First Minister Carwyn Jones has unveiled a plan to nearly double the number of Welsh speakers to one million by 2050, speaking at the National Eisteddfod in Abergavenny. The strategy focuses on key areas including the workplace, family, schools, and the planning process.
Alun Davies, the minister for the Welsh language, acknowledged the target was 'deliberately ambitious'. However, Plaid Cymru's Sian Gwenllian dismissed the announcement as 'another superficial stunt', while the Welsh language society Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg expressed concern that previous consultations had not been fully implemented.
The 2011 census showed a decline in Welsh speakers from 582,000 in 2001 to 562,000, roughly one in five of the population. Traditional Welsh-speaking communities are reportedly under threat from young people moving away for work and new housing developments attracting non-Welsh-speaking newcomers.
The Welsh Government's plan includes six key themes: planning to embed Welsh in everyday life; encouraging use and respect for the language; education from school to adult learning; passing the language on to children and using it at work; support through digital tools and media; and ensuring legal protections remain effective. A consultation has been launched to gather input.
Critics, including UKIP's Neil Hamilton and Welsh Conservatives' Suzy Davies, called for concrete action rather than further consultations. In response, Mr Jones stated that the target was new and that listening to experts was essential to achieving it.
