Freedom Central » Jenny Randerson

University tuition fee confusion raised by HEFCW

Freedom Central — Tue, 28 Jun 2011 09:30:03 +0000

The BBC report that the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales, who are the body implementing Welsh Government policy on subsidising university tuition fees, did not understand how it would work.

They report that questions are asked in emails from the chief executive of the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales. He warned in one that nobody outside the Welsh Government understood the education minister’s public statements:

Baroness Jenny Randerson, a Welsh Liberal Democrat member of the House of Lords, said the emails showed HEFCW “did not understand the minister’s maths”.

She said that while she supported anything which helped students, there was a question about how the funding would be sustained.

“I think this was a good idea, [but] basically it looks to me as if it was drawn up on the back of an envelope, as it depends on so many variables and things you can’t predict,” she said.

Uncertain times for BBC Wales

Freedom Central — Wed, 25 May 2011 13:11:35 +0000

This morning’s Western Mail reports that cuts on a scale that would call into question BBC Wales’ status as a national broadcaster are being considered:

A document in circulation within BBC Wales suggests coverage of the National Eisteddfod and the Royal Welsh Show could be downgraded, while flagship current affairs programme Week In, Week Out and the Welsh element of the Politics Show could be scrapped.

News and sports coverage could also be significantly cut.

Baroness Randerson, Welsh Liberal Democrat peer and former Welsh Culture Minister, said: “If what is being suggested here is implemented, this would have a significant impact on cultural and political life in Wales.

“With the Assembly maturing in its role as a legislating body, BBC Wales should be widening and deepening its political coverage, not leaving it to wither on the vine.”

Tourism can drive economic recovery for all Wales

Freedom Central — Mon, 14 Mar 2011 05:18:59 +0000

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have marked the start of Wales Tourism Week by announcing their commitment to boost jobs in the tourism sector. The sector already supports 172,000 jobs across Wales. However, the Welsh Government often fails to understand the vital economic role tourism plays in driving growth. The Welsh Liberal Democrats have pledged to put tourism at the centre of their economic strategy in the forthcoming elections.

The Welsh Liberal Democrat plan for creating jobs in tourism includes:

• Prioritising the marketing of Wales as a tourist destination to new overseas markets rather than other parts of the UK, in order to develop a more sustainable tourist base.
• Making St David’s Day a public holiday and global celebration of Wales, raising global awareness and encouraging people to visit for the day and to buy Welsh products.
• Developing a major events calendar that is specifically tasked with bringing events to Wales that are broadcast to new markets, such as the Tour de France and the American NFL.
• Better promoting of off-season activities and assisting in creating a wider range of winter activities across Wales in order to reduce seasonal variations in tourism.
• Making rural tourism a priority by investing in broadband and wi-fi and ensuring that rural destinations and transport are coherently advertised.
• Making Tourism part of the economy portfolio rather than the responsibility of the Heritage Minister as is currently the case.

Commenting, Jenny Randerson AM, Shadow Minister for the Economy, said:

“Tourism brings in over £6 billion to Wales every year – it is a central part of the Welsh economy but with the right support could grow further and help fuel a sustainable economic recovery”

“Tourism is an essential part of the Welsh economy and should be treated as such. We will complement our plan by putting the Minister for the Economy back in charge of driving tourism forward.

Eleanor Burnham, Shadow Heritage Minister added

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats have a coherent plan to boost tourism and create jobs by promoting Wales in new areas, making St David’s Day a public holiday and developing a proper strategy to attract major events like the Tour de France.”

“Many rural areas are reliant on tourism for their income. Everywhere in Wales can share in the economic recovery”

Labour continue denial of Funding Issue in ‘Estyn Report Debate’

Freedom Central — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 06:15:47 +0000

Shadow Education Minister, Jenny Randerson has hit out at the One Wales Government for their failure to acknowledge the damage that their underfunding of the education system has done. Speaking in a debate on the Estyn’s annual report she said: “Labour-Plaid can’t face up to the problems in Education because they are still in denial about the funding issue.”

“The report says that standards were not as good as they should have been in over 30% of schools and pupils do not develop their writing skills well enough ay any key stage

“It also says a key factor in the unemployment rate of young males is the low level of literacy skills.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats have warned for years that the spending gap of over £600 per pupil between England and Wales would have disastrous consequences.

