Darren Millar: ...terms of making sure that we've got a workforce that can meet the demands being placed upon it across the country. I wonder if you could give us a little bit more detail about the work that Health Education Improvement Wales is actually doing, and how that ties in with the work of individual health boards to make sure that they are working together to address these issues more widely....
Darren Millar: ...that Nick Ramsay gave you, we have extra money coming into the system as a result of the good management by the UK Government of public finances. We've got £1.25 billion coming to Wales for education over the next three years, and that £1.25 billion could be invested to close that gap and eliminate it completely. So, you've had the money—you've had the money, so it's the way you carve...
Darren Millar: ...I was quoting, and they're the ones who are saying that weaker pupils, weaker students, are not being entered for their examinations. Now, when we look at the independent analysis of the Welsh education system, the best comparator we've got, of course, are the Programme for International Student Assessment results, internationally. And Wales is at the bottom of the UK league table. It's...
Darren Millar: ...response, because—[Interruption.] I'm trying to be charitable. Because there's no doubt that there have been some positive steps in terms of trying to address the accountability issue in Welsh schools and our education system, and that's why we, as a party, welcome some of the work that has been announced in the past. We particularly welcomed the stopping of unnecessary and inappropriate...
Darren Millar: ..., so that we can move on and focus on people's priorities across the country, like sorting out the mess that you've left in terms of our national health service here in Wales, raising standards in education after a decade of stagnation, and putting more police on our streets. The people of Wales have already voted, of course, on this matter, in June 2016, and, in fact, they already had a...
Darren Millar: ...in June 2016. They want us to get Brexit done so that we can get on with sorting out the terrible mess that the Labour Party have made here in Wales in terms of our national health service and our schools, and, of course, we have a golden opportunity to sort out that mess because of the extra investment that has been made by the UK Government in the NHS and in the education system in...
Darren Millar: Will the Minister make a statement on the Welsh Government's funding priorities for education in Wales?
Darren Millar: ...this service beyond the grant period, because I think it would be very much valued if the Welsh Government was able to put some more resource in. Can I also ask for a statement on the future of school liaison officers in Wales? I know that, in the past, the Welsh Government has provided funding to support school liaison officers through the police funding that it makes available to...
Darren Millar: I think it's a bit rich of the former First Minister, frankly, to criticise the education policies in England when, under his leadership, the Government delivered the worst Programme for International Student Assessment results that this country has ever seen and we're still at the bottom of the UK league tables as far as English, mathematics and science is concerned. Now, one of the reasons...
Darren Millar: ...take alternative routes, is causing absolute mayhem in local communities and towns throughout my constituency, including Abergele, Old Colwyn and Colwyn Bay. We've had children not able to go to school on time, we've had people not able to get to work on time, we've got tourists who are having a very poor visitor experience of north Wales as a result of these roadworks, and I'm very...
Darren Millar: You know what I find fascinating? I hear this challenge on a regular basis. When I go to schools and people ask me what my views are on this, and I explain to them—[Interruption.]—and I explain to them that my principal point is this: it's not that I'm necessarily against 16 and 17-year-olds having the vote, it's that I'm for a common age of responsibility in this country, and that's what...
Darren Millar: ...and it's the one that I would advocate. And it's a fallacy to suggest that, if you don't have a vote, you can't influence politics, because the reality is that, as politicians, we do engage in our schools, we go into schools. When I ask them what their views are on whether they think they should be entitled to vote, not everybody says that they think that they're mature enough to make an...
Darren Millar: Will the Minister make a statement on the performance of regional education consortia in Wales?
Darren Millar: ...wishing everybody every success in the GCSE exams, which are currently under way—in particular, my own son, who is taking his GCSEs this year. You'll be aware that the Children, Young People and Education Committee published a report last year on the availability of textbooks—or should I say the lack of availability of textbooks—at that time. And we were assured as an Assembly that...
Darren Millar: Will you join me in congratulating Ysgol y Foryd on its five 'excellents'—Ysgol Y Foryd in Kinmel Bay, in my own constituency, which I visited over the Easter recess? It's an excellent school. But, of course, it's achieving that in spite of the significant financial challenges that schools are facing across Conwy and north Wales at the moment. You will know that, as a result of the Welsh...
Darren Millar: 1. Will the Minister provide an update on educational standards in Welsh schools? OAQ53770
Darren Millar: ...a form of discipline. I heard what you said about the promotional activity that you're going to do, and it clearly states that you've set a budget aside for that promotional activity, in terms of educating people about a change in the law, in the explanatory memorandum that was published yesterday. But there's no additional finance available in accordance with that memorandum for more...
Darren Millar: Will the Minister make a statement on the resources available for Welsh schools?
Darren Millar: Trefnydd, can I call for two statements from the Welsh Government today, the first on funding for Welsh schools? I listened to the exchange earlier on during First Minister's questions regarding the situation in Conwy. But of course this is a Wales-wide problem, which has been the cause of concern for a number of unions, so much so that they issued a statement just yesterday saying that Welsh...
Darren Millar: Minister, I'm very grateful for the response that you've just given, but will you recognise the tremendous role of the faith communities across Wales, which are working very closely, often, with schools to eliminate poverty amongst the families that they serve? There was an excellent event that was sponsored just yesterday by Huw Irranca-Davies with the Catholic Education Service, and I was...
