations with three different working strategies. As a result, leadership has been lacking, staff morale has been plummeting, public money has been wasted and confidence in the organisation has evaporated. The Welsh...
Mohammad Asghar: Thank you very much, Minister, for that. According to a BBC survey, Wales has seen a bigger decline in pupils learning foreign languages than in any other part of the United Kingdom. In the last five years, language GCSE entries in Wales fell by 29 per cent, compared to an 11 per cent drop in England, a 12 per cent drop in Northern Ireland and a 19 per cent fall in Scotland. The survey also...
Mohammad Asghar: Minister, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, evidence suggests that differences in local funding models are causing concerns about unequal treatment of schools in similar circumstances. They went on to call on the Welsh Government to consider reviewing the school funding model if it is to realise its ambition for equity in education and student...
Mohammad Asghar: 7. Will the Minister make a statement on the teaching of foreign languages in Welsh schools? OAQ53533
Mohammad Asghar: I'm grateful to the Minister for his statement here today—at the third attempt. Last week was National Apprenticeship Week. National Apprenticeship Week represents an opportunity to highlight the benefit apprenticeships can bring to individuals, employers and to the economy as a whole. An apprenticeship gives someone the chance to get new skills, to earn while they learn, and get on in...
Mohammad Asghar: May I ask for a statement from the Minister for Environment, Energy and Rural Affairs on the closure of mountain biking trails around Cwmcarn forest? I've received a number of complaints from mountain bikers who use the Cwmcarn forest trails and are growing increasingly frustrated at the disruption caused by the tree felling in the area. Work to cut down diseased trees has resulted in logging...
Mohammad Asghar: First Minister, social class, household income and personal wealth all affect someone's life chances and influence their chances at schools, their lifestyle and how long they'll live. You've just mentioned the Japanese experience. Figures released by Public Health Wales, from the child measurement programme, show that more than 1,000 children in Wales starting school are classed as severely...
Mohammad Asghar: Minister, in July 2017, the USA and United Kingdom Governments launched a US-UK trade and investment group to provide commercial continuity for businesses, workers and consumers in both countries, as the UK leaves the EU, and to explore ways to strengthen trade and investment ties between the two countries. What study has the Minister made of the potential investment benefits to Islwyn,...
Mohammad Asghar: Minister, council tax payers in south-east Wales are facing huge increases in their bills thanks to the Welsh Government's inadequate local government settlement. People living in Newport, Torfaen and Merthyr Tydfil are facing bills increased by nearly 6 per cent, and Caerphilly council is set to rise by nearly 7 per cent. Given that the Welsh Government 5 per cent cap has proved to be just a...
Mohammad Asghar: I thank the Deputy Minister for her statement today. It's a great day, International Women's Day, which is not only celebrated here but by the United Nations since 1996. Women have made and continue to make significant contributions in all aspects of life in Wales. Even with greater equality and legislative rights and impressive female role models, women still face challenges today here in...
Mohammad Asghar: Minister, may I ask for a statement from the Minister for Education on the continuing problems caused by Newport City Council regarding Gwent SenCom? The Minister may be aware that on 11 December last year I called for a statement on Newport City Council's decision to withdraw its funding from this service, which supports children who have vision, hearing and communication problems. In her...
Mohammad Asghar: Minister, do you agree with me that the best way to evaluate the work of the Valleys taskforce in Caerphilly and elsewhere is to set clear objectives and targets so that the progress of the strategy can be measured by Government, organisations and the public in the interests of transparency and accountability? But that is not the case at the moment. Would you please explain why?
Mohammad Asghar: Well, I can't—. That's a different—. We are talking about the school funding gap. Leave the consortia out of it because we are worried about school funding here. We need a system that funds schools directly—that's what I'm saying—not consortia, one that gives greater spending control to teachers, parents and governors, directing more money to the classrooms rather than somewhere else....
Mohammad Asghar: The Welsh Government formula for funding schools in Wales is not fit for purpose. As a result, school leaders and stakeholders have said that chronic insufficient funding has put schools under serious financial pressure. The system is flawed, with little transparency, coherency and consistency. The danger signals have been apparent for some time. Last year, the Organisation for Economic...
Mohammad Asghar: Thank you, Minister, for the reply. In its response to the Assembly inquiry into rough sleeping in Wales, Cardiff city council said that many people who experience rough sleeping can remain isolated on the streets as they do not want to be accommodated in hostels. Last year, a request for funding by Newport City Council to provide homeless pods for rough sleepers was turned down by the Welsh...
Mohammad Asghar: Thank you very much for that answer, Minister. A YouGov survey of consumers carried out for NFU Cymru found that Brexit could help drive sales in Welsh produce once the UK leaves the European Union. A quarter of respondents said that buying Welsh produce will be more important to them post Brexit, while an additional 31 per cent said that buying Welsh produce is important to them now and will...
Mohammad Asghar: 3. What action will the Minister take to further promote Welsh food and drink produce in 2019? OAQ53434
Mohammad Asghar: 2. What measures will the Minister take to tackle rough sleeping in Wales in 2019? OAQ53433
Mohammad Asghar: Minister, may I ask for a statement from the Minister for Economy and Transport on the implications for Welsh suppliers of the announcement of Honda that they are to close their factory in Swindon? According to the Welsh Automotive Forum, there are about 12 companies in Wales that could potentially be affected, including Kasai in Merthyr Tydfil, my region. Although the plant is not due to be...
Mohammad Asghar: Will the First Minister make a statement on funding for schools in Wales?
