4. 5. Debate: General Principles of the Additional Learning Needs and Education Tribunal (Wales) Bill

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 3:30 pm on 6 June 2017.

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Photo of Alun Davies Alun Davies Labour 3:30, 6 June 2017

I’m very grateful to the committee Chairs and Members who have spoken this afternoon. I think Lynne Neagle, in her opening remarks, captured the essence of what we’re seeking to achieve—a transformational programme that transforms the lives of individuals, both their experience of education, but also the rest of their lives as well, and the concluding remark we’ve just heard from Rhianon Passmore I think, again, re-emphasises the importance of this legislation in human terms, in what we’re seeking to achieve for people whom we represent. And I was very taken by remarks that were made by the Member for the Cynon Valley as well, who I think expresses the experience of many of us who also deal with these issues as constituency Members on a regular weekly basis. And it’s to address those issues, the struggles of families all too often to receive a statement, and to receive the services they require. The struggles and the fights and the campaigns that families have to go through all too often have to be addressed by this legislation. And that means getting it right—not simply getting it right for our own benefit here this afternoon, but to get it right for generations to come as well. And I absolutely echo the commitments that have been made by Members on all sides of the Chamber this afternoon that we have to work hard together, collectively, on all sides of the Chamber, to ensure that we have legislation that is fit for purpose, not simply legislation where we’re able to win a vote here and there, but legislation that will work and will transform the lives of people in the future.

Let me us just say a few words about some of the remarks that were made and the contributions made in the debate. I will say, very gently—and I feel quite churlish in doing so—Darren Millar, the Conservative spokesperson, was very generous in some of his remarks about the approach that we have taken, but I will say to him that the code was not late. The code doesn’t form a part of the scrutiny of this legislation, of course. [Interruption.] I will give way to you in a moment. But the code is there as an aid to scrutiny of the Bill, and it is the Bill that we are focusing on at the moment and not the code, and I do have concerns sometimes that when you publish additional information, which is aimed to be an aid to scrutiny, that people scrutinise that additional information rather than the Bill itself. I will give way.