Sue Robb of 4Children talks to Julie Laughton and Alison Britton from the Department for Education about the role of childminders in delivering the 30 hours free entitlement.
Welsh council reform plans to be rewritten
Mark Drakeford, the new local government secretary, has said the plans to shake-up councils in Wales is due to be redrawn.
Drakeford made the comment in an interview with Sunday Politics Wales, where he claimed he was looking for a ‘wider sort of conversation’, adding that the initial proposals to reduce 22 councils to eight or nine had been dropped.
The news comes after the plans were criticised by opposition parties in the assembly, with labour council leaders claiming the country could save more money by working closely together.
However, Drakeford maintained that he was ‘not committed to any particular solution... we've got to be prepared to have a wider sort of conversation’.
He said: ”People are very willing to agree that there are challenges facing local government that have to be faced up to and have to be solved. Lines on a map is part of it, but only one part of it.
He added: ”The reality is that we couldn't in the last assembly - and we know that we couldn't in this assembly - summon the votes together to put that map into legislation. We must accommodate ourselves to that reality and find a different way forward."
Janet Finch-Saunders AM, Welsh Conservative spokesperson for local government, said: "Any plans going forward must be declared as soon as possible with maximum transparency, and need to be done in consultation with all parties, key stakeholders and - above all - local communities."
Latest News
25/04/2024 - 12:28
The Welsh government will work with councils to set out a three-phase plan to implement a 20mph limit.
25/04/2024 - 11:56
£11 million of grant funding has been confirmed for public sector bodies in Scotland.
25/04/2024 - 10:32
The Labour Party has announced that it would renationalise most passenger rail services within five years.
25/04/2024 - 10:13
An emergency meeting of the Scottish Cabinet was called this morning.
25/04/2024 - 09:48
A Scottish government-backed deep-water terminal connecting the Western Isles has been handed over to operators.
Company Focus
Located in Bromley, Japanese Knotweed Eradication Ltd has been providing solutions in the treatment and removal of Japanese Knotweed (Fallopia Japonica) for over a decade. During this time we have mastered a repertoire of methods, from herbicidal treatments to landscaping solutions, tailored to address the unique challenges our clients face with this pervasive weed.
Event Diary
UKREiiF has quickly become a must-attend in the industry calendar for Government departments and local authorities.
The multi-award-winning UK Construction Week (UKCW), is the UK’s biggest trade event for the built environment that connects the whole supply chain to be the catalyst for growth and positive change in the industry.
Supplier Profiles
At GeoEnergy Design, we're on a mission to disrupt the traditional way heating and cooling ha
Latest Features
Professor Harith Alani, director of the Knowledge Management Institute at the Open University explains how AI can be used for good and bad.
Alex Lawrence, head of health & social care, techUK sets out techUK’s Five Point Plan for CareTech.
