, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Thank you very much.
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Thank you very much. There were a number of things there, in terms of using the last four minutes very carefully. There are elements, as you mentioned in the question, of extending the standards that need the consent of the Secretary of State, and I am going…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I think we go back again to that cross-Government work, really. I'm aware, for example, that the Cabinet Minister for Culture and Sport has launched a consultation on a new strategy, or has asked people for ideas on the new strategy. Clearly, as a Government…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I don't know if somebody else wants to start on this, on immersion. Siwan, yes, thanks.
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Thank you. I didn't realise that you had so much Welsh. It sounded very fluent to me. This, again, is a factor that is a priority for us, and it relates to the point that somebody made earlier about opportunities in further education colleges. Increasing the…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Yes. Thank you. I think you're being unkind to yourself there, but I too live in just such a household, and Ti a Fi was a key factor for us. I don't have any details with me on Ti a Fi specifically, but that early years focus, that pre-school focus, as I…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Yes.
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Oh, I haven't spotted 'ameliorate' in the debate so far. I'm going to look out for that now. It would probably be 'gwella'. But I take the point that, obviously, the focus on early years is crucial. I think the work of Mudiad Meithrin, when you consider that…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Thank you very much. I think I may have misunderstood Niamh's question—I apologise, Niamh. I thought you were talking about Welsh as a subject, but perhaps it was a broader point about other subjects through the medium of Welsh. Clearly there has been some…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
It's clear that the subjects that young people study for A-level do ultimately have an impact on the workforce that we have available to us. So, that's certainly a live part of our discussion, to encourage people. The young people that I've spoken to who have…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Thank you very much. And, clearly, this is a challenge that we've identified as well, and I know that the Deputy Minister has focused specifically on this. Therefore, discussions are happening with the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and also with Medr, to ensure…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Yes, of course.
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
This clearly is something that has been the subject of focus by the previous Government, I think, as well. But we have committed to doing some additional things, such as incentive payments for those who want to teach through the medium of Welsh, and there are…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Yes, we have committed to that, and one of the things that we will be doing—well, we are doing it currently—is looking at the data that we have. We have conducted a swift study, for example, of the WESPs, the Welsh in education strategic plans, to look at the…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Diolch yn fawr for that one. I think Jeremy said earlier on that Arfor is being looked at, but you're quite right to point out that one of the things that will make it possible for Welsh to thrive in some of these communities is that there are jobs, there are…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
—designation, diolch yn fawr—of designating areas where use of Welsh is very high, it is what comes from such a designation that protects the language in its communities and develops it there. That may affect things like planning, for example, but that's what…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I think in this particular context of dynodi—I can't remember what dynodi is in—
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Thank you very much for the question. What we've looked at—. The first commission, which was looking at areas where there was a higher use of the Welsh language, recommended designating areas of higher density linguistic significance. We are looking at…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Thank you very much. I have had two meetings, I think, with the housing and planning Minister. We've been looking specifically at town and country planning and the recommendations in that, which, clearly, bring planning and housing into the context of Welsh…
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
And perhaps it's worth noting in that regard, in terms of town and country planning, in particular, there is a definite focus on that now, and that will come with a detailed timetable for implementation.
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Thank you very much. I don't know if—. Jeremy, do you know about Arfor and the timetable?
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Right, okay.
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Recommendations from the second phase, now?
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I think—. Not that this is a specific part of the strategy, but what I do in Cardiff is I give it a go. And it's surprising how often I can have a conversation then in Welsh.
, Culture, Communications, Cymraeg and Sport Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Cabinet Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I think that is a factor, but I also think that opportunities, perhaps, to use the Welsh language are where the gap is, and that people don't know—people have to seek out those opportunities. So, I think what will be interesting about the response to the…
