00:00I'd like an urgent statement from the Cabinet Secretary for Education into the Dam in Estyn
00:05report into the education service in Powys County Council. The report highlighted what
00:11many parents and teachers have been telling me and others, that the education in Powys
00:15under the Liberal Democrats is failing. The report highlighted political leadership as
00:21one of the failures in the report. And what we're seeing is the council, led by the Lib
00:26Dems, running those services into the ground. So can we please have an urgent statement
00:31on this matter? I do not agree with me Trevena that I think the time has come to look at
00:37putting commissioners into Powys County Council, because it is clear that the Liberal Democrats
00:41are a party of protest. They're not a party for delivering for the people who I serve.
00:47And I think it's about time that the Welsh Government grasped the metal and actually
00:50stepped in and dealt with the Liberal Democrats in Powys once and for all.
00:55Thank you for your question. We're aware that the outcome of Estyn's recent inspection
01:00of Powys education service wasn't positive, and the local authority has been judged to
01:05be causing concern. This is a disappointing outcome. But as you are aware, regular independent
01:10inspection of the local authority is a fundamental part of the accountability system, but also
01:16plays a major role in driving and directing improvement. So Estyn has made, as you're
01:21aware, a number of recommendations. There now is a process to follow. The local authority
01:26will produce a post-inspection action plan, set out how it intends to address the recommendations
01:33set out in the report. Estyn will undertake a series of monitoring visits to measure progress,
01:39and this is a fully transparent process. But senior officials of the Cabinet Secretary
01:45for Education and Skills are in regular contact with the leadership at Powys and Estyn to
01:51ensure that the local authority also receives the support it needs to improve.
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