The true extent of the problems facing Swansea schools was revealed recently during sharp encounters between Peter Black AM and two Ministers in the Welsh Assembly Government, when Peter Black came off worst from the experience. Ministers explained to a crowded Assembly Chamber that Swansea City Council had wasted the opportunity to secure funding from the Welsh Assembly Government because they had failed to respond quickly enough to its deadline.

During a plenary session at the National Assembly for Wales, Peter Black AM for South West Wales asked the Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery Andrew Davies, who is also AM for Swansea West:

"On public investment, one of the biggest issues requiring public investment around Wales is that of school buildings. Will school buildings still remain an Assembly Government Priority?"

As Minister, Andrew Davies responded:
"Clearly, it remains a priority for us but the challenge has to be whether it is a priority of local government."
Mr Davies revealed that the Council's Administration wasted the opportunity to secure funding for Swansea schools by missing the Welsh Assembly Government's deadline.

"It clearly was not a major priority for your own local authority, of which you are a member; its asset management plan was not produced until very late in the date. I was told that it was not seen as a priority by the former chief executive."

"We will deal with local authorities that are serious about this. We want to make sure that local authorities match the resources for which they apply to us with their own resources, rather than reprioritising them for their own pet projects."

Swansea City Council run by the Liberal Democrat Leader Chris Holley revealed last year that they face a £146 million repair bill to bring schools in Swansea up to scratch and have recently voted in controversial circumstances to close Arfryn, Llanmorlais and Cwm Primary schools in order to minimise their overspend.

A further encounter with the Minister for Children, Education, Lifelong Learning & Skills, began when Peter Black asked:

"Will you make a statement now on when you expect to be able to give Swansea some money to deal with the backlog that it faces as a local council."

Jane Hutt, the Minister responsible, replied:
"The desperation in your tone of voice is recognition that the City and County of Swansea did not get its act together."

The Minister went on to explain to the Assembly that Swansea had indeed had two successful bids under the schools capital allocation and that Swansea council has received over £18 million in the form of the school building improvement grant to date. However, because the council had returned incomplete and late bids during the second round, the money that could have been made available to Swansea schools could not be processed.

The Minister reassured Mr Black that:

"Our officials are working with the council to ensure that, next time; it has the project-ready bids that we, of course, would like to support."

Speaking as the Assembly Member for Swansea West, Andrew Davies said:
"I'm sure it was difficult for Peter Black to face up to the fact that his leader on Swansea City Council has been spinning this whole situation, when in truth Chris Holley and his administration were asked repeatedly by the Welsh Assembly Government to enter project ready bids to help out schools in Swansea. However this shows that they failed to take make the most of the opportunities available when they could, leaving our children and the schools they attend vulnerable. This comes just months after Chris Holley accused the prime minister of abandoning education in Wales - yet another example that Chris Holley is all spin and no substance."