1. What importance does the Welsh Government place on young people aged 16-18 in considering its target of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050? OAQ54321

Thank you very much. Young people are at the heart of Cymraeg 2050. We’re working with schools and FE colleagues to increase opportunities for young people to use Welsh. Of course, we've also expanded the role of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol, but we also acknowledge that there is a need for us to do more.

Can you tell me, therefore, what’s the purpose of expanding provision when more and more young people contact me saying that they can’t access that provision? Many of us in this Chamber, I’m sure, have seen an increase in the casework that we receive from sixth-form students in Welsh-medium schools who are facing a situation where the transport that was provided to those schools by local authorities is being cut. I’ve dealt with cases in Wrexham, Flintshire, Denbighshire and in other counties across north Wales. Some of them have been resolved; others, unfortunately, have not. So, can I ask you what you’re going to do to ensure that students can access, through transport, those schools where this additional provision that you mention is provided?

Well, we are spending quite a lot of time at present trying to ensure that we improve the situation. I have had another meeting this morning with the Minister responsible for education, and both of us have written to the Minister with responsibility for transport, and so there is an effort being made to ensure that we are able to come to a different place as regards this problem. There will be a refresh of Learner Travel (Wales) Measure 2008, and that’ll be happening in the autumn, and, of course, that’s an opportunity for people to respond to the consultation, but we do acknowledge that there is a problem and that, particularly, there is a problem in Flintshire, and also in the Neath area.

Minister, Llyr Gruffydd made a very valid point about the importance of being able to access those Welsh-medium services when they are provided. And whilst we all welcome the 1 million Welsh-speaker target and recognise the importance of Welsh-medium education in delivering that, I think the pressures that Llyr has alluded to are probably even more pressing in anglicised areas of Wales, such as the area that I represent, than they are in some of the more Welsh-speaking areas. So, referring to the answer you gave to Llyr in terms of the transport that Welsh-medium—I didn't quite catch your answer there, but the answer you gave—can you say what particular focus you're putting on making sure that my constituents who wish to access Welsh services in an area where, traditionally, that hasn't been the case, they will get specific support to make sure that Welsh-medium education and Welsh-medium services are available to all?

When local authorities are developing their Welsh in education strategic plans, they do have to be cognisant of the transport issues in relation to how those children get to school. There is, of course, a statutory requirement for them to provide that to Welsh-speaking schools under the age of 16. There is an issue for those over 18, and this is where the issue comes in, because it is not a statutory situation at the moment, and we are assessing what are the possibilities to re-look at that situation. It is quite complex and, obviously, there may be some knock-on effects. We are actually spending a lot of time now trying to address this very issue.

You would agree with me, Minister, I'm sure, that it's important in areas where the Welsh language isn’t as deeply rooted that we do more to help to root it more firmly. So, how will the Welsh Government work with local authorities and local communities in Ogmore to promote the Welsh, and how ambitious will the education targets and the early years targets be in assisting with this?

Thank you very much, and may I thank you for posing that question in Welsh? Of course, we do set targets for local government. My officials have been busy over the summer holding discussions with the officers in some of the local authorities, including Bridgend, and, of course, what we’re trying to do is ensure that we lead the demand and not just react to the demand. In Bridgend, we hope that we will attain a target of approximately 30 per cent over the ensuing decade. What we’ve been doing is offering additional support to try and promote the Welsh language in those areas and to try and engender more interest from local people.

What’s also important is that there is progression or continuity, that people go from primary school on to the secondary schools, and that has been a problem in the past—particularly in your area, I’m afraid. But, of course, we’re not just talking about schools; there are other things that we are doing to promote the Welsh language in areas such as Bridgend, such as the mentrau iaith that give people a lot of support to have the opportunity to speak Welsh socially.