1. 1. Questions to the Cabinet Secretary for Education – in the Senedd at on 22 March 2017.
Russell George
Conservative
8. Will the Cabinet Secretary make a statement on the delivery of the digital competence framework by primary schools in mid Wales? OAQ(5)0103(EDU)
Alun Davies
Labour
2:10,
22 March 2017
The digital competence framework was made available to schools and settings in September 2016. Schools and settings throughout Wales are being helped to develop the delivery of the framework through the digital pioneers and regional consortia.
Russell George
Conservative
2:11,
22 March 2017
Thank you, Minister, for your answer. I hope you will be aware that the lack of broadband across parts of rural Powys is putting rural schools in particular at a significant disadvantage, which is having a knock-on effect on pupils’ education. Now, as I understand, there are 28 primary schools across Wales that still cannot access adequate broadband to enable them to teach pupils using the Hwb digital learning resource. Can I ask what the Welsh Government is doing to ensure that teachers can access the digital resource, which they need to deliver the full curriculum to their pupils?
Alun Davies
Labour
I agree with the fundamental point that the Member makes, that all schools have to have equal access to broadband to ensure that pupils are able to take advantage of these opportunities, which should be available to them. There are 23 schools, in fact, that currently do not have the superfast broadband that we require. We recognise the importance of equal access. The Cabinet Secretary has committed an additional £5 million of funding to ensure that all schools have access to superfast broadband. Presiding Officer, we expect that work in all of these schools will be completed by 31 March, next week. However, there are three schools where BT has encountered issues and which won’t be completed until 28 April.
Elin Jones
Plaid Cymru
2:12,
22 March 2017
Question 9 [OAQ(5)0100(EDU)] has been withdrawn. Question 10—Paul Davies.
The cabinet is the group of twenty or so (and no more than 22) senior government ministers who are responsible for running the departments of state and deciding government policy.
It is chaired by the prime minister.
The cabinet is bound by collective responsibility, which means that all its members must abide by and defend the decisions it takes, despite any private doubts that they might have.
Cabinet ministers are appointed by the prime minister and chosen from MPs or peers of the governing party.
However, during periods of national emergency, or when no single party gains a large enough majority to govern alone, coalition governments have been formed with cabinets containing members from more than one political party.
War cabinets have sometimes been formed with a much smaller membership than the full cabinet.
From time to time the prime minister will reorganise the cabinet in order to bring in new members, or to move existing members around. This reorganisation is known as a cabinet re-shuffle.
The cabinet normally meets once a week in the cabinet room at Downing Street.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
