James Evans has told Education Minister Jeremy Miles that the Welsh Government should take responsibility for the upcoming teacher strikes in Wales.

Members of National Education Union Cymru announced on Monday that teachers across the country are to go on strike over pay and funding for four days across February and March.

The first action will be on Wednesday, February 1, affecting around 1,500 workplaces in Wales.

During a Senedd session on Wednesday, the Brecon and Radnorshire MS said the Welsh Government "hold[s] all the levers" to prevent the strikes.

Mr Evans said it was time the Welsh Government "did take some responsibility for this, by, for example, not cutting the education budget in real terms.”

He added: "I do have a suggestion that perhaps the Minister goes back to his Cabinet colleagues and asks them to free up more hundreds of millions of pounds earmarked for vanity projects that aren't in his portfolio, like the expansion of this Senedd, the owning of Gilestone Farm, owning an airport that is losing money."

In response, Education Minister Jeremy Miles said the "best way" resolve these kind of disputes is through "respectful discussion with our partners, with goodwill and an in attempt to reach a constructive solution."

He said the Welsh Government would do everything it could to get the best possible settlement.

Mr Miles said the severity of the matters warranted better than "political knock-about" in the Senedd, before hitting back at the Conservative UK Government's recent bid for tough new strike laws.

"Unlike the Conservative Government in Westminster, we are not responding to strikes by bringing forward draconian laws that undermine people's fundamental rights," he said.

Under the UK Government's draft Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Bill, the right to strike would be restricted by imposing "minimum service levels".

The UK Government says that the purpose of the proposed laws is "maintain a basic function and deliver minimum safety levels" in the public sector during industrial action.

Speaking after the Senedd session, Mr Evans said: “Our teachers need to be in the classroom, educating our young people so they are fully prepared for the rest of their lives.

 “Instead, we face the chaos of strikes. It’s clear that children in Wales are being left behind, not long after they missed more school days than anyone else in the UK due to lockdowns.

 “Remember, the Welsh Government receives £1.20 for every £1 spent on education in England. Welsh Labour wasting that money is a political choice, and our children are paying the price.”