Elwa And Further Education In Wales

EDM number 1170 in 2003-04, proposed by Llew Smith on 11/05/2004.

That this House welcomes the record-breaking monies provided by the UK Labour Government to the Welsh Assembly; notes with concern that Welsh further education colleges are facing an estimated deficit of more than ú3 million this financial year, including ú660,000 for Coleg Gwent which cannot protect jobs without extra money; further notes that 45 lecturers and technicians at Coleg Gwent will be made redundant and that college departments in some of the most deprived areas will be closed and transferred to other campuses; recognises that the poor state of public transport in the area will make it difficult for students to be able to attend at other college campuses; further recognises that the situation will get much worse unless Education and Learning Wales (ELWa), which has frozen core funding provision for further education in Wales, reviews next year's budget with the aim to fund for growth in student numbers; believes that in this context the threat to access to further education in Wales is created by the Assembly and the quango, ELWa; recalls the commitment to make a bonfire of these bodies in Wales; demand the Assembly carry out this commitment; believes that the management structure of the further education colleges be reviewed and that decisions over the functions and funding of further education in Wales be taken by directly-elected representatives; and calls on the First Minister, the Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning in the National Assembly for Wales and the Secretary of State for Wales to intervene to protect jobs, courses and campuses.

This motion has been signed by a total of 19 MPs.