Darren Millar: Like Llyr Huws Gruffydd, I was also very concerned about the situation at Ruthin School, Minister, and I was very grateful for your very firm message in relation to the desirability of the leadership to change at that school in order for it to be able to continue to operate. I think it did make a difference and I think that that was the straw that finally broke the camel's back in terms of...
Darren Millar: Trefnydd, can I call for two statements today—the first from the Minister for Health and Social Services, in relation to the NHS redress system? I'm having increasing problems getting responses, in a timely fashion, to concerns that I'm raising on behalf of my constituents in north Wales, with the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board. I've got a very tragic case at the moment, of a woman...
Darren Millar: ...And, of course, once we've delivered on this referendum result, once we get through Friday, it means that we can start to focus our attention, including here in Wales, on the people's priorities of schools, the NHS, and tackling crime. And this includes recruiting Wales's share of the 20,000 new police officers that are going to be coming into our police forces here in the UK. And you've...
Darren Millar: Can I thank the Minister for the way in which she has sought to reassure parents, and indeed educators, about the approach that she wants to take in this new curriculum, particularly to sex and relationships education, and indeed to religious education? I speak as a person of faith with an interest in faith and who partners with faith groups of all different types on all sorts of different...
Darren Millar: ...serious findings in that report, we need an urgent update from the Minister for Health and Social Services on the current situation. Can I also call for a statement on the regulation of independent schools? The education Minister will be aware of the significant interest that there has been publicly as a result of the media reports into some safeguarding issues at Ruthin School in my...
Darren Millar: I can point to examples in Conwy where new schools were built that were absolutely and have been value for money. I can also point to the investment that has gone into Colwyn Bay in my own constituency from Conwy County Borough Council in the investment in its new headquarters, which has been a partnership with the private sector, which seems to be demonstrating value for money. But I can...
Darren Millar: I just wanted to congratulate Suzy on a tremendous opening speech and simply to say that, of course, school isn't the only opportunity to learn a second language. I'm using an app at the moment, Mango Languages, to try and brush up on a bit of Levantine Arabic in order that I can communicate with some of my friends out in the middle east, and I have to say I think that the technology that we...
Darren Millar: ...the world? Having said that, I am a little concerned that the Welsh Government has been cosying up to the communist Vietnamese Government in recent years, particularly through the Wales-Vietnam education link. Now, indeed—[Interruption.] Indeed, the Welsh Government rolled out the red carpet for a visit by the Vietnamese education Minister last year, less than 12 months ago. As you will...
Darren Millar: ...who have been waiting 12 hours plus for attention in emergency departments, individuals who've been waiting two years for their hip, knee and shoulder operations, and to see the many people in schools who are concerned about the level of disparity between school funding in Wales—in Conwy and in Denbighshire—versus school funding over the border in England. I'd love you to come and...
Darren Millar: ...'s priorities here in Wales. We're failing to see the improvements in the performance of the NHS that people and patients need to see. We're failing to see you address the underfunding in our Welsh schools and we're failing to see you close that gap between England and Wales in terms of the per pupil spend per head. We're failing to see the ambition that we need to support businesses to...
Darren Millar: ...has been in special measures for almost five years now and is showing only limited signs of improvement. In fact, in some areas, it's showing signs of getting even worse. Now, if I can turn to education, just for a few moments. According to the NASUWT—not the Welsh Conservative briefing office, the NASUWT, a highly respected teaching union here in Wales—schools in Wales continue to be...
Darren Millar: Where is the rest of the cash going? We believe—we firmly believe—that that should be invested in our schools, and that's why I want to encourage people to support this motion today, as unamended. We've got an extra £1.24 billion coming to Wales to support our education system. We believe that every penny of that should go to support our schools.
Darren Millar: Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. Can I thank everybody who's contributed to what I believe is an important debate, where we all share the ambition for our education system here in Wales to improve? If I can start on those issues where we share common ground with the Government, we too want to congratulate those teachers who have helped pupils in our schools achieve success in their...
Darren Millar: ...1.20 for every pound that is spent in England at the moment. I note that even the Welsh Government recognises that not all of that money is actually passed on to the national health service or our education system. You've quoted the figures yourself in your amendment. You said that spending is only 11 per cent higher here in Wales than in England, when, actually, it would be 20 per cent...
Darren Millar: ...might lie. I listened carefully to the remarks of the Counsel General in relation to David Melding's amendment. I think David made a very powerful case about the need for high-quality citizenship education in order to promote participation in our democracy, and I recognise that people have accepted that argument. What I don't understand is that if you accept that argument, why are you then...
Darren Millar: ...I don't think that your argument actually holds water. I know that there are some who are perfectly mature, perfectly well informed, but the majority aren't, and that's why I think this element of education first is absolutely essential in terms of equipping people ready to be responsible citizens who take part in the democratic opportunities that they have when elections come, rather than...
Darren Millar: ...-olds simply do not feel confident enough to make decisions about who runs their country. They're still maturing in many cases, and very often don't feel that they've learnt enough through their education and life experiences to make fully informed decisions. I've no doubt that there are some people who are perfectly well equipped and feel mature enough to make those decisions, but the...
Darren Millar: ...to those other amendments, which I've also tabled. If I can just say as well that I will be supporting David Melding's amendments in this group, all of which seek to impose a duty on secondary schools to promote awareness of elections for 16 and 17-year-olds. As regardless as to whether my amendments proceed, I still think that that's a very sensible thing to do. The amendment tabled in...
Darren Millar: ...on time or to get them to hospitals when they need to, and, of course, it's causing untold damage to the economy in terms of people not being able to get to or from work or, indeed, places of education or employment. I give you the example of the recent roadworks in Llanddulas, which caused tailbacks that amounted to over an hour of extra travel time through the A55 in my constituency, and...
Darren Millar: I'm very grateful for you taking the intervention. The reality is that there is a combination of factors that deal with school funding, not only the cash that is coming from Westminster, which you've already heard is going up by hundreds of millions of pounds from next year, but also it's affected by the way that you carve up that cash here as a Welsh Government, and the way that you...
