Young people in Torfaen met assembly members at Cwmbran Centre for Young People. The National Assembly’s Scrutiny of the First Minister Committee spent an hour with young people before they grilled the First Minister.
Pupils from schools including Cwmbran High and Pontypool’s Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw joined youth organisations including the scouts for the informal session.
“The rights of children and young people are hard-wired into how laws and policies are made in Wales,” said Ann Jones AM, chair of the Committee for the Scrutiny of the First Minister.
Some of the experiences that the young people told the AMs about were used in the formal committee as part of questions to the First Minister, Carwyn Jones.
They said they were struggling to find work experience placements and felt it was unfair that older people had free bus passes whereas had to pay higher transport costs. Some were worried that Brexit may reduce their opportunities to study or work in Europe.
Mr Jones said: “No one said during the referendum campaign they wanted to restrict the ability of students to study elsewhere or go on exchanges.
“We should have the most sensible Brexit possible, and that means making sure young people have the same opportunities as before.”
Lynne Neagle, Torfaen AM, told the First Minister that one teenager said she was regularly paying £20 to get to Hereford to study. He said a consultation has been launched on Discounted bus travel for younger people in Wales (click the link to take part and share your views) and encouraged the young people in the room to take part.
Discounted Bus Travel for Younger People In Wales
Click here to get share your views on the consultation.The MyTravelPass scheme offers young people aged 16 to 18 a one-third discount on all bus journeys in Wales.
The Welsh Government is consulting on:
- which categories of journeys should be eligible for discounted travel
- whether the age of eligibility and size of discount should be changed
- alternative payment methods, including a fixed contribution per journey or a monthly/annual pass for free travel at the point of use.
