Cynulliad Cenedlaethol Cymru

I am committed to raising literacy standards for all our learners. We are investing £13.2 million over three years in evidence-based national programmes, guided by our literacy expert panel, to strengthen literacy teaching, assessment and support in schools across Wales.

We recognise the budget pressures and challenges faced by Caerphilly County Borough Council and other local authorities in recruiting and retaining teaching assistants, and the increasing demands being placed on our valued teaching assistant workforce. We are working with our social partners to tackle these issues.

We continue to work closely with local authorities to strengthen and improve educational attainment through sustained capital investment, effective delivery of the Curriculum for Wales, additional learning needs reform, and high-quality teaching. Targeted funding is supporting improved literacy, numeracy and learner attendance across Wales.

Following a review of the additional learning needs legislative framework in 2025, we are delivering on five priorities: clarity on who gets support and how; national consistency; better information and support for families; stronger multi‑agency integration; and a long-term vision for a bilingual, inclusive system.

'Future Wales: The National Plan to 2040' is our national development framework, setting the direction for development in Wales to 2040. The Welsh Government works with local authorities to ensure key investment decisions reflect our placemaking principles.

Since 2022, the Welsh Government’s optimised retrofit programme has invested £5 million in retrofitting social homes in Powys. Eligible low-income households can access free energy efficiency retrofits through our Nest scheme, and Green Homes Wales offers free assessments and interest-free loans to homeowners to invest in their own home upgrades.