A GRANT worth over £32,000 has been given to Llangattock Church in Wales Primary School to improve female hygiene and toilet facilities there

Questions were asked at the Learning and Skills Scrutiny Committee why the Welsh Government grant, worth £32,226, was going to just one school?

Councillors were told by education officers, that smaller grants were more difficult to administer than ones worth millions of pounds.

They said that spending the funding in one place was better than spreading it around.

Cllr Sandra Davies (Labour – Cwm Twrch) asked: “I’m very pleased to see that there has been a Welsh Government grant for feminine hygiene in toilets but it seems that most if not all the money has gone to a particular school.

“My concern is with primary school, what plans does Powys have for this provision in the future?”

Committee chairman Cllr Pete Roberts (Liberal Democrat – Llandindod South) said: “The grant for the whole county is being spent in one school?

“Education officer, David Thompson, replied: “We’ve focussed all the expense on that school.

“It would be good to spread it across the county but there’s limited opportunity.

“There’s a new grant that’s being distributed across schools, but capital grant is for infrastructure improvement works, improving toilets within primary school facilities.”

Head of Learning Alec Clark, said that there was not much the service could  do with this specific grant.

Dr Clark said: “Unless you have a swimming pool or astro turf, toilets are the most important expensive room in the building.

“Small grants are difficult to administer without making it look unfair.”

Education porfolio holder Cllr Myfanwy Alexande (Independent – Banwy) said that a project called “Bags of Confidence” had started in Llanidloes which she hoped would be rolled out across Powys.

Cllr Alexander, said “It’s a solution to period poverty but also to deal with other issues of confidence facing people of both genders such as lack of tooth brushes or toothpaste if you are from a family with severe financial problems you may not be able to present your children as well as you might.”

“it provides appropriate toiletries in the toilets of both genders and it’s just getting off the ground in Llanidloes.”

The £500,000 refurbishment and extension of Llangattock Church in Wales Primary School, where the female hygiene and toilet facilities is taking place, has been branded a shambles by local county councillor, Jackie Charlton (Liberal Democrat).