National Assembly for Wales

The detail of ministerial overseas travel is published annually (by financial year) in line with the Ministerial code. https://www.gov.wales/ministerial-code

Overseas travel by Welsh Government officials since 6th August 2024 is set out below.

I will write to you with a substantive response and a copy of the letter will be published on the internet.

We continue to support the recruitment of entrants to Initial Teacher Education programmes through a range of activities including the use of incentives and promoting teaching as a career through marketing activities.

Our priority subject incentive scheme offers up to £15,000 for students training to teach Biology, Chemistry, Design & Technology, Information Technology, Mathematics, Modern Foreign Languages, Physics or Welsh as a subject in the Secondary sector. 

We offer an additional £5,000 incentive for students who train to each through the medium of Welsh and an additional £5,000 incentive for students from a recognised ethnic minority.

We invest circa £35m every year in the professional development of the workforce. In 2025-26, this includes £13.5m awarded directly to schools to invest in professional learning, to enable all practitioners to deliver high-quality learning and teaching.

A range of professional learning for all practitioners is available across Wales, including induction for new teachers, continuous professional learning opportunities for teachers including support on teaching pedagogy and developing all practitioners as enquirers. There’s also a professional learning pathway for support staff and a pathway to support teachers on their journey to senior leadership and headship.

On 13 January I issued a written statement setting out my intention to develop a Strategic Education Workforce Plan Written Statement: Strategic education workforce plan. We’ll be working with local authorities, Unions, Estyn and a range of other stakeholders to develop the Plan and addressing how we improve teacher recruitment and retention and the quality of teaching will be a key part of this plan amongst other areas.

I have also announced that we are establishing a new national body for professional learning and leadership which will respond to changing practitioner and government priorities and ensure that practitioners have the support they need. The national body will provide the opportunities for practitioners to develop, share good practice and learn from each other in order to impact positively on educational standards in Wales.

We continue to support the recruitment of entrants to Initial Teacher Education programmes through a range of activities including the use of incentives and promoting teaching as a career through marketing activities.

Our priority subject incentive scheme offers up to £15,000 for students training to teach Biology, Chemistry, Design & Technology, Information Technology, Mathematics, Modern Foreign Languages, Physics or Welsh as a subject in the Secondary sector. 

We offer an additional £5,000 incentive for students who train to each through the medium of Welsh and an additional £5,000 incentive for students from a recognised ethnic minority.

We invest circa £35m every year in the professional development of the workforce. In 2025-26, this includes £13.5m awarded directly to schools to invest in professional learning, to enable all practitioners to deliver high-quality learning and teaching.

A range of professional learning for all practitioners is available across Wales, including induction for new teachers, continuous professional learning opportunities for teachers including support on teaching pedagogy and developing all practitioners as enquirers. There’s also a professional learning pathway for support staff and a pathway to support teachers on their journey to senior leadership and headship.

On 13 January I issued a written statement setting out my intention to develop a Strategic Education Workforce Plan Written Statement: Strategic education workforce plan. We’ll be working with local authorities, Unions, Estyn and a range of other stakeholders to develop the Plan and addressing how we improve teacher recruitment and retention and the quality of teaching will be a key part of this plan amongst other areas.

I have also announced that we are establishing a new national body for professional learning and leadership which will respond to changing practitioner and government priorities and ensure that practitioners have the support they need. The national body will provide the opportunities for practitioners to develop, share good practice and learn from each other in order to impact positively on educational standards in Wales.

We continue to invest approximately £35m every year in the professional development of the workforce. In 2025-26, this includes £13.5m awarded directly to schools to invest in professional learning, to enable all practitioners to deliver high-quality learning and teaching.

From September this year, a new national body for professional learning and leadership will be established to simplify and streamline support for schools. The National Body will provide the opportunities for practitioners to develop, share good practice and learn from each other.

We are working with local authorities and other partners to develop a package of national support that will ensure all practitioners have access to high quality training to improve the quality of literacy and numeracy teaching. This package of support is being informed by evidence about how learners develop and what effective practice looks like.

We are also working with local authorities, Unions, Estyn and a range of other stakeholders to develop a Strategic Education Workforce Plan - addressing how we improve the quality of teaching will be a key part of this plan.

