4. Statement by the Minister for International Relations and Welsh Language: Cymraeg 2050 Annual Report 2018-19

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 4:48 pm on 28 January 2020.

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Photo of Rhun ap Iorwerth Rhun ap Iorwerth Plaid Cymru 4:48, 28 January 2020

(Translated)

Thank you very much, Llywydd, for accepting my request to ask a few questions. I have two questions on education—schools education first of all. Now, we talk about this target of 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050, and it's good to see that everyone is working together towards that target. Everyone welcomes the target. We should be able to reach it because the role of schools is so very important, and there are two whole generations that are going to pass through our schools between now and 2050.

Do you as Minister agree with me that, in my constituency, every child brought up on Anglesey should be given an assurance that he or she will be entirely fluent in Welsh by the time they leave education? Whichever school that child attends, whether it's a school on the island or on the mainland. Because it's truly not fair for any child to go through an education system that doesn't enable them to play their full part in a society that is bilingual.

The second question, on adult education—to echo a point made by Siân Gwenllian. There are 405 learners in Anglesey at the moment receiving Welsh for adults education at the National Centre for Learning Welsh in the north west at Bangor University. They are concerned about the suggestion that you could be considering cutting up to £0.5 million from the budget of the National Centre for Learning Welsh.

It's entirely right, as you say, that you look at how that money is spent, to ensure that it is spent in the best way possible. But cutting some £0.5 million, if you're still considering that, would mean some £80,000 off the budget of the centre in the north west of Wales, which would correspond to around two posts. There's no doubt that that would have a direct impact on the capacity to teach those people across the north west, and those I am most concerned about—if you'll forgive me—those on Anglesey.

In areas such as Anglesey, where there is a great deal of in-migration from people who come to live on the island for entirely understandable reasons, it's crucial that opportunities are provided for them to learn Welsh, to understand the importance of the language in a bilingual community, and that the capacity is in place to provide those learning opportunities for them. So, when will you make a decision in order to, hopefully, give some assurances to the centre on the way forward?