Questions 11 October 2016

11 October

13:55

Mike Hedges

Does the First Minister agree with me that what is important is outcomes not inputs? And will the First Minister join me in congratulating Swansea council on record-breaking GCSE results, and Pentrehafod School and Morriston Comprehensive School—two Schools Challenge Cymru schools—on their excellent GCSE results?

13:56

Carwyn Jones

Yes, I do very much welcome where Pathways to Success schools have improved with the support of Schools Challenge Cymru. I’d also like to congratulate Pentrehafod and Morriston, which I understand have recorded their best ever sets of results while taking part in the challenge, and the Member is rightly proud of the comprehensives in his area.

Communities First

14:54

Mike Hedges thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. First of all, I’d like to express my disappointment at the statement by the Cabinet Secretary. I believe that Communities First is doing an excellent job in my constituency. But I’ve said for years that Communities First and Flying Start should be based on communities, not driven by the way the Office of National Statistics decides to collect data. That’s generally been rejected by different Ministers, including the current one. Can I start off with a plus? I welcome the continuation of the Lift scheme. The question I have is: after Communities First, what is going to happen to the following: work done on reducing utility bills; smoking cessation schemes and promoting smoke-free homes; promoting exercise and physical activity; the weight loss programmes; the clothes recycling; the food-growing and eat well schemes; the personal financial planning; the family learning; supporting children’s learning; homework clubs and all the other excellent work currently being done by Communities First in my constituency?

14:55

Carl Sargeant

’m grateful to the Member for raising the issues about the things that Communities First does really well, and I also celebrate the work from many communities that has been engaged in by staff and volunteers right across the 52 areas within Wales. But, as I’ve said, we have to consider the time and place now, and I think that there are much stronger interventions that we can lead on through other programmes. And all the things that the Member raises are important; they’re important to him and the community he represents. I’m not saying we should get rid of them either; I’m saying that we have to have a new approach to tackling the issues around prevention and early intervention, as I’ve listed in my statement. I look forward to working with the Member and other communities as to how we can best do this. I think a lot of this is already driven by local people that know their communities very well, working alongside other organisations such as Public Health Wales, who have a good, strong record on adverse childhood experiences and tackling some of the issues that the Member raises today. There are other ways of delivering these services, and I look forward to the discussion that will ensue post this statement.