Agenda item

To consider any questions the appropriate notice for which have been given under Section 4.18 of the Constitution.

 

 

(The Cabinet Members' written responses to the questions had been published in advance.)

 

(1)          Question from Councillor Gruffydd Williams

 

"Following the announcement that Barclays will close more of its branches including Pwllheli, may I ask why the Council has not considered threatening to change banks because the Council banks with Barclays?  Were the Council to threaten to move to another bank and also ask other county councils to follow suit, it could be possible to persuade them not to close branches."

 

Response - Cabinet Member for Finance, Councillor Ioan Thomas

 

"I believe that it is true to say that each one of us is saddened when a bank branch is closes, but the number of visitors and users of these banks have reduced significantly. The Which company notes that 5,838 branches have closed since 2015. This is an average of 54 branches closing every month since 2015, and far more than 300 branches have closed in Wales since 2015.

 

The Council does not have an account with a specific branch of Barclays bank, it has a corporate agreement instead, and the agreement is in place until September of next year.  It will begin to negotiate for agreements and of course, other banks will be welcome to submit a price for their service to the Council.  However, I must note that only a very small number of banks deal with councils and authorities such as Gwynedd, and therefore it is possible that not many will apply for it, but this process will begin at the beginning of the year."

 

(2) Question from Councillor Dewi Jones

 

"What steps will Cyngor Gwynedd take following the publishing in August of the Bevan Foundation’s report on poverty in Arfon?"

 

Response - The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for the Economy, Councillor Nia Jeffreys

 

"Thank you to the member and his fellow councillors for the work you do in Arfon from day to day.  I share the member's passion on this subject, and I also know that the Leader of the Council and every Cabinet Member also appreciate the importance of this subject. We have prioritised this work. We have invested in the work and it is taking place across all departments of the Council. The solutions for this are not always apparent, for example, the Finance Department, and I wish to thank them in particular for their innovative work in this field. Thank you again for raising the question and highlighting this matter at the Full Council. If any councillors have suggestions on what we could do in the field, please contact me, because, otherwise, why are we here as councillors or officers, if we cannot help the most vulnerable people in our society in Gwynedd?"

 

Supplementary Question from Councillor Dewi Jones

 

"At the brink of what will be another difficult winter for many, does the Deputy Leader agree with me that austerity has been a complete failure and that the British Government is guilty of driving some of the most vulnerable people in society deeper into poverty?"

 

Response - The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for the Economy, Councillor Nia Jeffreys

 

"Yes, I agree 100%.  I have recently learned a new term from my friend and fellow Cabinet member, Councillor Craig ab Iago, namely 'compensatory measures'.  We know of all the hard work councillors, officers, volunteers and the third sector do to support neighbours and vulnerable people with pride in their communities, but what we are really doing in this situation is stepping in, stepping into a gap that has been created elsewhere.  We are able to iron out a bit of the sharp edges that affect people, despite the cuts that we have been facing in Cyngor Gwynedd year after year, and I have to say for another year again.  But the decisions affecting people in terms of their tax etc. are made very far away from Gwynedd, in fact, very far from Wales, by the Tory party in Westminster.  They are the ones who determine benefit payment levels, they are the ones who determine things such as the 'bedroom tax' and also the despicable rule about the third child - decisions that have a real impact on the people of Wales and Gwynedd, by a party, by the way, that has never won a majority of votes in Wales.  I'm sure that this is an argument for another day, but I would like to confirm that the member and I are on the same page."

 

(3) Question from Councillor Louise Hughes

 

"Everyone accepts the 20mya restriction in front of schools and in densely populated areas. However, given the public outcry and the unprecedented numbers signing the
online petition to the Senedd, the confusion over signage etc. and bearing in mind people who use their vehicles for work (care workers, the emergency services, delivery drivers, postal workers, buses etc), are we as a Council happy with the new legislation and will we be using the discretion afforded to individual Local Authorities to exempt the 20mph limit
in specified areas?”

