Tag: Speeches

Eluned Morgan – 2023 Statement on NHS Pay Update in Wales

The statement made by Eluned Morgan, the Welsh Minister for Health and Social Services, on 3 February 2023.

Following continued discussions over the last week, we are pleased to announce that an enhanced pay offer has been made to our health trade unions. On this basis, we are hopeful that the planned industrial action over Monday 6th and Tuesday 7th February will be postponed, allowing trade unions to discuss the proposals further with their members. Individual trade unions will confirm their intentions regarding next week’s action, prior to further talks with their members.

This revised pay offer comprises an additional 3%, of which 1.5% is consolidated so will be in pay packets year-on-year, on top of the Pay Review Body recommendations, which have already been implemented in full. This offer will be backdated to April 2022. Included in this revised package are a number of non-pay commitments to enhance staff well-being, on which negotiations will continue next week.

Whilst there is currently no improved pay offer on the table for NHS staff in England, it was also agreed that any resulting Barnett consequential following any improved offer to staff in England would result in a further pay offer to staff in Wales.

We would like to thank those that have participated in the negotiations for their positive engagement and goodwill. We are awaiting a formal response from each of the individual trade unions.

February 9, 2023
Julie James – 2023 Statement on the National Empty Homes Grant Scheme

The statement made by Julie James, the Welsh Minister for Climate Change, on 30 January 2023.

Today I am happy to announce that I have allocated £50million over the next 2 years to bring more empty properties across Wales back into use through a national empty homes grant scheme.

The latest statistics for 2023/24 which were released on the 19^th January show that there are 22,457 long-term empty properties in Wales. Long term empty properties are a wasted housing resource and can become a blight on our communities.

I am implementing this grant as an additional incentive to further reduce the number of empty properties and therefore increase housing supply.

The new scheme has been developed with the local authorities and builds on the success of our existing property loans and the previous Valleys Taskforce Empty Homes Grant. A grant of up to £25,000 will be available for home owners or prospective home owners to remove significant hazards from their properties to make them safe to live in and to improve their energy efficiency. In order to qualify for the grant, the property must have been registered as empty with the local authority for a minimum of 12 months prior to commencement of the works. Once the works have been completed, the successful applicant must then live in that property as their main and only residence for a minimum of 5 years.

Aside from owner occupiers, Registered Social Landlords, local authorities and community housing groups will also be able to access the funding for empty properties they are acquiring to bring back into use as affordable housing. This is therefore an additional measure we are taking to take forward the commitment in the Welsh Government’s Co-operation Agreement with Plaid Cymru to bring a higher proportion of existing homes, and especially empty homes, into common ownership at local level.

The scheme will be administered by Rhondda Cynon Taff Council on our behalf. A list of the participating local authorities can be found on our webpage and more local authorities will be added once they sign up to the scheme.

Each participating local authority will have a notional allocation each year and will be responsible for undertaking the surveys of the properties to identify and recommend the qualifying works for grant funding.

February 9, 2023
Lee Waters – 2023 Statement on North Wales Transport Commission’s Progress

The statement made by Lee Waters, the Welsh Deputy Minister for Climate Change, on 26 January 2023.

I welcome this report from the North Wales Transport Commission. A significant amount of evidence-gathering and analysis has been undertaken and I thank the Commission for providing such detailed consideration of the transport issues facing north Wales.

I met with Lord Burns and the Commissioners while they were in Bangor and was struck by their enthusiasm and commitment to making real change happen as a result of this work.

The Commission’s Progress Statement identifies its emerging thoughts and identifies where the opportunities are for a better transport system, focusing on where we can make it easier for everyone to travel more sustainably.

We hear a lot of discussion about longer-distance routes and car journeys. However, the Commission’s analysis shows that the majority of journeys made in the region are short in length and to the same or neighbouring area. These are the trips that are suited to walking, cycling or public transport and this is where improved public transport and active travel networks can make modal shift more achievable and appealing – giving people good opportunities to change how they travel for local, everyday journeys.

