2. What assessment has the Minister made of the impact the increased cost of living is having on plans for 21st century schools? OQ59244

We recognise that schools and colleges play a vital role in supporting our local communities. It's essential that investment in our education estate through our sustainable communities for learning programme drives energy efficiencies, reduces revenue pressures, and improves access to these important facilities.

Thank you, Minister. The benefits that the twenty-first century schools bring to our pupils and our teachers are enormous. We are fortunate in Rhondda to have three twenty-first century schools planned: one for Llyn y Forwyn, which will be completed over the next two years; one for Penrhys primary school; and one for Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhondda. Now, Minister, I know that you visited Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhondda and understand the challenges that the school faces at the current site. The school community there is desperate for new facilities. But I also understand that, due to the chaos at Westminster, the financial situation that we face since the initial twenty-first century schools announcement, is extremely different. Minister, what assurances can you give, if any, that future twenty-first century schools plans will begin and be completed at the very same pace as previous twenty-first century schools projects?

I thank Buffy Williams—and that's a very important question—and I thank her as well for inviting me to visit Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhondda, and I thank Mr Spanswick and the staff for the very warm welcome that they gave me when I was able to visit, and I saw, of course, the facilities in the school there and the important work that they do at first-hand. The sustainable communities for learning programme of course is subject to the same pressures—inflationary pressures, construction cost increases, labour cost increases, as any other aspect of Government investment or, indeed, local government investment. In order to try and do our part to compensate for that, and to make sure that projects aren't unduly held up in the way that Buffy Williams is mentioning in her question, that budget has been increased by 33 per cent over the next two financial years, partly to support our new rolling mechanism for delivery—so it's a much nimble and flexible programme than it has been in the past—to respond to the ability of some authorities to move faster and for others to be able to adjust their plans. But that funding will also support additional cost pressures within the construction industry. And she will, I know, have seen the announcement that I made at the end of last week of a further £60 million—£50 million for schools and £10 million for colleges—to support capital maintenance, but prioritising energy efficiency works across our school and college estate in Wales, which is obviously a very important part of our Net Zero Wales plan as well. 

Minister, I've said in this Chamber on a number of occasions that I want to see brand new Welsh-medium schools right across Wales, and I'd especially like to see them in Brecon and Radnorshire. I'd like to know what assessment the Welsh Government has done on the cost-of-living crisis and the rise of costs of everything that is associated with building these schools, and what impact that is going to have on the delivery of having more Welsh speakers right across Wales, especially in rural communities like mine in Brecon and Radnor.

Over the course of the 10-year period of the Welsh in education strategic plans programme right across Wales, there will be, roughly speaking, 50 new schools, either through the construction of new schools or increased Welsh language provision in existing schools, partly by taking those schools along the Welsh language continuum. And so, the plan isn't all dependent on actually physically building new schools; it's a mix of the two, and that's true in Brecon and Radnor as it is in Powys at large and across Wales, and that's really important. We've wanted to work with authorities to design plans that best reflect their needs, but it's a 10-year programme, and so, we are factoring in the cost implications of that, but we are confident that those plans can be met.