 

Response - Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Dafydd Meurig

 

"In terms of the first part of the question, I am satisfied with the legislation, and it is a Plaid Cymru policy to support the legislation in Senedd Cymru.  In terms of the second part regarding the use of discretion, we as a Council have used the discretion to make exceptions, and I am taking this opportunity to praise Cyngor Gwynedd officers who have done excellent work in identifying which zones should be exempt from going from 30mph to 20mph.  There are 85 exemptions here in Gwynedd.  We have all as members had an opportunity to scrutinse them.  Back in March/April we received a list of them and a map asking for our opinion, and this morning as it happens, there was an article in the Daily Post praising Gwynedd for the way it has dealt with the exemptions.  There are more exemptions in Gwynedd than there are in the remainder of Welsh counties put together, therefore I'm very satisfied with how we have dealt with this matter."

 

Supplementary Question by Councillor Louise Hughes

 

"Will it be possible for local community councils to petition the Transport Department to change speed restrictions?"

 

Response - Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Dafydd Meurig

 

"Anyone can write to me or the officers if they are unhappy with any part of the network, and if there is a case for change, the change will be made.  Contact us if you think we have got it wrong somewhere."

 

(4)      Question from Councillor Rhys Tudur

 

"To what extent does the Authority and the Schools monitor the success of immersion for us to know how many children go on to study at least half of their subjects through the medium of Welsh after they have attended an Immersion Centre?"

 

Response - Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Beca Brown

 

"There is continuous monitoring of the immersion system, from the initial baseline assessment to the formative assessments to support learners from day to day - individual learners  - ending with the summative assessments.  The details of how exactly this is done are included in the written response you have read; therefore I will not go into too much detail.

 

Individual reports are made to the mainstream school, and the successes and general position of the immersion system are reported to me every term as part of the Department's performance challenging process, where I have the opportunity to question and challenge as needed.  I feel that very detailed discussions take place there which considers every nook and cranny of the immersion service.

 

After the children transfer to their mainstream school, it is then the school's responsibility to continue to track along the language continuum, as part of assessment arrangements.  The immersion system tracks the progress of latecomers who have attended immersion centres, and who follow Welsh First and Second Language GCSE courses. The Authority collects data regarding the number of Key Stage 4 learners who follow 5 GCSE subjects or more, through the medium of Welsh.  It is the responsibility of the schools to track the language paths of individual learners, including the children who are latecomers, and who follow at least half of their subjects through the medium of Welsh.

 

As some of you know, Estyn has been inspecting the Department very recently, and in their report, they note that the provision in the secondary schools for learners to sit exams through the medium of Welsh is a reflection of the Authority's policy and vision to develop bilingual learners.  The extract from the Estyn report is in the written response, a report which, coincidentally, was very positive about our Welsh provision.

 

I wish to thank the immersion system for the incredible work they do because it is truly incredible, and I'm very pleased that the high standard of this work is reflected fairly in Estyn's report.  I would like to thank everyone involved in the service, including the children, for the outstanding work and the excellent process being made, which is a credit to everyone involved."

 

Supplementary Question from Councillor Rhys Tudur

 

"Is it not true then that the Authority does not know how many children have even gone through a period of early immersion and who then go on to follow a proportion of their education through the medium of Welsh?  Is it true that the Authority does not know the statistics for this?”

 

Response – Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Beca Brown

 

“I have just explained in terms of how the data is being gathered by the system, by the Authority and at the schools. There is detailed monitoring of those children and where they reach in terms of their education. I have been at performance challenging meetings where there is detailed data for every child and I have been able to delve down – a 'deep dive' if you will, to the situation of individual children on their journey through the system. Therefore I feel that a very close eye is kept on these children in terms of them as individuals, and which is reported back to me also.

 

It is obviously important that the children ultimately follow as many of their subjects and exams through the medium of Welsh as they can. As a child of non-Welsh speaking parents myself, I feel that the most important thing in terms of immersing someone in Welsh (not that I went through immersion myself) is that someone is able to attend their school, join in conversations on the yard with peers through the medium of Welsh i.e. that they can join in all the cultural opportunities that are available to children. Of course, it is terribly important that children are able to reach their potential to follow as many subjects as possible through the medium of Welsh, but I would argue there is so much more to immersion than this.”

 

(5) A question from Councillor Delyth Lloyd Griffiths

 

"Electors in my ward have raised the matter of under-occupancy in the social sector recently.

 

A high number of individuals are living in social housing in villages where there are only a small number of social housing left.

 

What are the Council and the Housing Associations doing to assist individuals who are under occupying homes in the social sector to move to homes that are suitable for them?

 

 

Is it possible for the Council and Housing Associations to identify the need in Gwynedd?

