POWYS council’s Liberal Democrat group leader has hit back at Conservatives rivals who he said don’t realise local councils are responsible for schools in Wales.
Brecon and Radnorshire’s new Liberal Democrat MP Jane Dodds came under fire this week for stating she wanted to meet with senior figures in Powys council to discuss the authority’s schools funding formula.
But as education policy is the responsibility of the Welsh Labour Government, in which the Lib Dem AM for Brecon and Radnorshire Kirsty Williams is the education minister, Conservative politicians claimed Ms Dodds would be directing her complaints at the wrong people.
Among those to criticise the new MP were former Tory leader in the Welsh Assembly Andrew RT Davies, and Powys councillor Iain McIntosh.
But Lib Dem councillor James Gibson-Watt said the MP’s critics are ignorant of the relationship between schools, the Welsh Government and county councils which are the local education authorities.
He said: "It appears that Conservative councillors and Assembly Members do not understand that decisions in Wales on how much money goes to schools are taken by local authorities, not the Welsh Government.
"In Powys it is Powys County Council’s own schools funding formula that determines the distribution to each school. So, for the Tories to criticise Education Minister Kirsty Williams as part of their attack on Jane Dodds is ridiculous and ignorant. The issue Jane has raised is one I and my council group colleagues have also raised and is one that only the council can resolve, not the Welsh Government."
Ms Dodds also responded to the criticism aimed at Ms Williams.
She said: "It’s disappointing that Conservatives are choosing to attack me for doing what any responsible MP would do: addressing concerns raised with me about the funding of their children’s education.
"Powys Council receives an extra £1.2m a year than the funding formula would normally deliver, thanks to Kirsty Williams’ action in Government, ensuring that rural areas like ours are treated more fairly when money is sent to local councils. But deciding how much money goes to each school in Powys is the responsibility of the Conservative/Independent-controlled council here, and no-one else.
"While years of funding cuts from Westminster are putting pressure on local councils to deliver, I have real concerns about the way Powys Council distributes its money to schools. It’s this issue that I’m determined to address in my meeting with the council, and I know that Brecon and Radnorshire residents will be grateful that I am doing so."