Found: Yours sincerely, Torsten Bell MP Minister for Pensions

Found: Minister for Pensions Torsten Bell said: We supported millions of households this winter through Pension

Found: Minister for Pensions Torsten Bell said: Raising the State Pension and rescuing the NHS – these are

<p>Cabinet Secretary, it is evident that Labour politicians both here and at the other end of the M4 seem hell-bent on attacking our private and independent schools. There has been a triple-whammy of higher taxes for them, with the national insurance hike, removing rate relief for charity-run schools, and, of course, adding VAT on to school fees.</p>
<p>The decision to impose VAT alone has had a major impact on the sector, with parents pulling students out of school, applications for the upcoming year dropping, teaching staff being axed, and subjects being slashed. Labour’s Treasury Minister, Torsten Bell, has admitted that around 100 private schools will be forced to close because of this tax rate, although the Independent Schools Bursars Association believes that the true number is actually set to be around 300.</p>
<p>Let’s go with the Swansea MP’s prediction of 100 schools closing. That would mean around 40,000 students being displaced, and 11,000 jobs lost, according to this analysis. Many of these students will transition to our already overstretched state schools, which I don’t have any problem with. But I’d like to know what assessment has the Welsh Government made of the impact Labour’s VAT hike will have on our already under pressure and underfunded Welsh state schools.</p>