Darren Millar: ...reduce their reliance on ready meals, with very often high salt content and a high proportion of processed foods, and the obesity alliance have suggested that providing cooking lessons, not only in schools, but also to adults, to teach them how to maximise the benefits of self-prepared food, is one way to help shift people's behaviour. Obviously, this is quite a complicated problem, but I...
Darren Millar: ...Internet Day, and, as we all know, there are dangers lurking online, particularly for our young people. I'd be grateful if we can have an update on the work that's been done by the Minister for Education and any other Ministers in Government regarding internet safety for young people, and will you join me by putting on the record your recognition of the good work that's being done by...
Darren Millar: ...within that small area, around 3,000 new homes are proposed, and yet we already have a situation where our infrastructure is creaking at the seams, the traffic is often gridlocked in Abergele, the schools are already oversubscribed—the primary schools—and, indeed, we have problems with our health service and people being able to access GPs as well. Now, I heard very carefully what you...
Darren Millar: ...in the statement that you’ve just read, or the one that was distributed, but I'd be interested to know precisely what you mean by that particular statement. I noted that you made reference to the education sector, and, understandably, they are concerned about access to research funding and some of the collaborations that they're currently engaged in. Of course, I would like very much to...
Darren Millar: ...that they are under. It described people being exhausted, stressed, unable to switch off, and some headteachers turning to drink as a result of the pressure that your Government is putting on schools at the moment, not just in terms of the reform agenda that is currently under way, but also in terms of finances. And, of course, we know that there is a funding gap per pupil between England...
Darren Millar: 2. What action is the Welsh Government taking to improve school standards? OAQ53132
Darren Millar: ...businesses, to invest in the next generation and to do more to support those in need. But instead we've got a budget before us that is going to stifle businesses, which is cutting funding for our schools and failing to invest in the preventative services that vulnerable people need. It's a budget from a Government that, after 20 years, has run out of steam and run out of ideas. We'll be...
Darren Millar: ...budget. The reality is that many local authorities are seeing their budgets significantly decrease as a result—[Interruption.]—as a result of your budget. And those cuts are also hitting our schools. School funding in Wales, as we already know, according to the National Association of Schoolmasters/Union of Women Teachers, is £678 per pupil per year lower than over the border in...
Darren Millar: ...rural local authorities where, due to geography, delivering services is often much more expensive. The leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council has quite rightly hit out at the underfunding of schools in poorly funded authorities, and I think—and I'm sure that others in this Chamber will think—that every child in this country deserves the chance to achieve their full potential. But how...
Darren Millar: ...to distribute cash to local government. Since 2009, local authorities in Wales have had their funding cut by £1 billion in real terms, equivalent to 22 per cent, and if you exclude money for schools, the core funding to councils has actually been reduced by some 35 per cent. Now, this is at a time when councils are facing many funding pressures, including pension funding shortfalls,...
Darren Millar: Can I thank the Cabinet Secretary for taking the intervention and thank you for the determination that you made in respect of Ysgol Llanbedr in my own constituency, a school that the local authority had planned to close, but I was very grateful for your determination to keep that particular school open? I think the one concern about the determination process, if I may, is the length of time...
Darren Millar: ...across Wales in terms of promoting the use of local timber in local construction projects. Can I also call, leader of the house, for a statement on the future of business rates for independent schools in Wales? There's been quite a bit of concern amongst independent schools across the country. There are 20 in Wales at the moment, with thousands of students in them. They add around £87...
Darren Millar: ...at getting vulnerable young people and children access to the help and support that they need. I did note the references that the commissioner made to the work of the Children, Young People and Education Committee on mental health, and I think it is important that we ensure that there is access, as Suzy Davies has quite rightly said, to ensure that people can get access to those services...
Darren Millar: Leader of the house, can I call for a statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Education on the process by which she determines school closure proposals that have been referred to her by various organisations that are able to do that? She will be aware that there is an outstanding school closure proposal that has been on the Cabinet Secretary's desk—or, certainly, a desk in the Welsh...
Darren Millar: ...self-congratulatory tone of the First Minister in his opening speech and I don't think it reflected many of the challenges that are still ahead. We know, for example, that the performance of our education system is lagging behind other parts of the UK. That's, of course, partly due to the significant spending gap per pupil between England and Wales, which we've debated and discussed many...
Darren Millar: ...well those young people across Wales, including my own daughter and my own son, who managed to get decent grades in their GCSEs and A-levels this year. I also think it's appropriate to thank the school governors who've contributed to the success and turnaround in many of our schools. We had David Melding talk about his experience as a school governor and I know that there are many,...
Darren Millar: ..., and I thought she did an excellent job, despite the disparaging view of the Cabinet Secretary. I certainly welcome her to the role and know that she will be a formidable champion for the Welsh education system and will fight to improve it tooth and nail every step of the way. She set out very clearly, I thought, the reality of the situation and the challenges that we face. We had,...
Darren Millar: ...is widely promoted across the country, and that we don't just leave it down to local authorities, particularly over a summer period when many families may be less able to communicate directly with schools about the availability of support. Can I ask you, Cabinet Secretary—? We have another budget round coming up. One of the problems with the budget round last time was that you didn't...
Darren Millar: ..., or those with parents with existing mental health illnesses themselves, are more likely to develop mental health problems of their own. It's very clear from the Children, Young People and Education Committee's work that we need to build more resilience in childhood and adolescence, and to take some urgent action to address the difficulties that many of our young people face when...
Darren Millar: Can I ask you, First Minister—? It's not only organisations like the ones described by Vikki Howells, co-operatives and mutuals, that are supporting education. There is a wealth of charities also that are involved in giving support to our education system. There is Groundwork North Wales, for example, providing education to young people on environmental issues. You've got the North Wales...