Lord Burns will now lead a period of engagement with stakeholders to test the findings of the report before submitting their interim and final recommendations.

In the meantime, the Welsh Government is moving ahead with action to enhance connectivity across north Wales, and I will shortly be providing members with an update on progress with the north Wales metro; but I am pleased that the Commission has already identified some of this work as a priority for improved public transport to key employment and development sites. This includes planned improvements for connectivity to HS2, direct services between Wrexham and Liverpool and the new station at Deeside.

I have asked the Commission to also consider the resilience of access to and from Ynys Mon in light of the recent closure of the Menai Bridge.

I look forward to receiving further reports later this year. The Commission is keen to hear people’s views, and I would encourage responses from all with an interest in the issues raised and the potential solutions.

The report can be found here: https://www.gov.wales/north-wales-transport-commission-progress-statement-january-2023

February 9, 2023
Eluned Morgan – 2023 Statement on North Wales Medical School

The statement made by Eluned Morgan, the Welsh Minister for Health and Social Services, on 26 January 2023.

I am pleased to announce the Welsh Government will be funding up to 140 medical student places a year at the new North Wales Medical School. Direct intake will start in 2024.

We expect student numbers to increase steadily and to reach their optimum number from 2029 onwards. This gradual trajectory will provide time to assess and evaluate both the quality tuition and student experience at the new medical school.

Establishing a new medical school in North Wales is a key commitment, which will help Wales to train more medical students and ensure that training opportunities and the provision of qualified doctors are spread across Wales.

This is a real boost for North Wales, for Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and for Bangor University.

I have written to the General Medical Council to confirm our support and endorsement of these plans. This letter of assurance enables the GMC to progress the accreditation process.

February 9, 2023
Julie James – 2023 Statement on Building Safety in Wales
The statement made by Julie James, the Welsh Minister for Climate Change, on 23 January 2023.

Building Safety is a priority for this government. I am as committed today as I have always been that leaseholders should not bear the cost of repairing fire safety issues that are not of their making. I expect developers to step up to their responsibilities and am prepared to explore all options, including legislation, to ensure this happens.

Today, I am pleased to share an update on our progress. In my Written Statement in October, I announced that eleven major developers had signed up to the Welsh Government’s Developers Pact. This represents a public commitment they will address fire safety issues in buildings of 11 metres and over they have developed over the last 30 years. These developers are Persimmon, Taylor Wimpey, Lovell, McCarthy and Stone, Countryside, Vistry, Redrow, Crest Nicholson, St Modwen, Bellway and Barratt.

The Pact is underpinned by formal legal documentation. I am pleased to confirm that this has been drafted and shared with the Home Builders Federation and we anticipate these developers will accept our terms shortly.

I am also pleased to report a number of developers have started remediation works in advance of signing, such as Bellway and Persimmon Homes, as I saw today when I visited Century Wharf in Cardiff.

There remains the question of what will happen to those ‘orphan’ buildings where the developer has gone out of business or cannot be identified.

Together with Plaid Cymru, we are developing the second phase of our programme of work to address fire safety risks on residential buildings of 11 metres and over in height. This will set out the plan for supporting orphan buildings across Wales and help identify what is required to remediate all buildings as quickly and efficiently as possible.

We have agreed to an initial cohort of six orphan buildings to be remediated to test our approach and ensure that buildings are made as safe from fire risk as possible. The work to identify this first cohort has started and I will make further announcements on the details of this first cohort of buildings in due course.

The route to accessing Welsh Government support will continue to be through our Welsh Building Safety Fund. This fund remains open for Responsible Persons to complete an Expression of Interest, which is the starting point for accessing support from the Welsh Government. I encourage all Responsible Persons to complete an Expression of Interest for their buildings as soon as possible. In the first instance, the fund allows for surveys to take place at no cost to leaseholders, offering information about fire safety issues, and providing EWS1 forms for those buildings where the risk of fire is low.

