Agenda, decisions and draft minutes

To elect Chair for 2025-2026.

To elect Councillor Cai Larsen as Chair for 2025/26.

Councillor Cai Larsen was elected Chair for 2025/26. ⁠

To elect Vice-chair for 2025-2026.

To elect Councillor Rhys Tudur as Vice-Chair for 2025/26.

Councillor Rhys Tudur was elected vice-chair for 2025/26. ⁠

To receive any apologies for absence.

An apology was received from Councillor Dewi Owen and Colette Owen (Co-opted Member – Catholic Church).

To receive any declarations of personal interest.

Councillor Dawn Lynne Jones declared an interest in item 8 as she worked with children, but as it was a performance report, it was not a prejudicial interest and she did not need to withdraw from the meeting.

The Chief Executive declared an interest in item 8 - as his wife worked in the Education Department, therefore he withdrew from the discussion.

Councillors Beth Lawton, Gareth Tudor Jones, Richard Glyn Roberts and Sian Williams declared an interest in item 9, as they were members of the Byw'n Iach Board, but it was not a prejudicial interest and therefore they did not leave the meeting for the discussion.

Sharon Williams withdrew from the meeting by virtue of her post for item 9.

To note any items that are a matter of urgency in the view of the Chair for consideration.

There were no urgent items to note.

The Chair shall propose that the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee held on 10 April 2025 be signed as a true record.

The Chair signed the minutes of the previous meeting of this committee held on 10 April 2025, as a true record.

To submit the recommendations of the Task and Finish Group in relation to the wording of the draft policy.

•              To note the output of the work of the Task and Finish Group but there was no consensus on all the recommended modifications;

•             To ask the Cabinet Member for Education to consider the range of comments submitted by the Scrutiny Members when drawing up the final policy.

Following a discussion on the Draft Education Language Policy at the Committee meeting on 10 April 2025, it was resolved to form a task and finish group to discuss the wording of the draft policy.

Councillor Rhys Tudur, Chair of the Task and Finish Group, presented the changes suggested by the Task and Finish Group. It was noted that many of the recommendations were amendments to refine the policy, but some were more significant.

The main points were as follows:

1.     The need to note that it is the school's decision to determine which cross-curricular subjects are taught in English was expressed. It was noted that this would make it clearer. 

2.     It should be noted in the policy that extra-curricular activities are held through the medium of Welsh if resources were available. 

3.     It was recommended to use the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill 2025's definition of a Welsh School instead of what was noted in the current statutory guidelines, and in doing so, be proactive to comply with the new legislation.

4.     It was noted that the policy should express the percentage of Welsh provision for all pupils.

5.     The need for schools to provide details on their progress plans was highlighted. 

6.     It was also asked what the expectation of the policy with Ysgol Uwchradd Tywyn and Ysgol Friars would be, as they acted as English schools to an extent - it was asked whether there would be a different policy or different treatment as the objectives would be for the whole county.

It was expressed that observations had been received by the Education Department in response to the recommended changes, but they had highlighted challenges and not responses to the recommendations. 

Further observations were received from the Task and Finish Group members, expressing their disappointment in the department's responses, specifically with changing the wording in a definition in the Education Bill instead of the guidelines as it would be an Act following receiving Royal Assent, and the need to move forward to comply with the act was expressed.

It was also expressed that the Task and Finish Group believed that the policy had to be robust and with an element of aspiration, especially when looking at the language shift within the county. It was noted that the group had attempted to tighten the draft policy.

The department had an opportunity to respond, and the Monitoring Officer expressed, in terms of the act, that it was in the process of obtaining Royal Assent but it was not currently in force. He added that there would be a timetable from the Government for elements of it to come into power and it would be approximately 4-5 years before this happened. It was explained that there would be a transitional period whilst the statutory procedure of the act was put in place.

The Head of Education added that the department believed that the draft policy showed a commitment to the Welsh language and the need to increase the  ...  view the full minutes text for item 7.

To report to the Scrutiny Committee on the performance of the Education Department.

A lunch break is planned for 12.30pm – 1.30pm

To accept the report and note the comments and to request further action on some of the comments in relation to the following areas:

·       Welsh Language and Language Centres

·       Learning environment for children with specific conditions

·       Type of buildings in terms of geographical locations plus transport costs

·       Child absences and inclusion along with children excluded from education and who are homeschooled

·       Data reliability where the database is small

·       Costs relating to access to education specifically for low-income families and children excluded from school

·       Appointment of Headteachers

·       Timeliness in the delivery of the Education Strategy.

The report was submitted by the Cabinet Member for Education, noting that the data spoke for itself. It was noted that there were successes to celebrate, plans to be developed and that he was looking forward to putting context on some improvement schemes in some fields.

