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The Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee was due to consider five items on 8 October 2026: progress on the Response Plan to Our Bravery Brought Justice, the Youth Service's five-year strategy, the draft Gwynedd Culture Plan, an amended work programme, and two members to attend performance challenge meetings. No minutes have been published, so this summary sets out what the reports propose, not what the committee decided.
The Committee reviewed the Finance Department's performance, looked at town centre regeneration, and considered a councillor-led review of safeguarding in schools. Members approved the safeguarding report and asked for an update on its 22 recommendations in about six months. They also adopted the Committee's work programme for 2026/27.
It supported a whistleblowing policy for councillors, asked for changes to the draft Education Transport Policy to be considered, and accepted three performance reports. The minute on education transport asks the Cabinet to pay particular attention to the Empty Seats Scheme.
The Committee scrutinised two reports: progress on the North Wales Growth Deal, a regional investment programme, and whether Gwynedd should introduce a visitor levy. The minute records no decision on the Growth Deal. On the visitor levy, the Committee accepted the report and made recommendations to the Cabinet Member, including on how any income would be spent.
On 19 January 2026 the Education and Economy Scrutiny Committee considered the revised Response Plan to the Our Bravery Brought Justice report, the Child Practice Review into offences at Ysgol Friars. The Committee accepted and noted the report and work programme, asked for an update in six months, and recommended a list of points to the Cabinet.
The committee discussed the draft Schools Strategy 2026-2036, and performance reports from the Education, Economy and Community, and Finance departments. It welcomed the draft schools strategy and asked for more detail on several topics, and it accepted the three performance reports. It also asked the Economy and Community Department to set up a group on the challenges facing farming.
The committee considered the draft Gwynedd economy strategy, the Immersion Education System, the draft Procurement Strategy, a Corporate and Legal performance report and its forward work programme. It accepted the economy strategy and the immersion report, asking for a clearer review structure and further lobbying for immersion funding. It accepted the procurement and performance reports and adopted its 2025/26 work programme.
The committee elected Councillor Cai Larsen as chair and Councillor Rhys Tudur as vice-chair for 2025/26. It noted suggested changes to the draft Education Language Policy from a task and finish group, but members did not agree on all of them, and the Cabinet Member for Education was asked to consider their comments.
The committee scrutinised three reports: the Youth Service, additional learning needs (ALN) in mainstream and special schools, and the draft Education Language Policy. On the first two items it accepted the reports and noted members' observations, and made recommendations to the Cabinet Member for Education. On the language policy, members noted the draft and welcomed its move to public consultation, and asked the Scrutiny Forum to set up a task and finish group, a small group that looks at a topic in detail.
The committee considered progress on a new Gwynedd Economy Plan, the new Education Language Policy, the evaluation of the Immersion Education System, and a brief for a safeguarding investigation in schools. It also adopted the safeguarding brief and elected members, including one co-opted member, to carry out the investigation.
The committee considered reports on school revenue budgets and education transport, and it adopted a revised work programme for 2024/25. On school budgets it accepted the report and asked for data on pupil numbers for each school and updates on the Education Strategy. On transport it asked the Cabinet Member to contact the Welsh Government about a free travel pass for 16 to 21 year olds.
The committee elected Councillor Rhys Tudur as Vice-chair and accepted three progress reports on education and staff well-being. It also elected five members to attend a session on the council's Education Language Policy.
The committee elected a new Chair and deferred the choice of Vice-chair because no one was nominated. It accepted reports on the GwE school improvement service, the future of school support, safeguarding in schools and the Gwynedd and Eryri Sustainable Visitor Economy Plan, and agreed its work programme for 2024-25.
The committee scrutinised the third-quarter report on the North Wales Growth Deal, a long-term regional investment plan. It also received a progress report on recommendations from its investigation into Category 3 secondary schools, and an update on the free school meals scheme for primary pupils. The committee accepted all three reports and noted members' observations.
On 25 January 2024 the committee considered reports on the economy, equality, education, the regional school improvement service GwE and post-16 education. It accepted four of the reports and noted members' observations, but the minute records no decision on the Education Annual Report 2022-23.
The scrutiny committee, which checks the council's work, considered the Estyn inspection report on education services, the performance of the Byw'n Iach leisure company, and beach management in Gwynedd. It agreed to write to the Health Minister about exercise referral funding and to receive a progress report on the Estyn recommendations in nine months. It also elected two reserve members to an autism task group and asked two councillors to apply for dispensations to join it.
The committee scrutinised four reports: the draft Digital Plan, the final report of its investigation into Welsh-medium teaching in Gwynedd's category 3 secondary schools, the draft Education Strategy to 2032, and pupils' attendance and behaviour. It approved the investigation report and accepted the other three reports, noting members' observations on each. It also agreed an amended work programme, which adds a review of the Estyn inspection report (Estyn is the education inspectorate) on 9 November 2023.
It accepted reports on regional emergency planning and Gwynedd town centres, noting members' observations, and adopted its work programme. It also nominated Councillor Cai Larsen to attend two performance challenge meetings.
The committee considered three reports: the North Wales Growth Deal quarter 3 performance report, a new vision for Welsh immersion education in Gwynedd, and workforce planning. It accepted all three reports and noted the observations made by members. It also nominated Councillor Paul Rowlinson to attend the Finance Department's performance challenge meetings.
The committee considered the draft Gwynedd and Eryri Sustainable Visitor Economy Strategic Plan 2035, which the council and Eryri National Park Authority are developing to guide tourism. It recommended that the plan's vision be considered for amendment, and asked that its comments go to the Cabinet. It also adopted a brief for a scrutiny investigation into Welsh-medium provision in three secondary schools and elected five councillors to carry it out.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.
The minutes are published. No summary has been written yet.