Huw Irranca-Davies: ...accountable and democratic way, and we do. But, I have a worry, First Minister. In England, prior to the last general election, we now know that nine out of 10 of the top beneficiaries of increased education spend were Conservative marginal seats in affluent areas. And the National Audit Office has revealed that some of the most deprived parts of England were left out of a £3.6 billion...
Huw Irranca-Davies: ...how do we also make sure that people have respect for the countryside as well and that they leave no trace? I'm old enough to remember the old countryside code as well. How do we make sure that we educate a new generation of people to enjoy the countryside but to look after it as well?
Huw Irranca-Davies: ...it to be effective, and how can you promote that uptake, not least among the young and those who are big data sceptics? And, can you confirm that this is in addition to—not replacing—the old-school, tried and tested, localised test, trace and protect taking place in Wales? Finally, what's your very simple message to the people of Wales about why they should use this app? If you can't...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Minister, we must ensure that our ambitious Welsh language targets in Merthyr Tydfil and across Wales are accomplished, and it's important that the benefit of Welsh-medium education is given to all children in all communities. May I, therefore, ask whether the Minister will give Bridgend council further support, as important land developments have fallen through and impacted their plans? It's...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Minister, I was delighted to hear that Wales was the first nation in the UK to announce that we will be providing free school meals to eligible pupils throughout the summer, by providing that £33 million to our local authorities, and that local authorities will have the flexibility to deliver the roughly £20 per child per week in the way that works best locally. And you've laid out three...
Huw Irranca-Davies: ..., but also about the political processes as well, in a sort of citizen engagement. And I think that Minister does need to consider with other colleagues how that is best embedded within our education system. There are great measures within this Bill as well in terms of openness and transparency. I do remember taking a cohort of students, when I was a lecturer in Swansea, to Neath Port...
Huw Irranca-Davies: My days as a schoolboy hooker for Gowerton School first 15 are long behind me. In fact, my last outing was on the wing for the redoubtable Assembly rugby team, which does so much for charity and for raising awareness of important issues within Wales and elsewhere. But, could I say to the Deputy Minister, if the six nations disappears behind a pay wall, whether it's Amazon, Sky or anybody...
Huw Irranca-Davies: I wonder if I could ask the Minister what role he thinks the further education sector plays in developing the skills that can underpin our growth in economic prosperity for all, particularly in some of the more disadvantaged communities. We don't have an university in our immediate patch within Ogmore and Bridgend, but we have a fantastic FE college—it happens to be double excellent rated...
Huw Irranca-Davies: ..., but the impact of austerity has got a wide reach, because he says it also applies to Scotland and Wales as well. 'From rising child poverty and the closure of children’s centres, to declines in education funding, an increase in precarious work and zero hours contracts, to a housing affordability crisis and a rise in homelessness, to people with insufficient money to lead a healthy life...
Huw Irranca-Davies: ..., including my own in the Llynfi, but also in the east of my constituency, it's the only road that goes up that Valley. If people can't cross from one side where they live to the shops or the school on the other side because—. The explanation given is that the guidance does not allow for safe crossings to be done across A roads normally. Well, it would be helpful to have clarity on that....
Huw Irranca-Davies: ...sales, local support in that high street for a viable local high street, and the business rates help of just short of £600 million has been a real help. And also the £100 million that's gone into school standards, driving school standards up—there is a quiet revolution going on here within education within Wales, and we've managed to do that and that was part of our commitment. And of...
Huw Irranca-Davies: ...culture change is a consequence of the move away from blanket entries into vocational science qualifications at 16. Entry practices have stabilised this year, it's proved a positive response from schools to the revised early-entry policy announced in 2018. It means that fewer of our learners are being made to sit exams before they're ready, and it means less stress. And if I turn briefly...
Huw Irranca-Davies: I've visited every school in my constituency in the past year.
Huw Irranca-Davies: I say this as a proud comprehensive schoolboy: we can never be complacent about striving for ever-higher outcomes from our school and our college education, and we do need to see continued and accelerated improvement on the trajectory we're now seeing. But as we approach the season of cheer and good will, I will not be talking down the achievements of our students and our teachers and our...
Huw Irranca-Davies: .... So, let me ask some specific questions here—and it is a social justice issue, because this affects by and large the most disadvantaged communities more heavily and it is the children in those schools in those. So, I'm going to focus on transport. First of all, I would ask the Minister: do we not now have to do what the active travel hierarchy says, which is to invest most in cycling...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Can I very much welcome the review on post-16 education transport, but also the engagement that I know that is going on at the moment between the Minister and the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport on active travel, on some imaginative thinking on that joint working? But could I ask, beyond those short journeys to school, for which we need to encourage more children to actually get on...
Huw Irranca-Davies: Could we have a statement on the support for primary school children with additional learning needs in Welsh-medium education? Now, obviously, this Welsh Government has prioritised the growth of Welsh-medium education as part of its ambitious targets for 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050. But, one of the challenges of growing Welsh-medium education in areas that start from a low base is that...
Huw Irranca-Davies: ..., from food packaging to washing machines, or hay bales wrapped in plastics, as we saw earlier on today. Funding initiatives to promote the switch to reusable sanitary items could help engage with schools and GPs and prenatal support centres. Considering mandating water fountains in public spaces could bolster Wales's ambition to be a water refill nation. And, let me say, financial...
Huw Irranca-Davies: That’s really good to hear, and, with eight days to go to close on the draft international strategy for Wales, I just wanted to make sure that all businesses, big and small, and education and training providers, within the Bridgend and Ogmore area have been fully engaged in the process, so that companies like the multi-award-winning Wales Interactive digital games developer and publisher,...
Huw Irranca-Davies: ...prison not as—. Some will be lifelong prisoners, and some, including women we met, who said, 'Well, I've got children outside of this prison. I'm in here for a very short time. My children are in school. My children will be receiving care while I'm away from here. I have no say whatsoever in—'. Yet, still, those people who are in prison—all of them—will pay tax on earnings, tax on...