The survey work provides essential information and signposts where additional work is needed to address fire risk. It is therefore essential that Managing Agents and Responsible Persons ensure our consultants are able to access buildings as quickly as possible to undertake these works, rather than have access delayed by those who should be acting in the best interest of their leaseholders, residents and tenants.

In some cases, access to undertake survey work is difficult because of the location of buildings and the need to seek Local Authority permissions to close walkways and roads when work is undertaken. I would also like to encourage my colleagues in Local Authorities to ensure these licenses and permissions are granted as quickly as possible to minimise delays on this vital work.

Alongside the work to address fire safety issues, we also need to ensure that our building control regime is fit for purpose. Together with Plaid Cymru, work is currently underway to implement the first phase of our design and construction transition plan bringing into force the legislative changes necessary to rectify identified problems within the current building control regimes. This phase is bringing in more stringent regulation of the building control profession i.e. building control approvers, building control inspectors and local authorities exercising building control functions. This provision will also change who can advise on, and carry out, certain building control work, with the purpose of improving competence levels, transparency and accountability in the building control profession. This is to make sure that only individuals who have demonstrated the relevant competence are advising decision-makers before important building control decisions are taken.

The key changes we will be making are:
- The creation of registers for all Building Control Inspectors and Building Control Approvers
- All Building Control Inspectors must be registered and meet competence criteria to be able to provide advice to Local Authorities or private building control bodies
- Private building control bodies, currently known as Approved inspectors must register, as building control approvers, to continue to undertake building control work on non-Higher risk Buildings.
- Only Local Authority Building Control will be able to be the building control authority for buildings meeting the criteria for Higher-risk Buildings.
Transitional arrangements are being developed and will be part of the next set of consultations. Please be aware that we are likely to be opening up the registration process in October this year with a view of moving to the new regime from April 2024.

Despite the positive moves made by developers, and other progress, I appreciate that these works will not come soon enough for some leaseholders who face financial hardship as a result of fire safety issues in their homes. In June last year I launched the Leaseholder Support Scheme with a commitment that I would continue to review the eligibility criteria to ensure those in greatest need would benefit from the scheme.

The recent cost of living crisis has created an untenable situation for many, and I am determined that the support offered through the Leaseholder Support Scheme takes into account these issues. As was the case previously, the scheme provides access to free independent financial advice for relevant leaseholders and, if it is right for the household and the eligibility criteria are satisfied, the option for them to sell their property and either rent back their home or move on.

Following the completion of a review I have instructed officials to amend the eligibility criteria of the scheme in two fundamental ways.

The first is to amend the assessment of financial hardship to take into account the rising cost of energy. This is vital as it will increase recognition of those in significant financial hardship as a result of the recent increases to the energy price cap and will allow more people to access the scheme.

The second fundamental change is to remove the Displaced Residents clause. Previously, to be eligible for the scheme, leaseholders had to either be residents, or be residents forced from their property due to changing circumstances. By removing this criterion, the scheme is now opened to leaseholders who have purchased properties as an investment, such as pensioners, or those who have received the leasehold through an inheritance.

The support offered by this scheme will help more leaseholders in financial hardship receive the support they need.

Ultimately, the best and right solution to help leaseholders and residents of medium and high-rise buildings (those of 11 metres and more) is to address fire safety defects. This brings a significant challenge in assessing what the right solutions are and what standard of works are needed to both address life critical fire safety issues and the requirements of lenders and insurers.

In January last year a new documented code of practice was developed and launched by the British Standards Institution (PAS 9980:2022). The document sets out a methodology for professionals to undertake Fire Risk Appraisals of External Walls. I will be testing this through the establishment of a task and finish group of sector financial and technical experts to ensure we provide safe homes which can be affordably insured and confidently used as a financial asset. This continues and extends our work with the finance sector on matters of fire safety.

We know that properties affected by fire safety issues have struggled to obtain mortgages, but we are making significant progress towards addressing this issue and giving the finance sector assurances they require.