“We want a pupil premium to help bridge that gap for those who start the furthest behind, Labour-Plaid still seem to be in denial that their lack of funding is affecting children’s start in life. This would be in addition to our plans to help teachers be more effective.

“It is astonishing that Plaid Cymru who have supported the Education Minister for the last four years, have used a major education speech to attack their own record in Government – they have been in Government for four years and have not even tried to close the funding gap of over £600 per pupil per year.”

Labour and Plaid under fire over Ieuan Air again

Freedom Central — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 09:53:47 +0000

An environmental charity has said that businesses are cutting back on flights and the Assembly Government should stop subsidising the North-South air link.

According to the Western Mail research by WWF found nearly half (47%) of companies had cut back on plane journeys over the past two years and 85% did not intend to return to “business as usual” flying.

Businesses stated that benefits of avoiding air travel included having fewer staff away from the office and greater staff productivity.

A full 63% of companies now have a policy in place to reduce business flights or are intending to develop one.

Anne Meikle of WWF Cymru said: “It’s great that at least some good news has come out of the recession, with companies realising that cutting business flights can be both good for the planet and good for business. Businesses get it – they can fly less and still be profitable and competitive.

“Yet the Welsh Assembly Government is encouraging flying. WWF Cymru believes that this is contrary to the WAG’s vision for a low-carbon economy.”

Ms Meikle said: “The Welsh Assembly Government should support these findings by investing in high-speed broadband, supporting a videoconferencing network for Wales and improving and investing in the rail network.”

This view reflects the position of the Welsh Liberal Democrats on these flights. Economic Development spokesperson, Jenny Randerson said:

“It is an environmental and financial outrage.

“This controversial air link not only pumps thousands of tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere but has already cost the Welsh taxpayer £3.2m in public subsidy.

“We want to see a transport policy that serves the many in Wales, not the privileged few.”

Welsh Liberal Democrats call for Valley Lines Electrification

Freedom Central — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 05:49:31 +0000

The Welsh Liberal Democrats have called for the Welsh Assembly Government and the UK government to give their backing to proposals to electrify the Valley Lines and confirmed that this commitment will form a major part of the Welsh Liberal Democrats transport proposals in the forthcoming elections in May.

The call follows confirmation that Network Rail are exploring whether the Valley Lines should be electrified by the end of this decade. It aims to complete a Valley Lines study by the summer so that when the current rolling stock comes up for renewal electrification of the lines can be considered.

Welsh Liberal Democrat Transport spokesperson, Jenny Randerson said:

“Electrification of the Valley Lines is a major investment that will substantially speed up journey times from Rhymney, Merthyr Tydfil, Treherbert and Aberdare to Cardiff, Barry and Penarth. It would have a substantial positive economic impact and improve access to jobs.

“It is vital that when we change over the train stock, we achieve electrification. I applaud Network Rail for undertaking the study and hope it can be used as a springboard for the electrification of the valleys lines. But I would go further and ask government to work with Arriva and Network rail to see whether investment can be brought forward before 2018.

“As well as speeding up the Cardiff commute for many it would be better for the environment. I call on both Governments to work together to make this happen.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats will be including in our manifesto for the forthcoming elections a commitment to ensure that in renegotiating the rail franchise, we look at offering a longer contract to allow for substantial capital investment to pay for electrifying the Valleys Lines. ”

Randerson forces Government Scrutiny with Urgent Question

Freedom Central — Thu, 10 Feb 2011 05:59:46 +0000

To date the Education Minister has avoided direct scrutiny of his changes to primary and secondary education, choosing instead to give a speech outside of the Assembly rather than giving an oral statement.

However, Shadow Welsh Liberal Democrat Education Minister, Jenny Randerson changed that by tabling an urgent question, forcing the Minister reluctantly to the chamber to be scrutinised.

She said: “I was unclear on key issues. The Minister proposes a 2 year Master’s Degree to qualify for teaching. How will this affect teachers trained in a different way in England? Will they still be considered qualified to teach in Wales?

“The Minister has had to make changes in response to the damning reports from Estyn and on PISA. He seems to the think that the less he tells us the better it will be. This is particularly worrying in light of the question mark over Higher Education funding.”

‘The Welsh Liberal Democrats continue to be the real opposition in Wales and champions of Welsh Education.”

