Part of 1. Questions to the First Minister – in the Senedd at 1:44 pm on 25 January 2022.
May I just declare that I am still a Monmouthsire county councillor? Thank you for that answer to Delyth's supplementary, First Minister. And, further to that, can I just say that providing more Welsh-medium school places across Wales is critical to achieving the Welsh Government's target of 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050. So, I am sure the First Minister will join me in welcoming the news that Monmouthshire County Council's ambitious 10-year plan to double the Welsh-medium school places across the county. Access to Welsh-medium schools in some rural areas is really difficult, and the distance that some would have to travel often deters parents from choosing a Welsh language school for their children. In many rural constituencies across Wales, transport options still remain one of the biggest barriers to parents sending their children to Welsh-medium schools. First Minister, will you and your Government please relook at the current transport requirements and needs for children wishing to attend Welsh-medium education in rural areas across Wales to ensure it is sufficient to meet the needs of parents, children and local authorities? Will you look to invest in this area to ensure, alongside our local authorities, that transport no longer means a barrier to take up Welsh-medium education? Thank you.