MIKE HEDGES AM ASKS
GOVERNMENT MINISTER FOR STATEMENT ON THE FUNDING OF TEACHERS PENSIONS AND THE
DISCUSSIONS HELD WITH THE TREASURY REGARDING ADDITIONAL FUNDING.
Speaking after the plenary
session in Cardiff, Mike Hedges AM said…the challenges faced by local schools
because of austerity budget cuts are severe. The additional pressures placed on
schools as a result of the decisions relating to the teachers’ pension
increases which are being passed to Schools to meet are placing an intolerable
burden on school budgets. I am pleased that the Cabinet Member was able to
confirm that some talks with the Treasury in London have taken place, but I
will not be satisfied until a positive reply that the Treasury will cover this
additional cost has been received. Ensuring that our children have the best
start in lives is central to the work of the Labour Party and we must have the
additional funding so that we do not see real damage done to local schools.
I also call for the
Llansamlet incinerator to be called in, as I believe Suzy Davies also did.
There's no political argument over the fact that we're all opposed to this
incinerator being built there. I've got two questions apart from that. The
first one: I'd like to ask for a statement. As school budgets are being set,
the increased cost of employers' contribution to teachers' pensions is causing
concern. I am asking for a Welsh Government statement on the funding of the
increased cost of teachers' pensions, and what discussions with the Westminster
Treasury are taking place regarding additional funding to meet this
increase? 134
Copy To Clipboard Share To Facebook Share To Twitter Share To LinkedIn
Thank you very much for
raising this, and the issue of school budgets has been one that has been well
rehearsed in this Chamber, as has been our frustration with the lack of information
forthcoming from the Treasury. Earlier this month, the First Minister wrote
jointly with local government leaders to escalate the issue of the increased
cost of teachers' pensions directly to the Chancellor, and we have only now had
a response to our request for clarity around the UK Government's pension
changes and funding for these costs in Wales, following requests that actually
date back to last October. 136
So, the UK Government's
response is very late in the day, just as public sector bodies are trying to
set their budgets for 2019-20, and I had the opportunity to raise this directly
with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury when I met her last Friday. In my
discussions with her, she did agree to provide me with some further detail. I
am awaiting this, but expect it shortly. When we have that final detail, we'll
be able to work through what it means for our public sector bodies, and I hope
to provide them with as much clarity as possible as soon as possible. But I
would confirm that, as previously indicated, my intention to pass on any
funding we receive for this purpose to public sector bodies in Wales to assist
them with these costs remains. 137
No comments:
Post a Comment