§ 15. Mr. MurphyTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales when he last met council leaders in Wales to discuss educational provision and resources.
§ Mr. RichardsDiscussions with the local authority associations about local government finance issues are undertaken in the forum of the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance. My right hon. Friend last chaired a meeting of the Welsh Consultative Council on Local Government Finance on 30 December. I also met council leaders from Clwyd on 21 February.
§ Mr. MurphyThe Minister will have read his right hon. Friend's article in this morning's Western Mail in which he said that schools that were in trouble would have to be resourced by the local education authorities. As he has told the local authorities that they must use their balances to pay for the teachers' award, where will the money to help those schools come from?
§ Mr. RichardsI believe that my right hon. Friend was referring to any school governing body that might try to have a budget deficit. In that case, my right hon. Friend would clearly look to the local education authority, with regard to its local management of schools scheme, to ensure that those schools were funded properly.