8. How will the Welsh Government ensure that Welsh-medium education is accessible to all children and communities, especially in Wales's most deprived areas? OQ56602

Every child who wants to attend a Welsh-medium school should be able to do so, wherever they live. Our new statutory framework through the Welsh in education strategic plans sets out a clear ambition for local authorities to plan their Welsh-medium education provision in order to meet that expectation.

Thank you. I know that the Minister is aware of a campaign in my area in terms of Welsh-medium education, specifically in the north of Pontypridd, where campaigners tried to persuade the local council to consider alternative options, rather than the option that's being taken forward, which will move access to Welsh-medium education further from the communities of Ynysybwl, Glyncoch and Coed-y-Cwm and totally out of Cilfynydd. If we are serious about reaching the target of 1 million Welsh speakers, isn't it a requirement on us to ensure equal access to Welsh-medium education, rather than taking education further from these communities, communities that are deprived? And will the Minister commit to meet with campaigners and myself, perhaps whilst you're visiting Abercynon, which isn't too far away, in order to discuss their alternative proposals, because this wasn't a campaign to save a school, but to secure equal access to Welsh-medium education, which is different to many other campaigns, and they have a number of exciting ideas that we should listen to?

I thank the Member for that important second question. I think that reforming the legislation that is the basis for the strategic plans is going to have a positive impact in this context, and there are many ambitious things in the Welsh in education strategic plan of the council to which you refer, and I'm very pleased to see that. But I do accept that as well as looking at the numbers—this is at a local level and a national level—I think that we also need to look at communities and the geography of the Welsh language. I think that's an important factor in this context as well. I do know that there is a great wish in the north of Pontypridd to maintain Welsh-medium education in that area, and I'm clear that we, through our grant partners—for example, Mudiad Meithrin—are looking at how we can support the best pathways for learners to access Welsh-medium education and the opportunity to be bilingual, and I'd be happy to discuss this further with the Member.

I thank the Minister.