Tory budget would see school spending gap rise to £881 per pupil

Freedom Central — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 05:55:50 +0000

New figures released by the Welsh Liberal Democrats have revealed that Conservative budget proposals could see the spending gap between England and Wales rise to £881 per pupil.

The new figures come the day after it was revealed that the Labour-Plaid government has allowed the spending gap per pupil to rise to a record level of £604 per pupil.

The Conservatives have proposed to protect bureaucracy and senior salaries in the NHS by slashing budgets in all other departments including housing, local government, education, economic development and rural affairs.

Specifically, they have proposed to cut the education part of the local government budget by £128,350,430, equivalent to a further cut of £277 per pupil.

Jenny Randerson, who is the Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Minister said:

“Yesterday we saw the evidence that the Labour-Plaid government is failing our children. Welsh children deserve the same chances as children over the border but we spend £604 per pupil less than in England. Welsh children are now paying the price for this gross underfunding of schools over the last decade.

“The Conservatives are touring the television studios to condemn the Labour-Plaid funding gap when the reality of their proposals is that they would increase the gap up to an eye watering £881.

“It is time for the Conservatives to come clean with the Welsh public about what their budget proposals would mean.”

Welsh Liberal Democrats call Education Minister to account on schools failure

Freedom Central — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 06:33:45 +0000

Leighton Andrews, the Labour-Plaid Education Minister, was called to account in the National Assembly yesterday, for the first time since disastrous figures showed that education in Wales has slipped behind Northern Ireland, Scotland and England

In November, the OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment showed that Welsh education is slipping backwards in comparison with other UK nations. In both reading and mathematics, Wales’ mean score was significantly lower than the OECD average, Scotland, Northern Ireland and England. In science, maths and reading, Wales’ performance and international ranking is lower than in 2006.

Despite acknowledging that “schools in Wales are not delivering the outcomes that our young people need and deserve”, the Education Minister Leighton Andrews has yet to make any oral statement to the National Assembly or answer questions from Assembly Members.

Jenny Randerson AM, Welsh Liberal Democrat Shadow Education Minister said:

“It is scarcely credible that over one month after these disastrous results, the Education minister has not even made himself available to answer questions from Assembly Members.

“Of course, we will want to see a detailed and considered response from the Government in due course but it is also of vital importance that the Minister is held accountable to the people of Wales.

“In 2006, we saw disappointing results for Welsh students in this international education comparison and the Labour-Plaid Government said they were confident there would be improvements in these latest results. It is clear that the Labour-Plaid government has again failed our students.

“The Welsh Liberal Democrats have warned for years that the spending gap of £500 per pupil between England and Wales would have disastrous consequences. It is a tragedy that children in Wales are paying the price for Labour’s gross underfunding of schools over the last decade.”

Jenny Randerson made a life peer

Freedom Central — Fri, 19 Nov 2010 13:01:52 +0000

It has been announced that Cardiff Central Assembly Member, Jenny Randerson will become a working member of the House of Lords. She will assume her full duties once she steps down as an Assembly Member at the election in May. In a statement she said:

“It is a real honour to have been appointed to represent Wales in the House of Lords as a working peer. There is a strong and growing presence of Welsh Liberal Democrats in the Lords standing up for Wales and it is an exciting time to be putting Liberal Democrat policies into action in government.

“I have already stated that I intend to stand down as an Assembly Member for Cardiff Central at the next Assembly election in May, until then, my number one duty will be to continue to serve the people of Cardiff Central as a full time Assembly Member. They can be assured that my duty to them is paramount as they have trusted me to represent them in the National Assembly for over a decade. If the Welsh Liberal Democrats keep hold of Cardiff Central at the next election, I know that I will have left the seat in the capable and trusted hands of Nigel Howells who I am confident will stand up for the people of the constituency.

“There is a lot of work to do in the House of Lords and although my role there has not yet been determined, I wish to continue my role of ensuring that Wales benefits from a strong, developing and resilient economy and that we have an efficient transport system that can aid in our economic development. The irony of my peerage is that I will, of course, be fully committed to abolishing my position as a peer when reform proposals are brought forward.

“It has been an absolute honour to be a part of Welsh devolution over the last decade and I look forward to continue standing up for the people of Wales in the House of Lords.”