At present, lenders operate on a case-by-case basis in Wales, and we are working closely with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and UK Finance Ltd to ensure the recent announcement for England, which confirmed six lenders who were prepared to offer mortgages on buildings affected by fire risk, will similarly be considered on properties in Wales of 11 metres and over, which are covered by our agreements with developers and the Welsh Building Safety Fund.

We have also recently launched a Building Safety Strategic Stakeholder Group. The Building Safety Stakeholder Group will act as a strategic, independent advisory group for Welsh Government on matters relating to, and under the jurisdiction of, the Welsh Building Safety Programme.

Stakeholder engagement is at the core of my approach to ensure our policy development for building safety is informed, effective, robust and based on clear evidence. Obtaining the expert views, leaseholder perspective, advice and support of our stakeholders is critical to the successful delivery of our Building Safety Programme. We have also issued invitations to expand the leaseholder representation in the Group, to ensure we capture their views and lived experience on this matter.

I am therefore very pleased that following the first recent meeting positive and valuable discussions were made. I look forward to future meetings to obtain the expert views, advice and support from our stakeholders which is critical to the successful delivery of our Building Safety Programme.
February 9, 2023
Jane Hutt – 2023 Statement on Windrush 2023

The statement made by Jane Hutt, the Welsh Minister for Social Justice, on 20 January 2023.

This year, on 22 June, we will mark 75 years since MV Empire Windrush docked in Tilbury, the moment which symbolises the “Windrush Generation” and crystalises how migration to the United Kingdom has shaped our society today.

Windrush Celebration Day recognises and celebrates the contributions of men and women from across the Commonwealth who helped to build a modern Wales and made this country their home. We again want to embrace this anniversary wholeheartedly as we have in previous years. This year we will celebrate and recognise its wide historic and present-day significance.

We are aware that Windrush celebrations will take place across the UK. Our engagement with Windrush Elders and organisations in Wales has ensured that we are well-placed to support communities to retell their stories and celebrate their contributions to our nation. The Welsh Government will again be funding both local and national Windrush events. We will also remain committed to seeking justice for the Windrush Elders in line with the Wendy Williams report published on 19 July 2018.

Migrants been helping to shape and enrich our nation since long before the Windrush arrivals and they are continuing to do so right up to the present day. As a Welsh Government, we have long supported and offered sanctuary to refugees and asylum seekers.

I am very proud that this year we have seen how our vision to welcome people from across the world has been adopted and brought to life in response to events in Afghanistan and Ukraine. Support has come in many guises, from thousands of individuals and families as well as businesses, local authorities, voluntary organisations, faith groups and many more. This is what we mean when we talk about Wales being a Nation of Sanctuary.

Our vision is to welcome and help anyone who is dispersed or resettled to Wales to access services and integrate with communities from day one of arrival. It is about recognising the person before seeing their immigration status. recognising that individuals come with skills and experiences and not just simply needs to be met.

As part of this rich and continuing story of Wales as a Nation of Sanctuary, the Windrush generation has a particular and unique place in our national life. I most strongly encourage all of us to mark this historic anniversary, including participating in the celebrations, whether on Windrush Day itself, or throughout the year.

February 9, 2023
Eluned Morgan – 2023 Statement on Eliminating TB in Wales
The statement made by Eluned Morgan, the Welsh Minister for Health and Social Services, on 20 January 2023.

As we begin the new year, I wanted to provide an update to Members on our progress towards eliminating tuberculosis (TB) in Wales, in line with the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) vision to have the European Region free of the TB burden by 2030: Tuberculosis action plan for the WHO European Region 2023–2030. Information sheet\.

Wales currently has the joint lowest TB rates in the UK (2.8 cases per 100,000 population[1]) and overall rates have been declining since 2009.

Despite this downward trend, we continue to see some TB-associated deaths every year in Wales and the headline figures hide some increasing risks in TB prevention and control.

