That this House notes with concern the closure of, and transfer of, courses and departments within Coleg Gwent, with the resultant redundancies for 45 lecturers and technicians; believes the so-called consultation process adopted has been nothing less than a farce, led by the new Coleg Gwent chief executive Howard Burton; regards the consultation process used which replaced the agreed public meetings with one-to-one meetings with those concerned as inadequate and an insult to local people; further notes with anger that Howard Burton signed up in support of the closure proposals even before he took up his appointment with little knowledge of the college or communities, and without any attempt to find out from those affected what the impact of closures would be; supports the vote of no confidence in the Coleg Gwent management and its chief executive Howard Burton by the trades union NATFHE; and calls on the First Secretary, the Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning in the National Assembly for Wales and the Secretary of State for Wales to intervene to protect jobs, courses and education in the communities of Gwent.

That this House notes with concern the closure of, and transfer of, courses and departments within Coleg Gwent, with the resultant redundancies for 45 lecturers and technicians; believes the so-called consultation process adopted has been nothing less than a farce, led by the new Coleg Gwent chief executive Howard Burton;...

That this House welcomes the record-breaking monies provided by the UK Labour Government to the Welsh Assembly; notes with concern that Welsh further education colleges are facing an estimated deficit of more than ??3 million this financial year, including ??660,000 for Coleg Gwent which cannot protect jobs without extra money; further notes that 45 lecturers and technicians at Coleg Gwent will be made redundant and that college departments in some of the most deprived areas will be closed and transferred to other campuses; recognises that the poor state of public transport in the area will make it difficult for students to be able to attend at other college campuses; further recognises that the situation will get much worse unless Education and Learning Wales (ELWa), which has frozen core funding provision for further education in Wales, reviews next year's budget with the aim to fund for growth in student numbers; believes that in this context the threat to access to further education in Wales is created by the Assembly and the quango, ELWa; recalls the commitment to make a bonfire of these bodies in Wales; demand the Assembly carry out this commitment; believes that the management structure of the further education colleges be reviewed and that decisions over the functions and funding of further education in Wales be taken by directly-elected representatives; and calls on the First Minister, the Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning in the National Assembly for Wales and the Secretary of State for Wales to intervene to protect jobs, courses and campuses.

That this House welcomes the record-breaking monies provided by the UK Labour Government to the Welsh Assembly; notes with concern that Welsh further education colleges are facing an estimated deficit of more than ??3 million this financial year, including ??660,000 for Coleg Gwent which cannot protect jobs without extra money;...

That this House notes that when the previous Principal of Gwent Tertiary College, Sue Parker, was appointed to that position, the College was financially sound, yet within a short period, was facing debts of approximately ??7 million, because, as recognised in the recent National Audit Office Report, of her mismanagement; regrets that, instead of her dismissal, she was awarded approximately ??50,000, on agreeing to terminate her employment; is shocked that after almost destroying Gwent Tertiary College, she has now been appointed to a senior position with the EDEXEL Foundation, who are the examining and awarding body for colleges throughout England and Wales; and calls upon Her Majesty's Government to investigate her appointment to EDEXEL as a matter of urgency.

That this House notes that when the previous Principal of Gwent Tertiary College, Sue Parker, was appointed to that position, the College was financially sound, yet within a short period, was facing debts of approximately ??7 million, because, as recognised in the recent National Audit Office Report, of her mismanagement;...