2. Business Statement and Announcement

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 2:37 pm on 21 September 2021.

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Photo of Peter Fox Peter Fox Conservative 2:37, 21 September 2021

Trefnydd, a couple of weeks ago, I met with the principal of Coleg Gwent, and he shared with me a quite harrowing tale—well, not a tale, a fact—that one of his equestrian students had had a bad accident, and had suspected spinal injuries, and, as a result, the emergency services said that she should not be moved until they get there. Having rung every 20 minutes, for a significant time, it was nine hours before that young lady was shipped and moved to hospital as an emergency. But the implications of that I feel need to be discussed, because, as a result of that, the principal feels that he has to now pull away from providing courses in Coleg Gwent—those courses that could carry risks, like sport or equestrian advice. And I know that headteachers in schools are feeling the same about things like the Duke of Edinburgh Award. And I was wondering could I ask for an urgent statement from the education Minister on how he believes that principals of colleges, and indeed headteachers, can be expected to manage this difficult situation going forward, as many are very anxious that they cannot continue with these courses, due to being able to comply with their own risk assessments, and due to that unreasonable emergency response time. It's a really serious concern, which could affect many thousands of young people, right across Wales, as a direct result of some of the issues resulting from the pressures within the health service.