1. Will the Minister outline how the Welsh Government's education department co-operates with the economy and transport department to improve transport options for young people in education and training? OAQ54767

Both departments co-operate in numerous ways, and I recently released a joint ministerial written statement informing Members of our intention to take forward a review identifying all issues involved in post-16 learner travel. Further updates on this review will be provided to Members as it progresses.

Thank you, and I welcome that particular review, because we are seeing worrying trends by cash-strapped local authorities to reduce support for options for learners in Wales. We've seen Neath Port Talbot council consult on changes to post-16 transport earlier this year, which they had to scrap because of the outcry, and now Bridgend council is consulting on abolishing free transport for post-16 learners in school or college, as well as abolishing free transport for nursery-age pupils. So, I do welcome this review.

But, I'm also sure you're aware of the fact that there are wider issues with regard to the affordability of those doing apprenticeships to be able to afford to get to their place of work, or to get to where they need to get to for their term in work. The current MyTravelPass scheme via the Welsh Government doesn't seem to have been as successful as you would have liked, with take-up dramatically less than expected. How are you going to liaise further with your colleagues in the economy department to address the serious and growing problem with regard to how young people are accessing education via the transport system here in Wales?

Well, I welcome the Member's support for the interdepartmental review on post-16 learner travel. With regard to MyTravelPass, although the responsibility for that scheme does not lie within my department, I take a keen personal interest because the impetus for that scheme was a budget deal struck between my party, when I was leader of the Liberal Democrats, and the then Welsh Government. So, I have a personal interest in its success. As the Member will know, that started off in 2014 as a scheme that was only available to 16 and 17-year-olds, and transport officials, after negotiation with the bus industry, have implemented an enhanced scheme. So, that now covers 16, 17 and 18-year-olds, 19, 20 and 21-year-olds. So, exactly the kind of individuals that I'm sure Bethan was alluding to—those people who are looking to combine study and work via an apprenticeship scheme. And I'm sure there's more we can all do to publicise the opportunity to use MyTravelPass. 

We will continue to work across the department to look to see what more we can do to support individuals with the cost of their transport, whether that is accessing training or more formal full-time education. 

Our green card policy, of course, would resolve the question of free bus transport for post-16 education, training or work. But, of course, I think the position of transport to faith and Welsh-medium schools does need resolving through primary legislation.

My question, though, is about the voice of young people in a local authority's decision on whether a route to school is safe or not. And until the active travel Act provides realistic options on this, because we are talking about journeys of two or three miles, depending on the school, we're still likely to be hearing from the children's commissioner that she's having to remind local authorities of their duty to consult children and young people about those school journeys. I'll suspect we'll also continue to get too much traffic at the school gate too. Would it be easier to press this point on due regard for article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child if school transport were in your portfolio, and do you support extending that due regard duty to local authorities? I'm wondering if your review is covering that as well. 

Can I thank the Member for the question? I'm aware of the Conservatives' party policy with regard to post-16 travel. It involves scrapping the education maintenance allowance, which is financial support that helps our very poorest students. But the Member is absolutely right—one area we do need to tackle, and our departments are working closely on, is promoting active travel to school to reduce the number of cars that are driven to our school gates. We have a very good example of this just around the corner from this building in Ysgol Hamadryad here in Cardiff Bay, where people walk, cycle, scoot to school. So, there is always more we can do there. As part of our review, we are indeed looking at issues around safety and safe routes, so that will be part of the consideration that we are making, and I will review the comments the Member has made to see whether there are further particulars with regard to the rights-based approach that the review can look at. 

Can I very much welcome the review on post-16 education transport, but also the engagement that I know that is going on at the moment between the Minister and the Deputy Minister for Economy and Transport on active travel, on some imaginative thinking on that joint working? But could I ask, beyond those short journeys to school, for which we need to encourage more children to actually get on their bikes and scooters, or walk, quite frankly, and the family and parents as well, in terms of transport by bus, are we open in Welsh Government to thinking of different solutions, as they have in different countries? When I visited Finland last year, and when you look at places like Canada, who are doing this as well, where actually they develop the independence within young people, from a quite young age—and it's not appropriate for everyone, or in every situation—they actually travel to school on public transport. Now, this isn't for everyone, in every situation, particularly in rural areas, and it relies on a very good public transport network as well. But it is interesting that it can be done elsewhere. So, do we include that within our thinking, going forward, if people wanted to take up that option, or including local authorities, which I understand, in Scotland, as well, where, instead of school transport vouchers, or funding for an individual, they offer to actually buy the bike.

Given the Member's keen interest in active travel, and his very active lobbying in this regard, the Member will be pleased to know that we have revamped our consideration for active travel as part of our twenty-first century schools and colleges programme. And any application coming forward from a local authority that gives poor consideration of active travel to that new building will be rejected, and I'm sure he'll be glad to hear that. Can I say, the use of public transport is not novel in Wales—not even in rural areas? There are many children who catch the T4 bus, on the A470, to travel back and forth to high school, although I must say, sometimes, that does cause concerns for parents, who sometimes would prefer their children to be on a school-transport-only option. So, it's not the case that we have no children travelling on public transport to access education at the moment. Local authorities are looking to those models, where it is appropriate, and I'm sure that they will continue to do so.