Around half of all cases of TB in Wales in recent years have been in people born in the UK, which creates a different set of challenges for detection and control. Cases are generally increasingly challenging and complex, and there is the continued threat of sporadic multi-drug resistant and extensively drug resistant cases.

TB is a potentially fatal disease with major health and social consequences for those affected. It contributes to increasing health inequalities in already deprived populations, and each infectious case represents a transmission risk to their contacts and communities.

Although most TB cases are curable, successfully supporting a single complex

case through treatment can have major resource implications for the NHS and wider public services. Furthermore, strong evidence exists to demonstrate that failure to prevent, diagnose and adequately treat cases can lead to the development of drug resistance, onward transmission of infection and TB outbreaks.

Even a single case of TB can lead to large and difficult-to-manage clusters and outbreaks. In 2018, there were three outbreaks of TB in Wales, all requiring screening of extensive numbers of contacts. The outbreaks had a serious impact on both the affected individuals and NHS resources.

Mass community screening of more than 1,500 people took place in 2019 due to a continuing outbreak with a cumulative total of more than 30 TB cases since 2010. This long-running outbreak has caused significant public concern, and activities associated with screening continue to this day. In 2020, a second mass screening exercise involving more than 1,000 staff and prisoners was undertaken following a TB incident associated with a prison.

That rates of TB in Wales have declined since 2009 is largely a tribute to the professionals involved in TB prevention, diagnosis, treatment and control. Given the challenges, we need to ensure there is renewed focus to eliminate TB in Wales. I have therefore agreed a number of actions will be taken forward:
- We will establish a bespoke TB Elimination Oversight Group to monitor and drive forward progress across Wales. It will report to the Chief Medical Officer under the Health Protection Advisory Group governance arrangements.
- Public Health Wales will re-establish the All-Wales TB Group, which was stood down during the pandemic. Its remit will include consideration and review of evidence including learning from outbreaks, advising on issues such as prioritisation of services and screening requirements for entrants into Wales and the development of guidance to support professionals.
- The first task of the All-Wales TB Group will be to review the Tuberculosis Strategy and Service Specification for Wales to incorporate the valuable lessons learned from both the Covid-19 pandemic and the programmes established to welcome those seeking refuge in Wales.
- The All-Wales TB Group will recommend the updated Tuberculosis Strategy and Service Specification for Wales to the TB Elimination Oversight Group for review and endorsement as a direction of travel in Wales.
- The All-Wales TB Group will develop a National TB Action Plan for agreement by the TB Elimination Oversight Group. This will be regularly reviewed to ensure the agreed actions are implemented.
I will keep Members informed of our efforts to prevent and control TB and our commitment to ultimately eliminate TB as a public health threat.

[1] Reports of cases of TB to UK enhanced tuberculosis surveillance systems, 2000 to 2021 – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
February 9, 2023
Julie James – 2023 Statement on the Publication of the Consultation Response for the Deposit Return Scheme

The statement made by Julie James, the Welsh Minister for Climate Change, on 20 January 2023.

The Minister for Climate Change is pleased to announce the publication of the Government response to the consultation on the Deposit Return Scheme. The response is published jointly with the UK Government and Department for Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, Northern Ireland.

This follows the joint consultation in March 2021 and feedback from this consultation has been evaluated in developing the final design for the Deposit Return Scheme for drink containers.

Following the publication of this response to the consultation https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/introduction-of-a-deposit-return-scheme-in-england-wales-and-northern-ireland, the next stage will be the development of secondary legislation required to implement the scheme.

February 9, 2023
Jane Hutt – 2023 Statement on Women’s Safety in Public Places in Wales

The statement made by Jane Hutt, the Welsh Minister for Social Justice, on 19 January 2023.

Women and girl’s safety from abuse, both in public and private spaces, remains a priority for the Welsh Government. With violence against women again in the news, I wanted to set out how the Welsh Government is continuing to prioritise and address this issue.

Women and girls should be safe in all aspects of their lives. They should be safe to walk through public spaces. They should be safe at home. They should be safe to go to work and school. They should be safe in the day and safe at night.

