Mark Drakeford: We have provided a further £50 million as part of the Welsh Government’s pledge to provide £100 million of additional funding over this Assembly term to raise school standards to deliver the right support for all children. In addition, we remain committed to helping our most disadvantaged learners through the pupil deprivation grant.
Mark Drakeford: ...my colleague Vaughan Gething works so hard to try to make sure that we get the very best value for the investment that we make. Jane Hutt asked for some further details in relation to housing and education investments, and Mike Hedges referred to some of the same matters. In housing in particular, it's my top priority in relation to capital to support the determination of this Assembly...
Mark Drakeford: I'm very happy, of course, to write to Adam Price on the specific points that he raised.FootnoteLink I believe I'm right in saying that the changes within the education MEG are designed to support the agreement that we've reached with Plaid Cymru, and that's why you see money moving around. It's as a result of our agreement to make sure that we can deliver it, rather than anything else. On...
Mark Drakeford: .... Dirprwy Lywydd, as discussed with Plaid Cymru, this budget provides further capital investment of £30 million for projects dedicated to supporting and growing the use of the Welsh language in education. It will contribute to the growth of Welsh speakers, supporting this Government's Welsh language strategy. Earlier this year, the Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Public...
Mark Drakeford: ...for action on independent living sets out how we are working to remove barriers so that disabled people have access to the same opportunities as everyone else. Equality of access to transport, education and health are all key areas for action, along with the physical environment.
Mark Drakeford: 'Education in Wales: Our national mission' is clear on our commitment to ensure all learners in Wales are fully supported to reach their full potential. Working with partners, we are determined to overcome the particular challenges that face some groups of learners, including some Gypsy, Roma and Traveller learners.
Mark Drakeford: ...at the city-centre campus in Newport, which is highly successful, and I'm aware of the other plans to which the Member has made reference. The Welsh Government has a strong record of investing in education in Newport, alongside the city council. We are investing over £50 million in the twenty-first century schools programme in the Newport area, and the Welsh Government is funding £25.5...
Mark Drakeford: ... will deploy almost £5 billion in support of infrastructure priorities across the whole of Wales, including, for example, building 20,000 affordable homes, delivering twenty-first century schools and protecting the future of our environment.
Mark Drakeford: Local authorities are responsible for the provision and monitoring of child-centred support for children with additional learning needs. The recently passed Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill places learners’ needs, views, wishes and feelings at the heart of the planning process.
Mark Drakeford: STEM skills are vital for our children’s future success. We have set out our approach to encourage engagement in STEM subjects in our STEM in education delivery plan. Actions include curriculum and qualifications reform, support for teaching professionals, and measures to enhance girls’ take up of STEM subjects.
Mark Drakeford: ...and had been told that she needed to take exercise, she was able to go to a leisure centre built by a Labour council here in Cardiff 30 years ago, and that, when her grandson will go to a secondary school in Ely, it will be to a new secondary school produced by this Government. For all of those things, the future of her children will matter. For Mr Hamilton, every one of those things was a...
Mark Drakeford: ...on immediate capital priorities that will be formalised in supplementary budgets. Thirty million pounds will be allocated this year in the second supplementary budget to the twenty-first century schools and education programme. That money will be used to support our shared ambition across different parts of this Chamber to create a million Welsh speakers by 2015. It means that an...
Mark Drakeford: ...transaction tax—is forecast to add another £30 million to our revenue resources over the period of this budget. That is £100 million to help us with the vital priorities of investing in our schools and colleges, creating the health service of the future, building an economy with a real social purpose of providing prosperity for all.
Mark Drakeford: ...Wales the sort of handing over to the private sector of public services that ought to be publicly provided and publicly paid for. That's why we don't have fire service personnel delivering meals in schools in Wales today. Yes, there are lessons to be taken from Carillion. Luckily, in Wales, we'd learnt them well before the party opposite.
Mark Drakeford: ... absolutely directly from all the investments that we make in infrastructure—that's how their customers travel to their businesses. They benefit from everything we do in terms of skills and education—that's how the people they employ get the skills that they need to make businesses successful. They benefit from everything we do in the national health service—that's how people...
Mark Drakeford: ...Wales metro, £350 million for construction of the Grange university hospital, £50 million for the new Llanwern Railway station and £345 million earmarked for band B of the twenty-first century schools programme.
Mark Drakeford: ...in the debate. Mike Hedges, I know, is an enthusiast for the SHEP programme and what we're able to do with the £0.5 million we've set aside in each year of the budget to help families during the school holidays. I hope we can do more. I hope we can do more in Swansea. Can I just clear up one point that's been raised by a number of Members and then I will finish, Chair, and that's...
Mark Drakeford: ...below trend growth that the economy is barely self-sustaining. We had two very different analyses, I felt, from our Conservative contributors here this afternoon. We had the 'I say, "Buck up"' school of economics offered to us by Mark Reckless—if we all just pulled our socks up and sang a bit louder, things would be a lot better. I enjoyed more, I think, Nick Ramsay's...
Mark Drakeford: —where they would take that money from, which hospital they will take it from, which school they will take it from, which part of the Welsh public sector will that money come from. When you're prepared to answer that question, then you'll be entitled to be taken seriously.
Mark Drakeford: ...about very important Welsh Government priorities and making sure that we manage our capital programme in a way that provides the maximum impact for Welsh citizens in transport, in health, in education and in all the important responsibilities that we discharge.
