COUNCILLORS in Gwent have called upon the Welsh Government to outline further funding for new Welsh medium schools.

In a Caerphilly County Borough Council full council meeting on Tuesday, members approved a new Welsh Language Strategy for 2017-2022.

However, while members backed plans laid out by Welsh Education minister Alun Davies AM, several councillors expressed the need for clarification by the Welsh Government to fund any future new Welsh Medium Primary Schools.

Councillor Philip Bevan, of the Morgan Jones ward, said: “Its a very comprehensive report, telling us exactly where we are with Welsh. In the past we have been catering for demand but now we have to chase the demand for Welsh speakers.

“What doesn’t come is the money. The three per cent increase it talks about is very good. We have been chased by the Assembly to do it and fair enough Alun Davies is asking for a million extra speakers and we support that, it tells us what we need to do, that we need a school in Bedwas, Trethomas, Machen and Risca but nowhere does it say how we are going to do it. Its impossible for us to do it without the money.”

While Caerphilly Council’s five year Welsh Language Strategy in line with Alun Davies’ plans is to introduce a target to increase the number of Welsh speakers within the borough by three per cent over the five year period, Cllr Bevan’s point about the finance to meet future goals was agreed by both the Plaid Cymru group leader Colin Mann and the council’s education representative Derek Harvard.

Cllr Bevan added: “The report is excellent except it doesn’t identify when we are going to build these schools which are required and there is a need in the Blackwood area.”

Interim chief executive Chris Burns added: “We have just come towards the end of our band A funding for 21st century schools and the authority will have spent in the last four years £54 million on new schools, our biggest investment that education has had in this area.

“The Welsh Government have only just indicated that there will be similar money available for this.”

A Welsh Government spokesman said: “The Government will evaluate Local Authorities Welsh in Education Strategic Plans (WESPS) over the coming months.

“The minister in charge has already declared he is ready to support strong plans or challenge any which are deemed inadequate.We will not make a comment on individual strategies until this process unfolds.”