National Assembly for Wales

Education materials and publications featured on the Senedd estate must be age-appropriate, politically neutral and relevant to the Senedd. They range from explaining the history of devolution to helping the public understand what the Senedd does, who their Members are and their constituencies. The Senedd Commission is firmly committed to advancing diversity and inclusion, ensuring that the Senedd is welcoming, accessible and representative of the people of Wales.

Exhibitions in the Senedd reflect current debates and act as a starting point for conversations about life in Wales, Welsh democracy and the work of the Senedd. They must meet certain criteria. This can be reflecting the Senedd's responsibilities, showcasing the cultural heritage of Wales, or to reinforce the Senedd's identity as a visitor attraction. Every exhibition must be sponsored by a Member of the Senedd or obtain permission from the Senedd Commission.

Digital signs in the Senedd, alongside Senedd staff, remind visitors that children must be supervised at all times.  

Throughout the building, installations including constituency maps, a devolution timeline and a range of booklets on the Senedd's work are available to the public. Booklets are also available for younger audiences to take part in three themed trails.

The recent Your Senedd, Your Vote exhibition explained the changes to the Senedd ahead of the election, and the Your Voice exhibition highlighted how individuals and communities had influenced change through the Senedd in recent years.

In the last year, over 5,500 people took part in tours of the Senedd, which are delivered daily, tailored to different interests and knowledge levels to provide context to the role and responsibilities of the Senedd and its Members. Our feedback shows that 98 per cent reported an increase in their understanding having taken part in a tour.

Our education team also regularly hold education sessions with schools from across Wales on the Senedd estate.

The Commission is testing generative AI through Microsoft Copilot, with Members receiving licences as part of their ICT allocation. The Commission has offered guidance, training and support for Members and their staff on how to get the most out of AI.

We are developing the business case for wider, longer term deployment and exploring the benefits of agentic AI. Alongside this, automation, AI-assisted transcription, broadcasting and digital parliamentary services are being continually developed to reduce administrative effort and improve services to Members.

It's good to see a few questions today about community engagement, as this is something I am keen we continue to strengthen in this Senedd term. In the last year, the education and youth engagement team has delivered 19 outreach sessions in schools, colleges and youth groups, involving over 1,900 young people from the Member’s constituency. A further 13 inbound sessions have been delivered at the Senedd with groups from the area, which has seen 364 young people taking part in education sessions in Cardiff Bay. The team has sessions booked with Ysgol Panteg and Torfaen junior youth forum over the coming weeks.

The citizen engagement team has also engaged people in the Member's constituency, taking part in focus groups to inform the work of Senedd committees inquiries into Cymraeg i bawb? and the Building Safety Bill.  

The Welsh Government is committed to delivering our manifesto pledge and, in the coming weeks, I will launch a consultation on a new policy relating to 11-132 kV lines. The evidence gathered through this consultation will inform an assessment of the potential impacts of the proposed policy.

Our priorities are to improve everyday journeys, tackle congestion and connect people to jobs and services. In Casnewydd Islwyn, that means acting on the M4, delivering the regional transport plan, investing through the regional transport fund, and improving rail, bus, walking and cycling links.

The south-east Wales investment zone and the south-east Wales AI growth zone are prime examples of how we continue to work with key partners, including Cardiff capital region and local authorities, on the infrastructure and skills needed to deliver economic growth to Casnewydd Islwyn and across the whole region.

The digital strategy for Wales will set out our ambition to grow digital and AI capabilities to support economic growth as well as drive public service transformation. We are also committed to developing a skills strategy for Wales to align skills provision and qualifications with current and future economic needs.

We recognise the impact of demographic changes across our system. Falling pupil numbers are a key consideration in school planning across Wales. The assessment of their local impact in Merthyr Tydfil is primarily a matter for the local authority, which is responsible for reviewing school provision and ensuring it remains sustainable and meets community needs.

No Welsh Government funding has been allocated to the proposed reorganisation of Catholic schools in Flintshire. The proposal is subject to an ongoing statutory consultation, and any award of Welsh Government funding would be subject to the outcome of this process and approval of any three-stage business case.

We are committed to supporting disabled learners to participate fully in school life and achieve their full potential. Schools should provide appropriate adjustments, support, equipment and teaching approaches to meet the needs of disabled learners, and have access to learning environments that allow them to achieve the best outcomes possible.

We know how important schools are to our rural communities. That is why our school organisation code includes special provisions for rural schools. Proposals to close them must follow a more detailed process.