5. How is the Welsh Government expanding Welsh language education in Alyn and Deeside? OQ58227

Thank you, Jack. To support their plans to grow Welsh-medium education, the council has received approval in principle to establish a new primary school, through Welsh Government capital funding.

Diolch yn fawr iawn, Weinidog. And I think it's clear that you agree that investing in Welsh-medium school buildings is going to be key if we really are truly to deliver and give all parents and children the chance of Welsh-medium education in Wales. Flintshire County Council have published an ambitious strategic plan to increase the number of Welsh speakers in Flintshire. I wonder if you could comment further, Minister, on how you will support this plan and this council's ambitions, and how you would invest in schools like Ysgol Croes Atti in Shotton, in my own constituency.

Can I thank the Member for that supplementary question and for his use of the Welsh language in his initial question? Flintshire local authority have committed in their draft Welsh in education strategic plan to increase the percentage of learners in Welsh-medium education from the current 6.3 per cent to 15 per cent within the next 10 years. I recently announced, in March, 11 projects that will benefit from the Welsh-medium capital grant—a fund of about £30 million—and Flintshire will be one of the nine local authorities that will benefit from that funding. An element has already been allocated to establish a new Welsh-medium school, and the Buckley area is one of the locations being considered for that. And Flintshire will also put forward a business case to invest in Ysgol Croes Atti, to support the increasing demand for Welsh-medium education in the area, and I look forward to seeing that plan.

Can I thank also the Member for Alyn and Deeside for submitting this question, as well, because I too have a keen interest in Welsh language education in Alyn and Deeside? And as stated by the Member, it is important that we enable Welsh language education and encourage more people to speak and learn Welsh.

And since becoming a Senedd Member, I’ve had the pleasure of joining the Senedd’s Welsh language tuition scheme, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. 

But, as we do know, Minister, much of the provision and delivery of Welsh language education is largely down to our local authorities working with schools, working with regional consortia, such as GwE in north Wales. So, in light of this, what assessment have you made of the collaboration between local authorities in north Wales working with GwE, working with schools, so that they can work as a team to deliver ambitions around Welsh language education in my region? Diolch yn fawr iawn. 

Can I just say how good it is to hear more Members speaking Welsh in the Chamber? Congratulations to Sam, and to Jack too. 

Yes, it is very important, in order for us to see the progress that we want to see in Welsh-medium provision, and that there is equal access for all children in Wales to Welsh-medium education in any part of Wales, that the WESPs are ambitious, but also that there is good work happening between schools and local authorities and the consortia. And I'm sure that's happening in north Wales, as it is in all parts of Wales.