COLEG GWENT CLOSURES

Early day motion 1385, tabled 22 June 2004 by Llew Smith (Labour). Signed by 27 members.

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.

Signatures by party: Labour 25, Labour/Co-operative 1, Liberal Democrat 1.