No level of abuse is acceptable, but in fact we know that violence against women and girls is shockingly common. Harassment, abuse and violence are daily occurrences for women and have conditioned their lives for far too long. Misogyny and long-standing structural inequalities for women and girls sit at the heart of much of this. We are committed to challenging and addressing these damaging attitudes and behaviours head on.

Violence against women and girls is a societal problem which requires a societal response. It is not for women to modify their behaviour; it is for abusers to change theirs.

While it is right that, as part of our response, we look at options available to enhance women’s safety in public places, often these initiatives or schemes can place the burden on women to protect themselves or alter their behaviour. It is therefore vital that we also address the root causes of male violence against women, focusing on changing negative attitudes and cultures that allow violence and abuse to persist. Prevention and early intervention need to take centre stage, rather than solely focussing our attention on remedial measures.

Whilst we have all been shocked in recent years by the high-profile murders of women at the hands of strangers, many more women die every year at the hands of violent men who are known to them, and many 1000s more again suffer violence and coercive control that continues to blight their lives and opportunities. To change this, we must confront those committing the abuse, we must support survivors, and we must change the culture of misogyny and harassment that feeds the abuse.

That is why the Welsh Government’s Programme for Government commits to strengthening the Violence against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (VAWDASV) Strategy to include a focus on violence against women in the street and workplace as well as the home in order to make Wales the safest place in Europe to be a woman.

Last year, the Welsh Government published our new five-year VAWDASV National Strategy, which will be delivered through a collaborative ‘blueprint approach’ alongside a group of key partner organisations including the police and specialist sector. In line with our commitment, one of these blueprint workstreams is Street Harassment and Safety in Public Places, which will provide a focus and expertise for an innovative approach to these issues.

Our ground-breaking Violence Against Women, Domestic Abuse and Sexual Violence (Wales) Act 2015 also created duties on local authorities and health boards in Wales to publish and implement strategies for addressing these issues in local communities. This ensures that tackling violence against women and girls is prioritised across Wales.

With all of these issues in mind, many men are asking how they can be a better ally to women. Men and boys can help by not committing, excusing, or remaining silent about any kind of harassment or violence against women. Where it is safe to do so, call out inappropriate behaviour.

Our campaign ‘Call out only’ aims to help people identify behaviours associated with street harassment and acknowledges that the experiences of women and girls are serious and prevalent and can cause fear, alarm and distress. The campaign calls on the public (males particularly) to call out and challenge assumptions about harassment against women – often wrongly seen as ‘harmless’ or excused using the word ‘only’ – with their peers, friends and colleagues.

I would also encourage anyone with concerns about their own behaviour, or that of others, or if you are suffering abuse yourself, to speak to the Welsh Government funded Live Fear Free helpline on 0808 80 10 800 or via webchat, email or text.

We will continue to work in partnership with specialist services to raise awareness of the inequality and safety issues faced by women and girls, and to end all forms of violence against women, domestic abuse and sexual violence. We will continue to work with Welsh police forces, Police and Crime Commissioners, public safety boards and the Crown Prosecution Service to improve practice, instil confidence in victims to report incidents of abuse and violence when they occur and to hold those who abuse to account.

Wales will not be a bystander to abuse.

February 9, 2023
Jeremy Miles – 2023 Statement on School Improvement and the Information Landscape in Wales

The statement made by Jeremy Miles, the Welsh Minister for Education and Welsh Language, on 19 January 2023.

Over recent years, Wales has been moving towards a new way of teaching and learning which is focused on helping children and young people achieve the four purposes: to be ready to learn, to play a full part in life and work, to be citizens of Wales and the world, and be valued members of our society. The teaching profession has worked hard and creatively to build new curricula for their learners, and schools across Wales are now introducing the Curriculum for Wales. We have always been clear that we need to ensure that all aspects of the education system are aligned with and fully support the realisation of the new curriculum, and we have taken clear steps forward on both professional learning and implementation of the new qualifications from 2025.

