Questions Without Notice from Party Spokespeople

Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language – in the Senedd at 2:34 pm on 14 July 2021.

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Photo of Laura Anne Jones Laura Anne Jones Conservative 2:34, 14 July 2021

So, Minister, just to confirm, just quickly on that one, are you saying that teachers and heads will not be continuing doing that contact tracing? And, if I could just move on to my third and final question, it is fair to say that local authorities have been prioritising education now at the expense of other services, particularly during this pandemic, due to the common understanding of its importance. But this is not sustainable, Minister. We need to ensure that local authorities and schools are well equipped to deal with the fallout of this pandemic and that they are able to address any new expectations put upon them. Minister, in Scotland, per pupil funding is currently at £7,300; in England and Wales, per pupil funding is just over £6,000 per pupil. But, in England, they have committed to increase that funding in real terms by 9 per cent by 2023. In order to get our schools the funding they so desperately need, what will this Welsh Government be doing to ensure that our children are not disadvantaged compared to the rest of Britain? How is this Welsh Government looking to match that level of investment in our children's future that we're seeing in other parts of the UK? Will you match the funding that pupils in Scotland will receive per head, which equates to £1,200 more per pupil than here, or will you be looking to match England's commitment in real-terms investment by 2023? What we cannot have, Minister, is that pupil per head funding is significantly lower here than in other parts of our nation.