During the discussion, the following observations were made: 

In terms of modernising buildings and learning settings, as physical disabilities were prioritised, it was asked how much planning was made for children's sensory needs, not only the rooms but in terms of colours on the walls, the lightbulbs used etc. An answer was given, noting that there were guidelines to follow when constructing new schools, it was explained that there was a need to ensure that Additional Learning Needs (ALN) provision was part of the guidelines. It was explained when constructing schools, the department learned from one project to the other, and adaptations had been made in terms of retaining doors of a natural colour and looking at lights. The need to get more of the department's input when schools were designed was noted to consider these types of needs, and it was explained that the department used part of the ALN capital grant funding to look at this matter further and that they worked with Occupational Therapists.

Attention was drawn to the fact that, in addition to the modernising buildings and learning settings field, there were plans in Arfon and Dwyfor but there was no mention of plans in Meirionnydd. In response, it was noted that modernising education capital funding came in phases and that many schools in Meirionnydd had been developed during the last phase, highlighting plans to restructure schools in Bala, Tywyn and Dolgellau. By now, it was explained that they specifically focused on the Bangor area, and it would move to another area in Gwynedd during the next phase.

It was expressed, when looking at a plan to reduce the cost of sending children to school, the measures were red, and it was asked if children were permanently excluded, whether there was an acknowledgement of the additional cost for parents to move their children to another school - such as school uniform etc. It was noted that families could be supported with this, by diverting funding as there was a need to ensure that children were able to attend school.

It was also asked whether the department was confident that all costs, including the hidden ones, received attention. It was noted that the department was confident that they had given a lot of attention to the main matters and worked to address the problems. It was noted that the department would draw up a charter that would be a suggestion for schools when considering the costs of school trips and school uniform for example.

Many observations were made about attendance as it was a matter of national concern, and it was highlighted that there had been progress as the number of children missing school started to reduce. It was asked what  ...  view the full minutes text for item 8.

To report to the Scrutiny Committee on the performance of the Economy Department.

·       To accept the report and note the comments;

·       That consideration needs to be given to scrutiny of the benefit of the Growth Deal for Gwynedd including the alternative project in Trawsfynydd

·       To ask the Economy and Community Department to provide three-year rolling data on numbers who have received return to work support

·       To ask the Department to make a request to Byw'n Iach Company for user data;

To request that the department seeks funding and wider support for the Caernarfon Food Festival and to show more clearly in the report that there is funding for social enterprises.

The report was submitted by the Cabinet Member, noting that it had been a very busy period for the department, with one grant cycle coming to an end whilst another was starting. It was highlighted that the department had 4 priority schemes in the Council Plan, three in the A Prosperous Gwynedd section and one as part of the A Caring Gwynedd programme. It was noted that good progress had been made against the milestones, but the risk common for the four was uncertainty about the future of the budgets as they were funded by grant funding. 

Members were guided through the plans, giving them a taste of the ongoing work, drawing attention to fields such as the significant work made to complete expenditure of the ARFOR programme and the Shared Prosperity Fund projects. It was highlighted that there was 49% less funding available for Gwynedd and the counties of north Wales whilst looking at the Shared Prosperity Fund, but work to identify the 2025/26 priorities had already started.

In terms of the department's day-to-day work, it was highlighted that there was concern that the number of pupils receiving swimming lessons in leisure centres continued to reduce as well as the dredging challenges in Pwllheli Hafan and Harbour. It was noted that the customer satisfaction level was high in many fields in the department, namely the archives service, museums, the arts and the libraries service.

During the discussion, the following observations and questions were presented:- 

Attention was drawn to the reduction in the number of pupils receiving swimming lessons, highlighting that this was likely as a result of high transport costs to the centres. It was noted, although this was a problem seen in many rural areas, that the same picture was also seen in urban schools, specifically in deprived areas. It was asked for an analysis of swimming statistics to see the extent of the problem. In the discussion about swimming, it was also asked for an analysis of the users of Byw'n Iach leisure centres to see what the patterns were in terms of which areas used the facilities and in what areas. It was agreed to share the information with the members.

It was asked about the Growth Deal developments in north Wales, as it appeared that there was no progress. The department explained that many things were happening but there had been changes to various projects for many reasons. In terms of Gwynedd projects, it was noted that the Trawsfynydd project submitted by the Egino company back in 2019 had now been withdrawn as the site was not favoured by the Welsh Government for further nuclear developments. Although the Leader attempted to divert the funding to an alternative project, it was resolved that it would not be possible to do this with any withdrawn project and a principle was set that a new application would have to be submitted. Consequently, it was noted that a new application to develop a Science Park on the site was  ...  view the full minutes text for item 9.

To report to the Scrutiny Committee on the performance of the Finance Department.

•           To accept the report and to note the observations. 

•           To accept that a Council Tax Premium Exemption Policy needs to be drawn up

•           That consideration needs to be given to whether there is a role for the Scrutiny Committee in the creation of the policy

•           To ask the Finance Department to share data in relation to Council Tax prosecutions with members.

