7. What support will the Welsh Government provide for school governors in the next financial year? OAQ51650

The Welsh Government will support governors by working with the regional consortia to strengthen the national model for regional working and we will also respond to the consultation on school governance with proposals for a revised and simplified regulatory framework.

You'll be aware, Cabinet Secretary, that over £0.25 million that used to go to Governors Wales is not going to be forthcoming in the next financial year, and they're meeting on 16 February to decide whether to close their doors.

Governors Cardiff is continuing to exist, with a £50 levy per school, and that may be possible in an urban area where schools are relatively close together, but, given that school governors are the ultimate active citizens—they're not being paid for carrying out their duties—what are the opportunities now for governors to all get up to speed? I was looking at the Central South Consortium, and there's nothing there in terms of explaining to governors what their role is in ensuring that their priorities are met. I'm aware that Cardiff Council has cut their governor support from four officers to two, so it would be useful to know how you think governors are going to be supported to carry out their quite complex role.

I thank the Member for that. I've been very clear that, in order to protect front-line delivery for schools, I am prepared to make difficult decisions, and, in that regard, as governor support is already provided through local authorities and regional consortia, as the Member has said, we will be ending the grant to Governors Wales.

We're not seeking to replace or replicate the support previously provided by Governors Wales as we believe that many of the services offered, as I said, are already duplicated by local authorities and the regional consortia. I need to make it clear that of the approximately 21,000 governors that we have in Wales—and, Jenny, you're absolutely right, they are the ultimate in active citizens—only 2,000 of those governors were actually on the Governors Wales mailing list, receiving information from Governors Wales, and, when Welsh Government undertook a review in 2014-15 of Governors Wales activity and support, we identified, for instance, only 10 per cent of governors participating in that review used to contact the helpline that Governors Wales operated. In these difficult times, we can't afford the duplication of service, and we'll be working with the revised regional model and revised expectations of what regional consortia need to support and recognise that, in many instances,  governing bodies and governors seek support from their local authorities.

And finally, question 8—Hefin David.