Siân Gwenllian: Thank you, Llywydd. As Minister with responsibility for the Welsh language, can you confirm that English isn't introduced in Mudiad Meithrin's cylchoedd meithrin or in Welsh-medium schools until a child reaches seven years of age at the moment? And, if so, will you confirm, so that we can be entirely clear on this, that the proposal in the Welsh Government's White Paper for the new...
Siân Gwenllian: Well, the major question arising from what you've just said is: what's going to happen for the future? What about the next generations of children? Will they too continue to be immersed in the language? Your strategy—and it is your strategy as Minister for the Welsh language, the 1 million Welsh speakers strategy—does state unambiguously that Welsh-medium immersion education is the main...
Siân Gwenllian: I assume from that, therefore, that you will delete the clause in the White Paper and will do so as a matter of urgency. You’ve confirmed that immersion should be developed and continued for the future, so the natural step is to withdraw that clause to scrap the whole discussion around it, because it’s unnecessary; so, it doesn’t need to be in the White Paper. But in addition to the...
Siân Gwenllian: Will the Minister provide an update on tax breaks for the community hydro energy sector?
Siân Gwenllian: I’d like to raise issues regarding the transparency of the machinery of Welsh Government and proper ministerial accountability to this Senedd. For some time now, there has been some ambiguity as to which Minister is accountable to the National Assembly for the civil service, which supports ministerial work. In Westminster, that responsibility is given very clearly to the Prime Minister,...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you, Llywydd. I want to start where I left off the last time I had a conversation with you across this Chamber, namely with this very unfortunate sentence in your White Paper, published last week, about teaching English in nursery settings and nursery schools. I’m not going to rehearse the same issues again, and I’m very pleased that you have carried out a u-turn on this issue and...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you for providing that clarity, but you haven’t answered the question as to how on earth such a sentence appeared in the first place. I’ll turn now to other aspects of your White Paper, if I may. It does note that primary legislation will be required for certain issues, including the six areas of learning and experience. One of those is the humanities, and you list the humanities as...
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much. I agree entirely with you, but that’s not an argument for not including the history of Wales as a specific subject under that long list that you have under the heading of 'humanities'. In turning to another aspect of the new curriculum—and I quote—the curriculum will provide 'freedom for practitioners to use their professionalism and creativity to meet the needs of...
Siân Gwenllian: 6. What guidance is provided by the Welsh Government to health boards regarding engaging with the public about changes to services? OAQ53344
Siân Gwenllian: The Betsi Cadwaladr health board is about to discuss far-reaching changes to the way in which some services are provided across north Wales. The changes include the provision of urology services on two sites rather than three, and the movement of stroke services from two sites and orthopaedics from two sites. So, I’m sure you’d agree that the health board needs to be entirely transparent...
Siân Gwenllian: British Sign Language is an important language that isn't adequately recognised. At present, there is no adequate provision or no adequate rights in place to support deaf people at any stage of their journey through life, starting in the earliest years. Ninety per cent of deaf children are born into hearing families. Therefore, new parents often have no experience of deafness, and have to...
Siân Gwenllian: I hope that each and every one of us can support amendment 5, tabled in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth. In 2017, Adam Price and I published this discussion paper, 'The Future of the West: Collaboration for the Benefit of the Economy and the Welsh Language'. It outlined the desire to see the councils of the west—Anglesey, Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire—working together on strategic...
Siân Gwenllian: By doing that, though, the danger is that we're going to reciprocate exactly what's happening in the rest of the UK—that is, everything going to the south-east—in Wales, with everything being concentrated in one corner of Wales. That's the major problem that's facing us.
Siân Gwenllian: Will the First Minister make a statement on changes to business rate relief schemes?
Siân Gwenllian: 9. Will the Minister confirm when the Caernarfon to Bontnewydd bypass will open? OAQ53411
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much, and therefore I hope that I won't have to ask that question again in this Chamber. Another aspect of the work, of course, is the impact on the local economy. What work have you as a Government done to ensure that the local workforce and local businesses get the maximum benefit from this important proposal?
Siân Gwenllian: What discussions has the Counsel General had with the UK Government regarding protecting the rights of the young people of Wales to travel or work across Europe in leaving the European Union?
Siân Gwenllian: 2. What discussions had the Deputy Minister had with the Minister for Economy and Transport on the economic impact of inequalities in light of the Chwarae Teg report, State of the Nation 2019? OAQ53473
Siân Gwenllian: Thank you very much, and congratulations on using Welsh in the Siambr. Now, one vital challenge will be supporting more women into work, but of course childcare continues to be a barrier. Women are four times more likely than men to mention caring for their family or the home as a reason for not working. So, what assessment has the Welsh Government done of the impact of the new childcare...
Siân Gwenllian: You will know that I've asked several times in the Chamber about the expectations of the Government in terms of our health boards, and how transparent and open they are in their operations. You'll also know that I feel that Betsi Cadwaladr health board, which is under your control, of course, because they are in special measures, are trying to make important decisions about services by the...
