Concise Minutes - Children, Young People, and Education Committee

Meeting Venue:

Hybrid - Committee room 4 Tŷ Hywel and video conference via Zoom
Meeting date: Thursday, 27 November 2025

Meeting time: 09.30 - 12.37
This meeting can be viewed
on Senedd TV at:
http://senedd.tv/en/15411

Hybrid

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Attendance

Category	Names
Members of the Senedd:	Buffy Williams MS (Chair) Natasha Asghar MS Cefin Campbell MS Russell George MS Vaughan Gething MS Carolyn Thomas MS
Witnesses:	Lynne Neagle MS, Cabinet Secretary for Education Vikki Howells MS, Minister for Further and Higher Education Georgina Haarhoff, Welsh Government Ruth Meadows, Welsh Government Emyr Harries, Welsh Government Claire Bushell, Claire Bushell, Welsh Government
Committee Staff:	Naomi Stocks (Clerk) Leah Whitty (Second Clerk) Sarah Bartlett (Deputy Clerk) Michael Dauncey (Researcher) Thomas Morris (Researcher)

<AI1>

1 Introductions, apologies, substitutions and declarations of interest

1.1 The Chair welcomed Members to the meeting of the Children, Young People and Education Committee.

1.2 The Minister for Further and Higher Education declared that a close family member is studying at Swansea University.

</AI1>

<AI2>

2 Welsh Government Draft Budget 2026-27 - evidence session

2.1 The Committee scrutinised the Cabinet Secretary for Education and the Minister for Further and Higher Education on the draft budget.

2.2 The Welsh Government agreed to provide a note on the following: 

- the changes to the Welsh in Education Budget Expenditure Line.

- learner participation and outcome data in the Seren programme.

- the wider pressures that are facing the higher education sector.

- the revenue savings for net-zero carbon schools.

- When available, share with the Committee the latest evaluation of the Taith programme.

</AI2>

<AI3>

3 Papers to note

The papers were noted.

</AI3>

<AI4>

3.1 Health and social care workforce

</AI4>

<AI5>

3.2 Teacher recruitment and retention

</AI5>

<AI6>

3.3 Information from Stakeholders

The Committee agreed to write back to the Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing for some further information.

</AI6>

<AI7>

3.4 Welsh Government Draft Budget 2026-27

</AI7>

<AI8>

3.5 Scrutiny of the Children's Commissioner for Wales Annual Report

</AI8>

<AI9>

3.6 Inter-Institutional Relations Agreement

</AI9>

<AI10>

4 Motion under Standing Order 17.42(ix) to resolve to exclude the public from the remainder of this meeting and for the whole meeting on 4 December

4.1 The motion was agreed.

</AI10>

<AI11>

5 Welsh Government Draft Budget 2026-27 - consideration of the evidence

5.1 The Committee considered the evidence it had heard in the previous session. A draft report would be considered at next week's meeting.

</AI11>

<AI12>

6 Teacher recruitment and retention - consideration of the draft report

6.1 The Committee considered the draft report. It would be considered again at the meeting on 17^th December.

</AI12>

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