2. What discussions has the Minister had with the Minister for Health and Social Services about training prospective doctors through the medium of Welsh at Bangor medical school? OQ58233

I have had discussions with the Minister for Health and Social Services and I know, through those conversations, that she, in conversation with Bangor, has set out our expectations around the Welsh language provision. The Welsh language is a core consideration for Bangor, who are actively engaging on increasing Welsh-medium provision as they look to develop and implement the new curriculum.

I asked the health Minister here in the Siambr recently how the new medical school in Bangor could help to achieve the excellent 'More than just words' policy, but I do have to say that I was disappointed by the response that I received. That's why I am continuing with this theme with you today. From what I understand, there are very few Welsh speakers training at the medical school in Bangor at present, and that is also disappointing.

Do you believe that adequate targets have been set to recruit Welsh speakers for the medical training programme in Bangor? Will you come back to me, please, with a full explanation about how you intend to improve the situation if what I understand is correct? We have an excellent opportunity with the establishment of the new medical school to set targets to support the principle that we need an appropriate Welsh-medium workforce to meet the principles of 'More than just words', and of course the 'Cymraeg 2050' strategy.

I'd be more than happy to write to the Member with more details on the further question that she has asked. As she will know, an evaluation has taken place of the 'More than just words' plan, and the Minister intends to make a further statement over the next few weeks on the next steps that will result from the work that the Marian Wyn Jones committee carried out on our behalf recently.

So, without going into detail on that, it is clear that a bilingual workforce is one of the priorities for the future in terms of 'More than just words' and that we need to move away, perhaps, from a framework to using policy as something that is more proactive and can drive progress, in a way that I'm sure the Member would welcome. Supporting and developing the Welsh language skills of the current workforce and the future workforce is a core part of that, and there will certainly be a role for the medical school in Bangor to play in that.

I absolutely concur with the points that have been made by Siân Gwenllian about the need to make sure that we've got doctors coming through the system who are proficient in the Welsh language.

It's also really important, of course, that those who are in the education workforce, teaching, who do have Welsh language skills are able to continue to use them. I raised in the Senedd yesterday a situation in a further education institution, where there are courses currently delivered through the medium of Welsh, in a largely Welsh-speaking community and area in southern Denbighshire, and those are going to be relocated to the coast, where there are fewer Welsh speakers, and where the demand for those courses will be different. It's going to severely disadvantage those young people who want to take advantage of the opportunity to continue to learn through the medium of Welsh when they go into post-16 education.

What are you doing to make sure that, where we do have tutors, teachers and others in the education workforce who are able to currently deliver in Welsh, that those opportunities aren't diminished as a result of silly decisions, frankly, by further education institutions and, indeed, some schools too?

Well, I'm not going to comment on the particular decision, because obviously I'm not in a position to do that, but as he knows from the First Minister's answer yesterday, I will follow that up. We passed the third stage of a piece of legislation yesterday, which, in the particular context—the FE context—in which he frames the question, certainly yesterday and I think he was making the same point today, will, I think, see a step change in the provision of further education through the medium of Welsh. Obviously, one of the challenges has been making sure we have a workforce that is able to do that, and he will be aware, of course, of the plan that we brought forward to increase the educational workforce generally in Wales for those who are able to teach through the medium of Welsh.

In my discussions with further education colleges in all parts of Wales, there is absolutely a recognition that we need to do more and an enthusiasm to work together to do that, and so I look forward to doing that with them and I'll take up the point that he's raised specifically. Thank you.