The report was submitted by the Cabinet Member, noting that the purpose of the report was to provide an update on the field. It was expressed that the department was leading on 2 priorities in the Council Plan - Managing the Impact of National Budgetary Cuts and the Digital Plan. It was reported that progress was seen on both plans.

It was noted, in terms of measuring the whole department's performance, that 12% reported amber, which had received further attention as part of the measuring performance discussions, and 12% reported red, which was a cause for concern being updated regularly, reviewing whether there was a need to present a new measure.

Attention was drawn to those measuring as red. In terms of the Income Service, it was highlighted that the balance of the value of various debts over 6 months was almost £2m. It was expressed that a comprehensive review of the situation of old debts, as well as the implementation processes continued.

In the Taxation Service where the other two measures reported red, it was noted that the Ffordd Gwynedd review was being held to strengthen recovery arrangements, as the collection rates for Council Tax and Non-domestic Rates were lower than what they had been historically. It was explained that the reduction in the collection rates was also partly due to the high number of self-catering holiday units that did not reach the criteria of 182 days for Business Rates transferred back to Council Tax during the second half of the year and they had been backdated and therefore a high percentage remained unpaid by the end of March 2025.

During the discussion, the following observations were made: 

Many observations were received about the reduction in Council tax collection as a result of many houses changing to become holiday units paying non-domestic taxes and the impact of not reaching the threshold of the number of days to let a holiday accommodation under the new rules. The Head of Department noted that this was as a result of decisions by the District Valuer's Office which had been backdated and presented late in the financial year. It was noted that there had been a lack of communication which meant huge bills for individuals as a result of the premium and the department was aware of the mental anguish that this had created.

Committee Members noted the need for an Exempt Policy as this had an impact on many residents and enterprises within the county which highlighted an unfair situation. It was expressed that it had to be created to refine the exemption to provide a level of fairness and to have a level of flexibility in the tax bills sent out. The department responded, noting that it was a very complex situation, but the department was working to submit a policy and guidance in the autumn, but tax collection was essential to fund services. It was explained that the department needed to be careful as individuals could use it as a  ...  view the full minutes text for item 10.

To report to the Scrutiny Committee on the performance of the Corporate and Legal Services Departments.

·       To accept the report and to note the observations.

·       To welcome that a detailed work programme is being drawn up to address the recommendations of the Information Commissioner's Office following an audit of the Council's arrangements in relation to freedom of information requests

·       That the Committee receive an update on the Customer Care Plan as it develops

·       That Heads of Department need to be encouraged to respond to the annual questionnaire from the Legal Service

·       To request that the Scrutiny Committee receive information about prosecutions relating to pupil absences.

The report was submitted by the Cabinet Member, noting that she was going to start with the Corporate Services. It was expressed that it was good to report that there had been significant progress in the Council's strategic priorities, and that many successes were seen in the quantitative performances. It was noted that some challenges continued in fields such as occupational health, staff sickness and contracting promptly.

It was highlighted that there had been an increase in the procurement field, with an increase of 1% in the Council's use of local companies bringing the percentage to 59%. It was noted that work had been done in the employment field, but it was highlighted that the jobs matrix was now to be completed in 2025/26, but it was highlighted that a general staff training framework was now underway.

In the equality field, it was noted that a staff equality forum had been established, and work was being done to the Council's website to ensure that it was accessible. It was further highlighted that autism and neurodiversity training was available to staff.

Progress in the Women in Leadership plan was highlighted, with 45% of the individuals now having moved to senior positions, and it was noted that the development programmes and teatime chats for staff were continuing, as well as launching a new brand for the project.

The Legal Service was then discussed, highlighting that there were 4 teams - Legal, propriety of elections and registration and support for the coroner’s service. It was highlighted that the officers receiving the service were satisfied or very satisfied with the service and an annual report from the heads of department reported positive results. It was explained that the department's staffing situation was now healthy, and locums were no longer used.

Attention was drawn to the fact that the propriety team had held training on the code of conduct for members, and that many members had still not completed it which was a matter that arose often in the Standards Committee. 

Staff from both departments were thanked for their work.

During the discussion, the following observations were made: 

It was highlighted that many projects had slipped from this year to the following year, and it was asked whether this was as a result of a shortage of staff to complete the work. It was noted that the shortage of staff was not the problem but workloads could be heavy and, as a result, it was difficult to complete them without the impact on day-to-day work. The key job matrix was highlighted as an example, noting that many complications had come up, but work on the plan had restarted with a higher staff capacity in place to finish the work.

It was expressed that many measures had been highlighted red, it was asked whether this caused concern. In response, it was noted that many were red as a result of the high challenge that the department gave in terms of measures. However, it was noted that  ...  view the full minutes text for item 11.