The money has been made available as part of the £1.4bn 21st Century Schools and Education Programme, a unique collaboration between the Welsh Government and Local Authorities with the aim of creating a generation of 21st Century Schools in Wales.

Powys County Council have been awarded £11.8 million against a total project cost of £23.8 million. This will now enable the construction phase to begin on the following projects:

• Hay-on-Wye Community Primary School
  A new 210 place community primary school will replace the existing school which currently has 161 pupils in reception to year 6.The  school will include facilities for early years provision, as well as youth /community facilities and a public library.  This will address growing pupil numbers resulting from several new future housing developments proposed for Hay-on-Wye.
• Clyro Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School
  The 120 place Church-in-Wales school in Clyro will replace the existing school which currently has 85 pupils.  This school will also include facilities for early years provision. The new school will meet the projected demand for Church in Wales school places in the North of the catchment area.
• Bronllys/Talgarth Community Primary School
  The 150 place community primary school built on a greenfield site in Talgarth will replace two existing schools – Talgarth community primary school which has 56 pupils and Bronllys community primary school which has 32 pupils. It too will have early years, youth and community facilities.  It will address growing pupil numbers in the wider Talgarth area which will see a number of new housing developments over the coming years.
• Llangors Church in Wales Voluntary Controlled School.
  A new 150 place Church-in-Wales school in Llangors will replace the existing school which currently has capacity for 146 pupils. The new school will include accommodation for early years’ pupils and will meet the need for Church in Wales school places in the south of the catchment area.
• Archdeacon Griffiths Church in Wales Voluntary Aided School, Llyswen
  A new 150 place Church-in-Wales school will replace the current school which holds 129 pupils. It will meet the need for Church in Wales school places in the West of the catchment area.  This school will also have early years facilities.

Minister for Lifelong Learning Alun Davies said:

“Securing capital investment in these difficult economic times is essential not only for better education outcomes but for the continued support of our construction industry and the growth of our economy.

“This is great news for local people and for the future of education on the area.”

Powys’ Cabinet Member for Schools, Councillor Arwel Jones said:

“We are delighted that our ambitious plans for five new primary schools in the Gwernyfed catchment area have received final approval from the Welsh Government and that construction work can get underway as soon as possible.

“Between them the schools will provide state-of the-art teaching accommodation for young learners demonstrating the council’s commitment to education in Powys.”

Leading a debate in the Senedd, the Cabinet Secretary said:

“The first International Women’s Day took place over 100 years ago. Since then it has grown into a truly global event – a day when the achievements of girls and women are recognised irrespective of nationality, ethnicity, language, culture, wealth or politics. It is an excellent example of how people can come together, as one, for a common cause.

“Shining a spotlight on inequality and presenting the stark evidence that exists to show how women are still being treated unfairly can only facilitate meaningful change. Men have a duty to speak out on inequality, violence and abuse. We need an International Women’s Day because those battles are not yet won. Until that time comes, I’m proud to stand with those who call out the abusers, the sexists and the denigrators of women – whoever they may be and wherever they may peddle their poisonous misogyny.”

The theme for International Women’s Day in Wales this year is ‘Creating an Equal Future’ and the Cabinet Secretary highlighted action the Welsh Government is taking to enhance the lives and opportunities of girls and women across Wales. 

He said:

“Creating an Equal Future” chimes well with the Welsh Government’s aims and commitments. From tackling poverty, delivering a more diverse pool of decision-makers in public life, lessening the pay gap, supporting women back to work after having children and tackling violence and abuse, our Equality Objectives ensure that action is focused on the areas which disproportionately affect women and the other protected groups.

“We must recognise the importance of men playing their part in working for gender equality. We all have a part to play. Without men as committed allies, and supportive partners in this quest led by women, genuine change will not happen. The positive impacts of gender equality are good for all of us, our families and society as a whole.

