- 18/01/2023
- Posted by: Mike Hedges MS
- Categories: Assembly Questions, Press Releases
MIKE HEDGES MS ASKS FIRST MINSITER TO CONSIDER EXTENDING FLYING START SCHEME TO AREAS NOT CURRENTLY COVERED BY THE PROGRAM
Speaking from his Senedd office, local Swansea East MS, Mike Hedges said… ‘ I think Flying Start has been one of the real success stories of Devolution. It brings real extra resources to assist some of the most disadvantaged children in Wales.
However, like all geographically targeted schemes, it only supports children within the designated areas and if you live outside, you get nothing. I would like the scheme to be extended as widely as possible. The agreement with Plaid will see some extra resources which is to be welcomed, but ALL children should have the option of the extra sup-port provided by Flying Start’
- Will the First Minister provide an update on Welsh Government support for Flying Start? OQ58938
First Minister of Wales
Flying Start is the Welsh Government’s flagship early years programme. It continues to make a real difference to the lives of children in some of our most disadvantaged communities, and we have reaffirmed our commitment to support the programme throughout the term of this Government.49
Thank you, First Minister. I’m convinced of the benefits of Flying Start. It stops children starting formal schooling with a developmental age substantially below their actual age. We have seen in England the PM scrapping changes to the childcare system drawn up by his predecessor. In non-homogenous areas, lower super-output areas result in missed pockets of poverty. Does the Government plan a reappraisal, based upon the 2021 census results, with a view to identifying the child poverty being missed?50
First Minister of Wales
I completely agree with Mike Hedges, Llywydd, about the fantastic work that has been done by the Flying Start programme, and it’s one of the benefits of devolution that we’ve been able to sustain that programme now for what will soon be 20 years. And of course its expansion forms part of the co-operation agreement with Plaid Cymru, and we have already seen the fruits of that—2,000 more children already benefitting from Flying Start—and we’ve agreed on the next phase as well, which will come into being from 1 April. Over time, that will see the childcare aspect of Flying Start universally available to all children from the age of two onwards, so there are plans in hand to do much of what Mike Hedges has asked. In the meantime we have Flying Start outreach, which is an ability for local authorities to offer Flying Start help to those families who don’t fall within its geographical boundaries, and it’s always a dilemma of geographically based programmes that there will be people outside those geographies who would equally have benefitted from the service that Flying Start provides. The agreement that we have with Plaid Cymru, the £46 million additional that we will invest as a result, will go a long way to answering the points the Member has made.51
