Minister unveils new measures to deliver 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050

5 Aug 2019 02:27 PM

The next steps on the journey to 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050 will be announced by the Welsh Government’s Minister for the Welsh Language, Eluned Morgan during her visit to the National Eisteddfod in Llanrwst yesterday.

In July the National Assembly’s Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee published a report following its inquiry into ‘Supporting and Promoting the Welsh Language’ and provided recommendations as to the next steps. 

The Minister has welcomed the report and will be publishing the Welsh Government’s response shortly.

The Minister is announcing that the Welsh Government will provide a new focus on efforts to deliver the Welsh Government’s Cymraeg 2050 strategy. Funding has been agreed to employ experts to lead and advise Prosiect 2050, a new multi-disciplinary unit which will work with partners across Wales and beyond to help deliver our goals together. 

Prosiect 2050 will be tasked with:

• co-ordinating the planning for our route to a million speakers, from early years through Welsh-medium statutory education provision to post-compulsory education to Welsh for adults;
• doubling the use of Welsh by creating new initiatives, and evaluating current initiatives; and
• supporting policy areas across the Welsh Government to contribute to the maintenance of our Welsh-speaking communities and to the increased use of Welsh, in alignment with Cymraeg 2050.

The Minister is also announcing that a new Memorandum of Understanding between the Welsh Government and the Welsh Language Commissioner has been agreed. The Memorandum clarifies the relationship between both organisations, and their responsibilities in working towards Cymraeg 2050. 

In addition, new Welsh language standards regulations for two new sectors - water companies and healthcare regulators - are being developed.

Eluned Morgan said:

We have a bold and exciting programme for our country to ensure that by 2050 we reach 1 million Welsh speakers. As a government we are committed to this and I am delighted that there has been so much support from across the board for this exciting ambition. 

The new measures I’m announcing will help us achieve our ambitious target. They build on the programmes and initiatives we already have in place.

I am committed to see an increase in the use of Welsh language services. I am therefore delighted that Aled Roberts and I have agreed a memorandum of understanding to provide clarity about who leads on different strands of work aimed at increasing the use of Welsh and delivering the Cymraeg 2050 strategy. By taking just this simple step forward we will together achieve more.

I also want to provide greater focus and rigour in language planning, promotion and behaviour change both within Government and externally. Prosiect 2050 will benefit from enhanced language planning expertise and provide me with assurance that we are on the right track to reaching a million speakers by 2050, to double the daily use of Welsh and to maintain Welsh-speaking communities. 

We are committed to delivering rights in relation to Welsh language services so I am pleased to announce that new standards regulations for water companies and healthcare regulators are being developed.

This is the next step on the journey for Cymraeg 2050 which will result in one million Welsh speakers just as long as we, the people who love the language, work together to share our love and passion with the rest of the country.”  

Supporting and Promoting the Welsh Language