Mike Hedges: ...cent, on its way down to 50 per cent, of the money that the council spends. National non-domestic rates: about 20 per cent. And council tax: about 25 per cent. But 65 per cent of the money goes on education and social services, and can I point out—I can't remember to which speaker earlier—about social services being the biggest charge on local government? Certainly, in Swansea's case,...
Mike Hedges: ...has increased year on year. As local government was the other large budget funded by the Welsh Government, it has gone down. But when you consider some of the services covered by local government—education, social services, highways, refuse collection, trading standards, food hygiene, pollution, sports facilities, homelessness and planning—it is easy to see how important local...
Mike Hedges: ...to country in order to carry out skilled work and that the qualifications are treated as equal. That is incredibly important. How is the Welsh Government, working with either the Minister for Education or with the Government in Westminster, going to ensure that occurs? I mean, we can't be certain we're going to keep all the geographical food names being protected once we come out of the...
Mike Hedges: 4. What discussions has the Counsel General had with the Minister for Education on the future of standardised qualifications in Europe? OAQ53590
Mike Hedges: ..., £15.6 million for teachers' development support, including £8.1 million to fund additional costs of the teachers' pay award from nursery to year 11; £7.5 million to help local authorities meet educational cost pressures; £50 million for the first installment of a £100 million three-year capital package; £20 million for the first installment of a three-year £60 million public...
Mike Hedges: ...ask for a statement on the increase in public sector employer pension contributions, and how it is going to be funded. There is concern amongst a number of public sector organisations, especially schools, regarding the effect of increased costs of the employer contributions for teachers' pensions. There have been warm words and a promise that the Welsh Government will pass the money on...
Mike Hedges: ...'s no political argument over the fact that we're all opposed to this incinerator being built there. I've got two questions apart from that. On the first one, I'd like to ask for a statement. As school budgets are being set, the increased cost of employers' contribution to teachers' pensions is causing concern. I am asking for a Welsh Government statement on the funding of the increased...
Mike Hedges: ...m used to parents complaining about having mixed-age classes and demanding that their children are taught with children in the same year group as them. And I believe that at below a certain size of school, education suffers, and more than two year groups taught together in primary school disadvantages the learner—the reason why we have education. And secondary schools need to be above a...
Mike Hedges: Will the Counsel General outline the steps being taken by the Welsh Government to ensure the continuation of funding for the further education sector post-Brexit?
Mike Hedges: ...should support British Sign Language as a minority language, and encourage local authorities to recognise it as the first language of many Deaf children and young people when providing support and education services.' For many deaf children, sign language is their first language, it's their language in the education system and it's the way that they converse and learn. Sign language should...
Mike Hedges: Will the Minister make a statement on the effectiveness of the education consortia in Wales?
Mike Hedges: Parents of children with autism I talk to feel they are not getting the support they need, although those with children who attend Ysgol Pen-y-Bryn, which is an exceptionally good school in my constituency, speak highly of the school. I have no doubt that the current Bill is flawed. However, something has got to be done. The Welsh Government has started a number of initiatives, and there is...
Mike Hedges: ...headteacher and then make five proposals on what can be done to help the situation in local government. The headteacher says: 'I am writing to you to highlight serious concerns I have about the school funding crisis and to enlist your support and commitment towards securing a review of arrangements which would lead to all schools in Wales being funded sufficiently, equitably and...
Mike Hedges: ...been moved into the private sector. Also, local government provides the services we use continually: the roads, the pavements, the rubbish collection, street cleaning, parks, libraries, as well as education. That really is, for many people, the way of improving the lifestyles and life chances of them and their families. I think that we need to talk more about providing additional resources...
Mike Hedges: ...apprenticeship levy has now been exposed for what it is: nothing more than a tax on employers, which has done little to improve access to apprenticeships? Will he also agree that the further education colleges in Wales are doing a phenomenally good job in training apprentices to the benefit of our country?
Mike Hedges: ...to support public services in Wales? If I could remind the Cabinet Secretary, in the last three weeks, the Conservatives have asked for more money for local government, more money for further education, more money for health. How are they going to fund it if they don't want taxation?
Mike Hedges: I just want to say: do you regret the votes you made last week and the week before when you were asking for more money for further education and more money for local government, which could only have come out of the health service?
Mike Hedges: ...needs more money to support current services, it doesn't help when ring-fenced money is provided for something new. The teachers' pensions cost is going to have to be met. Councils do not say to schools, 'You have to meet it from efficiency'; they look to try and find the money for them. Finally, it's no good pitching public services against each other or asking for more money for each...
Mike Hedges: ...local government. What the council needs to spend is calculated in a standard spending assessment, and it's amazing, really, when you look at the league table of standard spending assessments for education and expenditure for education, how very close they are to each other. What causes the amount to go up and down is mainly population change. That is the main driver—
Mike Hedges: ...? On funding, can the Cabinet Secretary name another council service that would not like to change the fire and rescue authorities' ability to levy on the councils concerned? I think that both education and social services would leap at the chance to have this opportunity. So, we do need a better method of funding fire services because they are funded entirely differently. And it didn't...