 

By identifying the need, is there a way of establishing or improving the existing service that is available for residents who are eager to move to a new home?

 

We ask the Council to work with all Housing Associations to identify the practical support that is available for individuals who are eager to move house but who need practical support with the process of moving."

 

Response from the Leader, Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn, in the absence of the Cabinet Member for Housing, Councillor Craig ab Iago

 

"The Service is of course aware that under-occupancy can be a barrier for some individuals and families, and consequently there are already arrangements and processes in place in the Common Housing Allocation Policy that facilitate arrangements for housing associations where individuals and families wish to move due to under-occupancy matters, and there is reference to the common Housing Policy in the written response.

 

We are prepared to raise the points the Member has noted with the housing associations at the Housing Partnership Board, where there will be an opportunity to discuss existing arrangements and to research the cases of under-occupancy to identify specific opportunities to offer additional support."

 

Supplementary Question by Councillor Delyth Lloyd Griffiths

 

"Will the Council allocate staff time to collect the data, and also to ensure that every association provides an equal service to everyone in Gwynedd?"

 

Response - The Leader, Councillor Dyfrig Siencyn

 

"I can confirm that the service will provide the resources needed to address this question and there is regular dialogue between the Service and all of the housing associations through the Housing Partnership Board."

 

(6)     Question from Councillor Angela Russell

 

"On behalf of the Independent Group, I would like to know what process the Council followed in reaching a decision to correspond with Gwynedd residents on Article 4. We as members feel that we have been left in the dark, especially when the consultation was held over the summer period, and that this will not be a true representation."

 

Response - Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Dafydd Meurig

 

"To be perfectly honest, I do not accept that the Independent Group have been left in the dark.  There have been regular bulletins to members, and as soon as the Cabinet made its decision to consult on the Article 4 Direction, an awareness raising session was held for all Council members. I think I'm right to say, of the 23 independent members on the Council, that 13 of them were present, further, of the 10 who were not there, 4 of them are members of the Communities Scrutiny Committee, and Article 4 has been submitted to that committee twice. I accept that not everyone is able to attend these things for a variety of personal reasons, holidays and that type of thing, but that engagement session was recorded and members have been reminded on several occasions that the recording exists so that they can familiarise themselves with Article 4. Therefore, no, I do not accept that the Independent Group have been left in the dark."

 

Supplementary Question by Councillor Angela Russell

 

"As you refused a public meeting, what methods, apart from a written response, has Cyngor Gwynedd offered older people, underprivileged people, people who are not on the internet?  Have we done everything to satisfy the Equality Act, and when did the Council consult with the mortgage lenders etc. in all of this?  How do 10 Plaid Cymru members on the Cabinet get to make a far-reaching decision for us in Pen Llŷn when there are 69 of us councillors?  And why has this not come before the Full Council?

 

Response - Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Dafydd Meurig

 

"Legislation from Cardiff determines how the Council makes its decisions. In terms of the other matters, I think that the responses to these questions are all included in the written response."

 

(7) Question from Councillor Richard Glyn Roberts

 

"To what extent has the failure to inspect and enforce planning conditions that restrict the operational periods of touring caravan sites and the period a caravan can be kept on a pitch lead to an increase in permanent and continuous use?"

 

Response - Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Dafydd Meurig

 

"This is a specific question, and I do not know whether there is a particular matter in the ward that is behind this, but I refer the member to the written response. Of course, one important thing to say is that the Council does not have teams of people going around making sure that everyone adheres to planning rules. That responsibility lies with those who make the applications and who obtain planning permission, of course.  It should also be noted that enforcement powers are discretionary and that we do this by issuing enforcement notices, where there is robust evidence to justify this. Of course, local intelligence which is usually what brings planning breaches to the officers' attention."

 

Supplementary Question from Councillor Richard Glyn Roberts

 

"To what extent have priorities and processes within the Department been amended to target the matter after the matter was raised 4-5 years ago by Aled Evans, the former councillor for Llanystumdwy ward?"

 

Response - Cabinet Member for the Environment, Councillor Dafydd Meurig

 

"I have no information about any specific cases here, therefore you are welcome to send this to me, or to the planning officers. You can do this any time. There is no need to wait until the Full Council to do this."

