Agenda and minutes

The Welsh Language Services Manager welcomed Mr Osian Rowlands to his first meeting of the Steering Group.

Apologies of absence were received from County Borough Councillor L. Hooper and Ms Andrea Richards.

To receive disclosures of personal interest from Members in accordance with the Code of Conduct.

Note:

1.     Members are requested to identify the item number and subject matter that their interest relates to and signify the nature of the personal interest.

2.     Where Members withdraw from a meeting as a consequence of the disclosure of a prejudicial interest they must notify the Chairman when they leave.

In accordance with the Council’s Code of Conduct, Councillor Rhys Lewis declared the following personal declaration of interest pertaining to the agenda and remained in the meeting when the item was discussed and voted upon:

•         “I am the Chair of Governors in Abercynon Primary School, a school referenced in the WESP report”. 

To receive the minutes of the Welsh Language Cabinet Steering Group meeting which was held on 6^th October 2021.

It was RESOLVED to approve the minutes of the 6^th October 2021 as an accurate reflection of the meeting.

To provide Members of the Welsh Language Cabinet Steering Group with an overview of the Council’s Draft Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) following the recent public statutory consultation.

The Director of Education and Inclusion Services provided the Welsh Language Cabinet Steering Group Members with an overview of the Council’s Draft Welsh in Education Strategic Plan (WESP) following recent public and wider consultation, advising Members of the opportunity to comment and provide feedback on the draft WESP.

Members were advised of the Council’s ambitious target to increase the percentage of year one learners in Welsh medium education, to be achieved through a collaborative approach and following the proposed actions over the forthcoming ten years. Members were further advised of a recent public consultation exercise with a wide range of stakeholders to seek their views on the achievement of the ambitious target, feedback of which has been incorporated into a Statutory Consultation Report and the updated proposed WESP for consideration by Cabinet on the 13^th December 2021.

The Chair thanked the officers involved in the Council’s Draft WESP and noted that the plan is both ambitious but balanced. The Chair referenced the common themes captured within the responses of the consultation exercise, particularly in respect of target setting.

Members discussed the need to revisit the strategic, 10-year plan regularly to effectively the measure progress made towards the targets.

Following discussion, Members RESOLVED to note the information provided in respect of the Council’s Draft Welsh in Education Strategic Plan.

To consider any other business, which the Chairman by reason of special circumstances is of the opinion should be considered at the meeting as a matter of urgency.

There was no urgent business to report.