Alun Davies: Llywydd, I’d like to start by thanking the Plaid Cymru spokesperson for his constructive response to the statement and to the way in which we are developing policy in this area. I did use the word ‘foundation’, of course, as a way of starting—it’s not the end of the process. You don’t finish a house with the foundation, but it’s important that we move forward and that’s what...
Alun Davies: I’m grateful to the Conservative spokesperson for the constructive way in which he has approached his remarks this afternoon. I think there is fair agreement on the basic analysis that we’ve made on all sides of the Chamber, and agreement that we all need to share the same ambition, and level of ambition, for the plans in each local authority area. Can I say to him—? I expect to be able...
Alun Davies: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. Welsh in education strategic plans have established a sound basis for planning Welsh-medium education, but so much has changed since the Schools Standards and Organisation (Wales) Act 2013 came into statutory force. We now have to adapt and modernise the way in which we plan Welsh education to reflect the ambition set in ‘Cymraeg 2050’,...
Alun Davies: Aled’s report provides 18 recommendations for the future development of the WESPs. I will be accepting all of the recommendations. This process has given me an independent overview of what needs to change, and how we can implement those changes in the most inclusive way. Aled provided us with a review of each local authority’s WESP. In early August, I wrote to each local authority to...
Alun Davies: He hasn’t been here for the debate; he arrives late and starts to shout across the Chamber.
Alun Davies: I have been ignoring him for quite a while. I am grateful for the way in which Bethan Jenkins has not only led the debate this afternoon, but has also led the committee. You asked a number of questions during your opening remarks, as did Suzy Davies during her contribution. I do feel, on occasion, that perhaps it would be better to appear before the committee to answer some of these questions...
Alun Davies: I disagree with you, and I think what splits people is using words such as ‘brad’ or ‘betrayal’—that’s what causes splits in our nation, and that is a way of discussing these issues that I don’t think that we want to hear in our national parliament. I don’t think that should be part of any consensus. I tell you now that it’s not going to be any part of any consensus that I...
Alun Davies: Thank you, Llywydd. I think I can start where Dai Lloyd finished, because you are entirely right in your analysis: the Government can put in place all sorts of structures, but, at the end of the day, it’s the community, the nation, and the country that speak the language, not just the Government. Therefore, it is something for us as a national community, and that’s why I’ve always...
Alun Davies: Okay.
Alun Davies: I would very kindly suggest that the Member once again reads the strategy that I published in July. And if you read the programme of work, which was published simultaneously, you will see that there are criteria included there that show that we’re planning for an increase in the number of children receiving their education through the medium of Welsh, and how many teachers will be required...
Alun Davies: I hope that that is happening. I had a meeting last week with the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol to discuss how we can expand and continue to implement the work that was recommended by Delyth Evans in her task and finish group, which the Cabinet Secretary published in the summer. I would expect and anticipate that all those different elements need to be in...
Alun Davies: Presiding Officer, Members will be aware, from yesterday’s business statement, that I’ll be making an oral statement on Welsh language education plans next Tuesday. Members will also be aware that I commissioned Aled Roberts to look at all the strategic plans for education published by local authorities, in the spring, and he published that report in the summer. In terms of the example...
Alun Davies: Education is one of the key areas that underpins our ambition to achieve 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050. Ensuring the increase in the number of children and young people educated through the medium of Welsh or bilingually will be a priority for us all.
Alun Davies: [Continues.]—and we will be leading on that. The proposal is to agree amendment 1. Does any Member object? [Objection.] I will defer voting, therefore, until voting time.
Alun Davies: I am listening. I am listening. I was in Llandudno discussing these issues yesterday. I was in Swansea a fortnight ago listening to people. I will continue to travel around Wales listening to people and discussing these issues with people. What I’m telling you now, quite clearly, Adam, is that people don’t particularly agree with what you’ve said this afternoon. The people I’ve spoken...
Alun Davies: I am grateful, Llywydd, for the opportunity to have this debate on the White Paper and how we make progress with language policy. I’m very grateful to everyone—everyone—who’s participated in this debate. I was very pleased to hear the comments made by Suzy Davies, Neil Hamilton, even Adam Price, and I’m also pleased that we can still have this kind of debate on the future of the...
Alun Davies: No, I’m not going to take an intervention at this point, but what I am going to do is to ensure that we can operate those rights wherever we are in Wales. That is why I think that we must consider how we strengthen our rights. It is not good enough—it’s never good enough—simply to come to this Chamber and say that we’re not content to change, we have the status quo; it’s not...
Alun Davies: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer, and thank you for timetabling these discussions. Members will recall that I published our strategy, ‘Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers’, and our ambition to reach a million Welsh speakers back in June. I was clear, and I hope I was clear to all Members at that time, that I was very eager to set our strategy and vision for the future...
Alun Davies: Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. I thank Members for their generally constructive comments and generous words during this debate. Can I say this? I sometimes worry when Mike gets to his feet on a debate that I’m answering, because I’m never quite sure how I’m going to answer some of his points, but he makes some very fair and very judicious remarks about cost. And the...
Alun Davies: Thank you very much, Presiding Officer. I move the motion on this financial resolution. In doing so, I want to first of all thank all of those Members who’ve taken part in the scrutiny process of this Bill. We will, if Members agree the financial resolution this afternoon, be beginning Stage 2 scrutiny tomorrow morning. For those Members on the committee, they will see that many of the...
