, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Just on a broader point, the work we do with all partners—in terms of the grants scheme, we look at what we can do to ensure that the provisions of those organisations and those partners is as inclusive as possible, and how they can extend their services to…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, we certainly need more work in this area. The percentage of the BAME population who are Welsh speakers is lower than the percentage across the broader population, so there is certainly work to be done. What are the specific interventions? Well, in…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, they're already in place. We've been working over the summer to look at communities where we can trial some of the interventions that we've been considering. There have been very positive discussions happening between officials and local authorities…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I think that's the shift Bethan mentioned in terms of the level of ambition. That question gets to the very heart of the challenge we face. Some perhaps haven't yet met the need that's in place already, but what we need is to drive that demand, and that's…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
In terms of Welsh-medium education?
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
It's ambitious but, yes, I think it's realistic. It's ambitious, as it was when it was launched by Carwyn Jones and Alun Davies, but that's the intention—to ensure that the system responds to that level of ambition. The figures that we've seen recently are…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I will ask Bethan to provide more detail as to how it works on the ground, but there is a process in place. So, at the moment, as you know, councils work on their Welsh in education strategic plans, the dialogue happens with Welsh Government in that regard…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Yes, certainly, the question of location is important. I mentioned in other contexts that numbers and statistics are important, but in terms of this area, geographical issues are also relevant in looking at education. There is an opportunity now that we have…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
The first thing to say is that it's important to set that target, and that's certainly happened. I will talk about the ministerial elements and ask Owain and Bethan for comments on how the civil service responds to that. So, as you know, the First Minister in…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
The brief response is that it does create new rights, but there is room for improvement. So, that's the simple answer. But what I want to be clear on—as I've already mentioned on language use, I want to understand how standards that have already been put in…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I don't want to give a lengthy response to that question, but I will just say that the idea of promotion has been one that's been very comfortable, at one level. It's very broad ranging, and it doesn't lend itself to specifics in terms of strategic…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I certainly do.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
It's a contribution to that, most certainly.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
No, I see it as a group of people who will advise us. I don't see it as an institution with a building, as such—
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, we have various interventions—. Perhaps I could have a further conversation with you on the context of the Swansea valley, as one who lives very close to that area. But the picture isn't balanced across Wales, of course. The policy in terms of the…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
That gives us, perhaps, new opportunities to deal with some of the boundaries within portfolios that, as you know, can be challenging from time to time. So, I think the emphasis on education is very important. The emphasis on early years education is very…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, what I want to ensure is that we remain accountable for delivering that target. That's the main aim that I have as Minister, and we have an opportunity here in that the education and Welsh language portfolios have come together.
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, of course, the things that we've described are examples of the innovation that's had to happen in digital over the past 12 months. But the review I mentioned earlier on the impact on community groups, of course, that's a crucially important part of…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, I think there are a number of challenges. The first thing to say is that there is a great deal of good practice out there, so there are things that we can learn from workplaces that are already doing very good work in this area. If you look at…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, the results generally are positive in that survey. If you look at the annual survey, the figures of Welsh speakers have increased substantially. As you know, as a Government, we rely on census statistics in terms of the statistics we're accountable for…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Well, your question goes to the very heart of my priorities, if I could put it in that way: that every intervention that we make as a Government, and ask our partners to make on our behalf, increases the use of the Welsh language. So, the Welsh language is a…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
No, just for clarification, we have a National Centre for Learning Welsh, which is working with Duolingo and Say Something in Welsh in providing a very broad of range provision, but there is a very broad range available. It's the work of that centre that's…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
I think the digital offer is very substantial. This year, for example, we are spending over £3 million in providing resources, and an additional £1 million on bilingual resources, so a percentage of that will be digital. We intend to work with the national…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
Apologies, I'm not sure what happened there. Now, I will do two things. First of all to ensure that we continue to support organisations in adapting to COVID and also look at an alternative model of operation for the future. So, in terms of community…
, Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee
Ministerial scrutiny session: Minister for Education and the Welsh Language
The impact has been substantial. The work we do as a Government happens in partnership with a number of organisations and institutions across Wales, and virtually everyone, if not everyone, has been impacted by COVID. Last year, specifically, my predecessor…
