Question to the Minister for Education and Skills

Janet Finch-Saunders – Child Literacy

3. Will the Minister make a statement on child literacy in Wales?

Huw Lewis

Yes, I will. This Government has put in place a comprehensive set of actions to strengthen the teaching and learning of literacy, including the national literacy and numeracy framework and national tests. We are now seeing improvement in literacy levels, and Estyn have reported that standards of basic literacy have improved across Wales.

Janet Finch-Saunders

Thank you. Minister, I’ve no doubt that you are aware that poverty levels for our children in Wales have risen considerably since 2004, and that therefore does affect their education and literacy levels. Can you advise as to why this Government is still yet to undertake a full and proper assessment of those children living in poverty outside of the Flying Start areas? Do you have the numbers available? And would you also agree that it is essential for a future Government to commit to actions to ensure that these children are also able to access the quality support they need for good speech and early language development? How many have we, and what are you doing about them?

Huw Lewis

Presiding Officer, the Member’s question is both confused and confusing. First of all, it ill behoves, I think, any supporter of the Conservative Party to stand up in this Chamber and then lecture any of the rest of us, really, on the increase in numbers of children in poverty. This is the party that has presided over removing welfare benefit support from families in greatest need, and is currently engaged in trying to make children in poverty disappear by massaging the statistics in England. That will not happen here in Wales. We know precisely how many young people we’re talking about here, because of our commitment to children on free school meals and our commitment through that to invest preferentially in their future and their prospects through the pupil deprivation grant.