, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
So, one of the elements in this set of four new grants is the pupil development grant, for example. So, in effect, that will be ring-fenced. The funding is for formula funding and it will be passported to schools, so there's no question there of underspend…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Well, you call it 'lumped together', I call it a partnership approach between local authorities, but I think that's an important point, because I think there are ways in which, by providing some more flexibility and less onerous approaches—I hope there is…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Well, if that was the only thing we were doing in schools to address those concerns, then that might be a fair argument, but it absolutely is not the only thing we are doing in schools, so—. I'm not going to speak on behalf of another Minister on choices that…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
That's in Lynne's portfolio.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
We'll let you have whatever we can as quickly as we can.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Well, just to be clear, I have just described to you the ways in which I have not cut school grants and that, in fact, has been the entire purpose of the choices that we've made elsewhere in my budget this year, so just to clarify that point. I recognise that…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Okay. Well, I set out in December exactly what I'm doing in response to those concerns, so I think that's probably the best place to start in terms of looking at what I plan to do. So, just the two main points, I suppose, in this area that we are—. There is…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Yes, do you mean in addition to what I said in December?
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Well, we have an ongoing dialogue, don't we, with local authority partners on a continuous basis, and I meet regularly with education cabinet members—this is kind of a pretty ongoing discussion, really. I don't think anyone isn't alive to the fact that there…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Well, the position on the last data that's been published on reserves is coming up to a year old, isn't it? So, we will have new data in March on school reserves, I think, and they have been high, haven't they? They've been high as a consequence of our…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Well, the intention, as you know, from the grant amalgamation is that some of the aspects of the funding I provide is for specific reform programmes. Some of it is for, effectively, additional staffing, some of it is around initiatives for standards in…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
In what sense?
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Well, the picture varies between local authorities, and I know that councils will be working hard to minimise the impact on schools of the choices that they have to make. But there will be consequences in schools. One of the choices I've made, for example…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Well, you know, I suppose it's the same set of answers to the question that I've just given to you, really. We will do everything we can to prioritise core front-line services. Our settlement as a Government is simply not sufficient to meet all the pressures…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Well, there are two aspects to your question. One relates to the revenue support grant and one relates to other support that is provided more directly from the education budget for some elements of reform that you were, I think, alluding to in your question…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Yes. Absolutely. I'll see if I can give it to you now, actually, if you want, but—. No, I'll write to you. I think that's probably better, isn't it?
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
So, we will provide you with an answer to that.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Unless you happen to know the answer to that.
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Those details I don't have to hand, unfortunately, but I'm happy to—
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Well, it'll be published—. I haven't got the date in mind, but I think it's the end of this month, or, at the latest, the start of next month. The statement of priorities sets out our ambitions for the commission; it's the starting point for the commission…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Yes. So, this is a question of striking the balance, isn't it, between, as you say, on the one hand the transparency that I want to provide and you will rightly be asking for about decisions taken by me as Minister, but, on the other hand, the commission is…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Yes. Well, those conversations are, as you would expect, going on at the moment, running up to the start of the next financial year, about what the commission’s budget is going to be. So, I think it’s too early to be able to give you any meaningful…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Well, it doesn't send a message. It can be a priority without its being funded in that specific way. But, in terms of that statement of priorities, I had expected to make that statement before Christmas, as you said, but I made the decision to delay that, to…
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
Well, I wouldn't say that. The fact that a bursary isn't available doesn't mean that we're not trying to encourage people—
, Children, Young People, and Education Committee
Welsh Government Draft Budget 2023-24 - evidence session 2
I don't think it's fair to say that at all, but, again, it's a process of deciding where you spend the money that's available, and there's far less money this year than in other years. You're right to say, if you look at the cohort who do take advantage of…