The regular checking of all medical equipment including neonatal resuscitaires is the professional responsibility of health boards.

Health inspectorate Wales (HIW) through their maternity unit inspection programme check systems and processes to gain assurance that equipment checks are in place.  Any subsequent actions from HIW inspections are followed up through health board action plans and monitored though HIW and Welsh Government assurance mechanisms

I am aware of the proposals relating to Cae Glas Care Home though I have not had discussions with Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council directly on this matter.

I am unable to intervene in individual cases. Ultimately, the decision rests with the local authority, which is responsible for planning and providing social care services. However, I expect the residents of Cae Glas Care Home to be supported effectively and sensitively throughout this process. The individual needs of residents should be central to planning, with input from their loved ones and staff who know them well.

I am aware of the proposals relating to Ferndale House Care Home though I have not had discussions with Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council directly on this matter.

I am unable to intervene in individual cases. Ultimately, the decision rests with the local authority, which is responsible for planning and providing social care services. However, I expect the residents of Ferndale House Care Home to be supported effectively and sensitively throughout this process. The individual needs of residents should be central to planning, with input from their loved ones and staff who know them well.

The Social Services and Well-being (Wales) Act 2014 (“the Act”) places statutory duties on local authorities and local health boards to meet the care and support needs of people in Wales.

On the 1 September 2024 the statutory National Framework for the Commissioning of Care and Support in Wales: Code of Practice (“the National Framework”) came into force.  Through our National Framework we aim to reduce complexity, facilitate national consistency of commissioning practices and rebalance commissioning to focus on quality and outcomes and put people who need care and support at the centre of the commissioning process based on the principles of ‘what matters’ to them.

The Code emphasises relationships and the importance of inclusive coproduction including between commissioners, people who need care and support, carers and providers of services. 

To support the implementation of the Code of Practice, a comprehensive digital toolkit has been created hosted on the Social Care Wales communities platform which contains a range of tools to support commissioners to work in line with the principles and standards set in the Code of Practice including information on co-production.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion is a fundamental element of work within Welsh Government as part of the commitment to the Anti-Racist Wales Action Plan. The Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager employed by Welsh Government ensures that an intersectional lens is applied to work undertaken within maternity and neonatal policy.

Every woman in Wales has an identified named midwife throughout pregnancy and the postnatal period.  An individualised plan of care is co-produced with her to address all her needs, including those of autism and how it may impact on her pregnancy and birth journey.

In accordance with the GMC Good Practice Guide and the NHS Code of Conduct, NHS employees should avoid wearing political symbols in healthcare settings to maintain a bias-free environment.

The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill was introduced as a private members Bill and is currently at committee stage in the House of Commons. We do not yet know what the final content of the Bill will be. Once the Bill passes the relevant stages in Parliament it will be assessed for the purposes of Standing Order 29. We are in contact with the UK Government to understand and plan for the implications of this Bill for Wales

The Welsh Government engages with the UK government on all of the Free Trade Agreements that the UK government is undertaking. My officials have had discussions, and the opportunity to present Welsh views and interests, with the UK government on all six of the trade deals the UK government committed to undertaking, including the agreement between the United Kingdom and Israel.

Our consultation on proposed changes to permitted development rights, including for electric vehicle charging, temporary land use for camping, reverse vending machines and meanwhile uses is anticipated to issue for public consultation in late March.

The Community Facilities Programme will open to new applicants in 2025/26.

Pedestrian safety is important to me and this will be my starting point in future discussions with the UK Government about the regulation of private e-scooter use in the UK. 

E-scooters are currently illegal to use on the road or pavement unless part of a UK Government regulated trial, and even then, current regulations mean that they can only be used by people who have at least a provisional driving licence.

Anyone found using a private e-scooter by the police risks a fixed penalty notice and the seizure of their scooter.

Denbighshire County Council have received £750,000 from our Resilient Roads Fund in 2024-25 to take forward design work on a replacement for the bridge this financial year. The detailed design stage of the project has recently been completed and the outcome of this process is currently being considered, with Denbighshire County Council also engaging with the directly affected statutory undertakers. As Denbighshire County Council are currently considering the detailed design, I am unable to confirm a timescale for the completion of the works at this stage.