“We must also stand together against domestic abuse and other types of violence against women, which can have devastating and long-lasting consequences. The key is to change attitudes and get the message across that violent behaviour is not acceptable in any circumstances, and will not be tolerated in our society.

“This is a day to celebrate the achievements of women. We are not complacent – there is more to be done before we can claim to have ‘created an equal future’. But Wales has much to be proud of and we stand committed to supporting women and girls to aspire and achieve.”

As part of Wales Week in London the Economy Secretary will be showcasing Wales’ significant success in attracting productions such as Will, The Collection and Sherlock to an audience of influential TV and film producers. 

He will also launch a new promotional showreel, introduced by Hollywood A-lister, Michael Sheen, that features clips from the some of the latest major productions filmed in Wales and promotes everything that the country has to offer as a filming location. 

The showreel features footage from The Bastard Executioner (Fox), The Collection (Lookout Point), Doctor Who (BBC) and Sherlock (Hartswood Films) and highlights other productions filmed in Wales in recent years including Criminal, Me Before You, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword, Transformers: The Last Knight and The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

It contains interviews with producers Steven Moffat (Doctor Who; Sherlock); Jane Tranter co-founder of Bad Wolf and Oliver Goldstick (The Collection) who extol the benefits of filming in Wales including superb locations, experienced crews, great facilities, accommodation and the general film-friendliness and support available.

Locations also play a major part in the showreel, showcasing the versatility and beauty that exists in Wales. 

The showreel reflects what was an extremely busy and successful 2016 for Wales Screen – part of the Welsh Government’s Creative Industries team – which handled 386 production enquiries and recorded more than £41m spent in Wales by productions supported by the Welsh Government.

Economy Secretary Ken Skates said:

“I am delighted to be in London as part of Wales in London Week promoting Wales as the premier filming location that it genuinely is. 

“The Creative Industry is a huge growth area for our economy and 2016 was a stellar year for TV and film production in Wales  – but we are determined to keep building on our  success . 

“The showreel is an excellent promotional tool to help us achieve this, focusing  on everything that Wales has to  offer film makers. It will be used extensively at specialist events throughout the year to target key UK and international players in the creative sector ”

Michael Sheen said: 

“Wales can offer the best of everything for film-makers. I believe the successes of 2016 are only the beginning. The future for the creative industries in Wales is massively exciting.”

The funding will support a scientific investigation of the opportunities and risks posed by climate change in the Irish Sea and the deployment of technology to reduce energy costs and help businesses develop new products and processes.

Both projects are being funded through the EU’s Ireland-Wales co-operation programme, which is helping to strengthen economic links and cross-border collaboration between the two countries.

Welsh Government Finance Secretary Mark Drakeford said: 

“These projects bring together expertise from both nations to support an industry in Wales and Ireland that shares the same opportunities, challenges and resources within the Irish Sea.

“Collaborative schemes like these are why we are clear about the advantages to Wales of ongoing access to territorial co-operation programmes, including the Ireland-Wales programme, when the UK leaves the EU.”

Irish Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe, T.D. said: 

“I am delighted to see the launch of another two projects under the Ireland-Wales programme.  

“This is a clear demonstration of our continuing commitment to the programme. It also underlines the importance of EU funding for scientific research into areas of shared interest.”

Around €5.5m of EU funds will support the Bluefish marine science partnership, which will investigate the effects of climate change in the Irish Sea on the sustainability of fish and shellfish.

Led by Bangor University, in partnership with Irish and Welsh organisations, the project will assess how climate change is affecting the health of fish stocks, the migratory movement of commercial fish, and risks from new non-native species.

The project will develop solutions to help fisheries businesses adapt to environmental changes in the Irish Sea and capitalise on new commercial opportunities.

Dr Shelagh Malham, senior research fellow at Bangor University’s School of Ocean Sciences, said: 

“We need to maintain a sustainable food supply chain. 

“The combination of research between academic partners and collaboration with industry partners will ensure these vital industries receive the information and support they need to be more resilient to the changes the industry is facing and will continue to face in coming years, and to react to opportunities.”

