The government budgeted £700 million last year for initiatives to address the critical, nationwide teacher shortage, but its latest data shows 4,000 vacancies across secondary schools and further education colleges1, says the NAO. The new report by the independent public spending watchdog assesses whether DfE is achieving value for money through its work to recruit and retain teachers…
This Annual Plan covers the last full 12-month period of Adrian’s tenure as Auditor General and continues progress towards the delivery of our five-year strategy. The value of public audit in a rapidly changing, complex environment is vital to providing assurance to the public, politicians, decision-makers and influencers on whether public money is being well…
During Spokesperson’s Questions to Labour’s Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Dr Altaf Hussain MS, raised concerns about the lack of progress within the report published by the Welsh Government’s Future Generation’s Commissioner. Dr Hussain highlighted that even though the Welsh Government has delivered free school meals and…
In response to growing concerns from educators and parents, the Welsh Conservatives have further criticised the Welsh Government’s approach to managing education in Wales. Recent comments from headteachers and independent reports have shed further light on the stark reality: our schools are underfunded, under-resourced, and struggling to meet the basic needs of students. Commenting, Welsh…
The Government has promised a fresh crackdown on “cowboy waste operators” to tackle fly-tipping, alongside plans to “slash red tape” blocking councils from seizing and crushing vehicles involved in offences. The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs, Environment Agency (Defra) said ministers had launched a review of rules that require councils to bear the…
The photograph above shows a section of the Cwmbach Community Wetlands, where tons of construction road waste were dumped into a natural depression. Following Storm Babet, the waste was pushed further into the wetland ecosystem. Although a fence has now been erected, the hole remains exposed and vulnerable to future weather events, with the next…
To whom it may concern, Going about my daily duties today, 24 April 2025, I dropped off cat food at Bryn Pica refuse site for the feral cats who live there. This is something that I, and fellow cat lovers, do on a regular basis. Today I was told by the manager, who was very…
Caerphilly County Borough Council is considering proposals to expand the provision of specialist resource bases for children with additional learning needs. Members of the Council’s Education and Social Services Scrutiny Committee recently endorsed recommendations to carry out consultation on the plans. The Council’s Cabinet will also be asked to consider the proposals before consultation begins….
The Welsh Conservatives have expressed serious concerns regarding the decision to invite the group Kneecap to perform at this year’s Green Man Festival, following reports of troubling behaviour and rhetoric associated with the group. The group kneecap has been linked to alleged statements advocating violence against Members of Parliament and apparent displays of support for…
The Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) of independent experts, set up by Labour’s Health Cabinet Secretary, has produced a report offering a 29 recommendations to address the “high risk” of increasing patient harm and poor value for taxpayers’ money if there is not an “urgent improvement and turnaround” in the Welsh NHS. Commenting on the latest…