Next steps – developing a new data and information ecosystem/landscape

In June 2022, I published school improvement guidance to introduce a new way for the education system to work together to support schools in their improvement, build confidence in the system and retain a clear focus on supporting all learners to progress through their education. In July, the Welsh Government published the curriculum evaluation scoping report which made recommendations for how we will know that our new curriculum is improving learning in Wales. Today we see the publication of the Developing a new data and information ecosystem that supports the reformed school system in Wales report, which sets out recommendations for approaches to using data and information, in a way that will allow partners across the system to work together to support all our learners, irrespective of background, to fulfil their potential.

The report outlines the different information needs within the system: the needs of learners and their parents, of schools, of local authorities, as well as the importance of information at a national level to form the basis for improvement across the system. I welcome this helpful evidence that will inform our thinking. The report proposes developing a broader suite of information on areas such as wellbeing (both learner and staff) and the development of learners’ skills integral to the four purposes. It makes clear that when analysing information, we consider the context of our schools and the challenges they face. This includes a more sophisticated understanding of relative economic disadvantage and learners’ additional learning needs, as well as the voice of learners.

It is crucial to have the right breadth of information to support evaluation and improvement, whether at a national level or a school level, but I wish to emphasise that the Welsh Government’s expectation is that information is used to support schools and local authorities to understand their own contexts and improve their own offer. It should not be used in isolation to judge performance or compare schools and information should be created for a clear purpose.

Outcomes from qualifications will continue to form a key part of a school’s evaluation and improvement considerations. In 2019, we introduced new transitional interim measures for secondary schools that ensured more focus on raising our aspirations for all learners. They removed the narrowed focus on borderline C/D grade pupils to instead recognise the achievement of all our learners at Key Stage 4. These measures were paused during the pandemic. I can confirm today that for an interim period, whilst we progress the development of a neutral approach to the information system, we will restart reporting of Key Stage 4 outcomes at school level using the approach adopted in 2019 (including the policy of counting only first entries of exams). We will report outcomes in the points score format, including the ‘Capped 9’, broken down by gender and eligibility for free school meals. There are clear benefits in retaining a recognised approach which reflects attainment in both general and vocational qualifications as well as the importance of every learner and their outcomes, and in minimising changes to the approach to reporting on an interim basis. We will develop further thinking to align with the introduction of new qualifications from 2025 as we develop our new information landscape.

Rolling programme of national sample assessments

It is very important to emphasise that this return to 2019 arrangements is only temporary as we move towards a more holistic system that promotes learning and puts learners, teachers and parents at the centre. It is important that we have transparency on what we are achieving at a national level too. The Welsh Government is commencing work on an ambitious programme of national monitoring of education. As outlined in the curriculum evaluation scoping report, this will include a rolling programme of assessments of samples of learners across the breadth of the Curriculum for Wales. This is not about testing every learner but understanding and monitoring the national picture of learners’ attainment and progress over time on a system-wide basis. This approach will minimise burdens on schools and the education system as a whole and help provide the information we need to understand our progress in tackling the impact of poverty on learners’ achievement and inform our approaches to addressing these issues. Development work for this programme is underway, and we expect to begin rolling out these sample assessments on a pilot basis in the academic year 2025/26, alongside the wider ecosystem development.

Practitioner engagement and co-construction

Building on the findings of today’s report, we will now work with practitioners across Wales to develop a shared set of information which can help to support learning by understanding learner progress, attainment and the components which drive them. This will be informed by the eight factors which support curriculum realisation set out in the school improvement guidance. We will have a particular focus on improving understanding of progress of disadvantaged learners. I will be keen to gain the views of parents in this work, to understand what information they will find useful. We will work with local authorities, regional consortia and partnerships alongside this to seek to build a coherent and consistent approach across Wales which supports learning and minimises workload for teachers and schools. The Welsh Government will be writing to schools in the coming weeks to provide further details, and I will provide further updates as this work progresses.

February 9, 2023