A further €1.8m of EU funds will support the piSCES project, which will develop and test a new ‘smart grid’ electricity network to help reduce energy costs for the fisheries industry in Ireland and Wales.

The Telecommunications Software and Systems Group (TSSG) at Waterford Institute of Technology will research and design new energy networks in collaboration with Cardiff University, while Milford Haven Port Authority and Ireland’s seafood development agency, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM), will work with businesses in the fish processing sector to provide live data and test sites.

piSCES aims to help fisheries businesses in remote locations minimise their exposure to energy price peaks, reduce their carbon footprint and improve the quality and security of energy supply.

Sean Lyons, project manager at TSSG, said: 

“TSSG is delighted to have secured EU funding through the Ireland-Wales programme for the piSCES project, which will see us further develop smart grid technologies and implement them in energy-intensive operations in the fish processing industry.

“Collaborating cross border with our partners will bring together a wealth of experience from an R&D and implementation perspective and expose the technology to different regulatory environments bringing significant benefits to the industry.”

The Strategic Partnership will be signed in Cardiff by First Minister Carwyn Jones and Lord Paul Deighton, Chairman of Heathrow Airport Ltd, which marks the start of a close working relationship between both parties. 

Top of the agenda is ensuring Heathrow expansion maximises job creation in Wales. Set to be Europe’s largest privately-funded infrastructure project, an expanded Heathrow will need extensive support from UK manufacturers and SMEs to deliver the project on time and on budget. 

This partnership opens up new business opportunities in Wales as Heathrow, which invests more than £1bn a year at its site, wants to broaden its supply chain to support demand. 

The First Minister said: 

“This Strategic Partnership is very welcome and I am delighted the Welsh Government and Heathrow Airport will be working closely together for our mutual benefit. 

“It opens the door to explore a wide range of new opportunities particularly for our existing supply chain companies that have the experience and expertise to support infrastructure projects at Heathrow. I would certainly like to see a far higher percentage spend in Wales and the Welsh Government will do all it can to support companies in Wales to bid and win more business at Heathrow. 

“I am also pleased to announce that plans are already underway to host the first Heathrow business summit in Wales, where our supply chain companies will have the chance to meet and discuss opportunities with Heathrow’s procurement team. 

“It certainly marks a great start for this new relationship and there are very many other areas we are keen to explore with Heathrow Airport.” 

Heathrow Chairman Lord Paul Deighton said: 

“I want to ensure that every corner of Britain benefits from Heathrow expansion. This strategic partnership will bring us closer to Wales and help us to deliver an expanded Heathrow. 

“A new Heathrow runway will unlock up to 8,400 new skilled jobs and underpin up to £6.4bn in growth from construction through to increased tourism and exports for Wales. This new partnership is a sign of our commitment to ensuring Heathrow expansion delivers tangible benefits for every corner of Britain and we are looking forward to working closely with the Welsh Government and Welsh businesses to make it a success.” 

Areas of mutual co-operation and delivery identified in the Strategic Partnership include:

• broadening and seeking new supply chain opportunities in Wales to help meet the operational objectives of Heathrow Airport
• exploring the possibility of locating off site manufacturing logistic hubs in Wales to support delivery for the 3rd runway
• explore the eligibility of funding for potential flights between Wales and Heathrow to be funded through the proposed Heathrow Route Development Fund. 

To encourage growth in its Welsh supplier base, Heathrow will host its first ever business summit in Wales on July 5th. Heathrow will bring its biggest suppliers to Cardiff City Stadium to welcome Welsh businesses of all sizes to one-on-one meetings providing a unique opportunity to secure contracts at the UK’s largest airport.  

Recognising the importance of connectivity in driving economic growth, the partnership includes a joint study into the benefits for Welsh businesses and tourists from reduced journey times. The agreement also confirms that airlines wishing to operate a route from Wales to Heathrow would be eligible to bid for start-up capital from the airport’s £10m route development fund.