Written Assembly Questions tabled on 13 March 2015 for answer on 20 March 2015
R - Signifies the Member has declared an interest.
W - Signifies that the question was tabled in Welsh.
(Self identifying Question no. shown in brackets)
Written Questions must be tabled at least five working days before they are to be answered. In practice, Ministers aim to answer within seven/eight days but are not bound to do so. Answers are published in the language in which they are provided, with a translation into English of responses provided in Welsh.
To ask the Minister for Education and Skills
Angela Burns (Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire): Will the Minister make a statement as to when he will inform FE institutions whether they will receive their share of the Sector Priorities Fund? (WAQ68487)
Answer received on 24 March 2015
The Deputy Minister for Skills and Technology (Julie James):
During 2014/15 the Skills Priorities Programme Pilot provided ring fenced funding to support employed part time learners to attain vocationally specific skills. Allocations to enable learners currently accessing this provision to achieve their learning outcomes will be communicated to individual Further Education Institutions before the end on April.
A second phase of the Skills Priorities Programme Pilot is currently being developed, which will enhance the Further Education sector’s ability to address the emerging demand for higher level skills. It will provide an opportunity to strengthen how effectively the sector responds to the emerging skills needs of employers as well as seeking to provide added value to investment already made by other Welsh Government interventions. This Pilot will run from September 2015 to March 2016.
Discussions have commenced with the Further Education sector on these Pilot arrangements. This dialogue will continue during March and April in order to inform final criteria for the Pilot, which will be communicated to the sector by the end of April.
To ask the Minister for Health and Social Services
Lynne Neagle (Torfaen): Will the Minister provide the information set out in the answer to WAQ68306, broken down by local authority area? (WAQ68486)
Answer to follow