Minister must live up to promises on funding of Children's Commissioner says AM.

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Sat 2nd Sep 2006

Welsh Liberal Democrat spokesperson for Education Peter Black has called on Assembly Labour Education Minister Jane Davidson to live up to her promises on the funding of the Children's Commissioner for Wales.

Mr Black spoke out after the Minister had responded to the plea for more funds made by the Commissioner, Peter Clarke, in his latest Annual Report by saying that the Labour Assembly Government had planned to increase spending by 55% between 2005-08.

"The Minister seems to have lost her way on this issue," said Mr Black. "It may well have been her plan to increase the budget for the Commissioner in this manner, but her claim disguises the fact that the Children's Commissioner had his budget slashed by £400,000 - some 28% - in 2005-06."

"Important initiatives, such as the 'schools ambassador' scheme have been disrupted, and other targets have been missed as a consequence of this cut. It is to Wales' great credit that we established the post of Children's Commissioner before any other part of the UK, however, this momentum can only be maintained if the Commissioner's office has continuity of funding. The 'stop/start' approach to funding favoured by the Minister appears calculated to destroy this momentum."