 

(8) Question from Councillor Jina Gwyrfai

 

"Non Welsh-speaking children who are immersed in the language Centres spend one day a week back at their schools, to maintain contact with the teachers and children. The likelihood is that they are still using English to play and communicate.  Is the Education Department assessing the impact this is having on the language use of the remainder of the children, and on the schools' Welsh ethos?"

 

Response - Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Beca Brown

 

"Ensuring continuous contact with the mainstream school is a key element I think of ensuring the well-being of the children who are latecomers to the county, in addition to being a means for them to immerse naturally in the company of their peers and teachers, which is what we are all aiming towards, of course. The children are prepared for these bridging days by practising specific language patterns and simple questions and answers that they can take with them to their mainstream schools to practise their Welsh. This is extended from week to week as they develop skills and confidence, etc., and a member of staff is provided for the children on their immersion days to support and encourage them, as speaking Welsh outside the safe environment of the centre is quite a challenge. It is then the school's responsibility to provide appropriately for every child, which includes any needs in terms of the Welsh language, both formal and informal, and support for the immersion system continues for them in that sense.  If I may quote Estyn again:-

 

"The use of the Welsh language in informal situations in primary and secondary
schools is encouraged appropriately through Welsh Language Charter activities.
  This contributes to improving pupils’ Welsh language skills and Welshness, in
addition to supporting cooperation between primary and secondary schools."

 

But as the immersion system in its new guise has only been operational for two terms, there is a willingness to hold an evaluation of the system to see exactly how the children procure Welsh and how they then immerse back at their schools, and how this impacts them and other children.  Of course, it is the well-being and potential of every child that is at the heart of what is being proposed and we will obviously wish to see every child reach their potential, and to feel happy and comfortable with what is happening. Then that is an important question, thank you"

 

Supplementary Question from Councillor Jina Gwyrfai

 

"When and how will this assessment work be done, should we include assessing the impact of the bridging day on all of the children?"

 

Response - Cabinet Member for Education, Councillor Beca Brown

 

"I certainly think there is a value in doing this.  In terms of Gwynedd Education Language Policy, of course, it has been divided into 4 parts - the medium of education, social use, recruitment and appointing and administration and communication. Therefore, we are taking about the social element here, which is crucial I believe, and that that where it should be done, in my opinion.

 

The schools are expected to develop a positive attitude towards the Welsh language and to generate pride amongst all the children. I think that the Ein Llais Ni project has made an important contribution. The Language Charter training is also a key factor and £96,000 has come from the Welsh Language Grant for catchment-area projects, and training is a core element of these grant conditions. 

 

Out of interest, I would like to give you a taste of the activities that happen in our schools with a view to raising awareness and pride in their Welshness, because I think that it is interesting and heartening to hear about it to be honest. This is a snapshot of the type of activities that take place:-

 

·                Drama workshops with the author Mared Llywelyn on local fables, gathering and using local place-names and then rapping them with Ed Holden;

·                Work with the Urdd to teach Welsh language school yard games;

·                Ignite Welshness - raise awareness of Welsh bands, such as Bwncath, etc.;

·                World Cup theme - commentate with Meilir Emrys; create an anthem with Elidyr Glyn;

·                Training for assistants in the catchment-area to develop the use of informal language by introducing activities on the school yard;

·                A presentation on Welshness by Ameer Davies-Rana to inspire learners and staff;

·                Creative workshops with Osian and Branwen Candelas;

·                Clog dancing fitness with Tudur Phillips;

·                Singing workshops with Catrin Toffoc;

·                Pod-cast creation workshops, football commentating with Marci G;

·                Working with Cwmni'r Frân Wen, Hunaniaith, Menter Iaith Bangor, Ein Llais Ni;

·                Train sixth form pupils to lead walks under the guidance of Rhys Mwyn by educating them about the history of their area and encouraging them to enjoy their own square mile.

 

I love seeing these school yard language elements, and as I was saying in response to Councillor Rhys Tudur's question, what I would like to see is immersion children being able to be part of a large group of local children on the yard, and the language does not have to change for their benefit, and I think that this is what's crucial. I did not follow all my GCSE subjects through the medium of Welsh, but I was able to make friends with Welsh children, go to Glan-llyn and attend Welsh gigs. Therefore, I think that the social element is crucial, and I loved seeing everything that is happening. I hope that this gives people a sense of the excellent work that is happening in our schools and we would like to thank the schools again for all the work they do in terms of supporting the Welshness of every child, the latecomers and the indigenous children."