Natasha Asghar on Labour's 'tax on aspiration'
Category
🗞
NewsTranscript
00:00that these schools are only for the rich.
00:02In reality, this couldn't be further from the truth.
00:05Having visited many private schools since taking up my role,
00:07including King's Moncton School in Cardiff,
00:09as well as Monmouth Haberdashers,
00:11many families actually scrimp and save
00:12to send their children to private school,
00:14making many and countless sacrifices along the way.
00:17When we discussed independent schools in the Chamber
00:19a few weeks ago, the disdain from them
00:20radiated from the former First Minister
00:22and now Cabinet Secretary for Finance.
00:24He deliberately misconstrued my point
00:26and proceeded on a rant about privilege.
00:29So, Cabinet Secretary, do you share your colleague's contempt
00:31for private and independent schools,
00:32or do you recognise that they have an important role to play?
00:35And I'd urge you to think very carefully about your answer,
00:38given both types of schooling,
00:39both the First Minister, Baroness Aline Morgan,
00:41as well as the Labour Prime Minister, Keir Starmer,
00:43have indeed received.
00:45Well, thank you, Natasha, and I can assure you
00:47I always think really carefully about my answers
00:49that I give here.
00:52And I didn't hear the exchange
00:54with my colleague, Mark Drakeford,
00:56but what I can tell you is that I know
00:58that my colleague, Mark Drakeford,
01:00is as intent as I am on maximising
01:04the resources available for our state schools in Wales,
01:08and that the measures we have supported as a Government
01:12have been about making sure that the schools
01:15most of our families use are well-funded.
01:19Okay.
01:20Cabinet Secretary, it is evident that Labour politicians,
01:22both here and on the other side of the M4,
01:25seem hell-bent on attacking our private and independent schools.
01:28There has been a triple whammy of higher taxes for them,
01:31with the national insurance hike,
01:32removing rate relief for charity-run schools,
01:34and, of course, adding VAT onto school fees.
01:37The decision to impose VAT alone
01:38has had a major impact on the sector,
01:40with parents pulling students out of school,
01:42applications for the upcoming year dropping,
01:44teaching staff being axed, and subjects being slashed.
01:47Labour's Treasury Minister, Torsten Bell,
01:49has admitted around 100 private schools
01:51will be forced to close because of this tax raid,
01:54although the Independent Schools Bursary Association
01:57believes that the true number is actually set to be around 300.
02:00Let's go with the Swansea MP's prediction
02:02of 100 schools closing.
02:03That would mean around 40,000 students being displaced
02:06and 11,000 jobs lost, according to this analysis.
02:09Many of these students would transition
02:11to our already overstretched state schools,
02:13which I don't have any problem with,
02:15but I'd like to know what assessment
02:16has the Welsh Government made of the impact
02:18Labour's VAT hike will have on our already under-pressure
02:22and under-funded Welsh state schools?
02:25Thank you, Natasha.
02:26Obviously, we've discussed this quite a few times
02:28in the Chamber,
02:32and I'm sure that you recognise
02:34that the intent of the UK Labour government
02:37in asking private schools to pay VAT
02:40was so that there is an appropriate contribution
02:43for our state schools,
02:45which we know are under huge pressure financially,
02:49and I very much welcome that,
02:51and indeed the commitment to use that money
02:54to get more teachers in front of our children.
02:58In terms of the analysis,
03:01I can assure you that my officials monitor carefully
03:05the demand on the school system.
03:08As I've highlighted before in the Chamber,
03:10we actually have a surplus of places in Wales in our schools,
03:15so there is plenty of room to accommodate
03:17any other children who want to move to our state schools.
03:22Very well.
03:23Cabinet Secretary, I'm glad you mentioned choice,
03:25but I'd like to talk a bit about figures.
03:27One particular private school in Wales
03:29supports 86 pupils with ALN,
03:31and I know you're very passionate about ALN,
03:32so let's talk about this.
03:33Just for the record,
03:35their places are funded privately by their families.
03:38Let's say those 86 students are forced to leave private schools
03:41due to spiralling costs and transition into state school.
03:44Based on the average cost per pupil,
03:46that would cost the state nearly £628,316 extra per year.
03:52There have been estimates that anywhere between 90,000
03:54and 135,000 students across the UK
03:58could leave the independent sector.
03:59So let's go with this.
04:0090,000 pupils leaving would cost the taxpayer £648 million,
04:05and if we saw 135,000 leaving,
04:08that would cost a staggering £972 million.
04:11Despite what Labour politicians say,
04:13this isn't about boosting education.
04:15In my view, it's a vindictive and ideologically driven attack
04:17on the private school sector.
04:18Now, this isn't about fairness, it's about resentment.
04:21As I can hear from your backbencher over there,
04:22who's more than welcome to make a contribution in his own time
04:24rather than hindering mine,
04:25it's a tax on aspiration and an attack on parental choice.
04:29Wales's First Minister and also the UK's Prime Minister
04:33were able to thrive in the education that they were afforded.
04:36So if it was good enough for a humble toolmaker's son
04:39and the daughter of a vicar,
04:40why is Labour determined to stifle aspiration
04:43and remove choice instead of focusing on improving standards
04:46in our state sector?
04:48Well, there's no question of removing choice.
04:50People can still send their children to private schools
04:53if they choose to.
04:57The choice we have made as a government
04:59is that we want to prioritise our investment
05:03in our state publicly funded schools.
05:07And that's exactly the same choice
05:09that has been made by the UK government.
05:12Now, as you're aware, I believe, Natasha,
05:14we do place some young people with very complex needs
05:19in independent schools,
05:20and that is funded by the public purse.
05:24And there are arrangements under this new legislation
05:27to make sure that the VAT can be recouped for that
05:30so that there is no loss of income.
05:33I appreciate that it's challenging
05:34for families who are self-funding children with ALN
05:38in private schools,
05:40but what I would advise to them
05:42is to have that discussion about their child's needs.
05:46We've got a new system in Wales
05:48that is geared to meeting the needs of all children.
05:51If they're entitled to an IDP, they should get one.
05:55They're entitled to information,
05:57they're entitled to advocacy,
05:59so those options are there for them.
06:03Llyr Fyferdd, Plaid Cymru.
06:05Kevin Campbell.
06:05Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Kevin Campbell.
06:07Llyr.
06:09Yeah, it's a question to the Minister.