Part of 2. Questions to the Minister for Education and Welsh Language – in the Senedd at 3:08 pm on 23 November 2022.
Can I take the opportunity to correct the record that it was 230,000 children? That's what I intended to say in my answer.
I just want to echo what the Member has just said. I am disappointed for this family and others, I shouldn't wonder, in the community who can't access Welsh-medium swimming lessons. We've prepared standards that place duties on local authorities to provide education courses through the medium of Welsh, which include specific standards for education courses aimed at young people. It's a matter for the commissioner to set the standards and to ensure compliance, as the Member acknowledges in the question. But, to be proactive from our point of view in this field, we do provide significant funding for partners, such as the Urdd and mentrau iaith, to provide leisure activities through the medium of Welsh, and we also provide funding to the Urdd sport apprenticeships, which focus on increasing Welsh-medium skills for sporting coaches in future. So, ensuring that people are able to provide these lessons through the medium of Welsh is an important part of that work, and that is one of our priorities in terms of funding.