Diolch, Lywydd. Thank you for your statement, Minister, and your earlier written statement. All of us in this Chamber wish to see the Welsh language survive and thrive.

Rwy’n dysgu Cymraeg.

To say that it won’t be an easy task to reach a million Welsh speakers by 2050 is an understatement. Annual population survey estimates show that, over the fourth Assembly, the percentage of people who say they can speak Welsh actually fell, so we have an uphill battle ahead. I look forward to your strategy for the next five years, when you publish it over the summer. We also look forward to seeing your proposed amendments to the Welsh language Measure. However, if we are to increase the numbers of Welsh speakers, sometimes it’s not strategies or even legislation that we need, important as they both are, but improvements to Welsh language education and access to learning, and we need to give people the confidence in learning our language.

I note that you will be refining the guidance on the preparation of Welsh in education strategic plans. This is also welcome, Minister, but many of us would like to see the Welsh in education strategic plans strengthened. Do you have any plans to legislate to put Welsh in education strategic plans on a firmer footing? Minister, you mentioned the new curriculum and how it will include one continuum of learning for the Welsh language but nothing about how the language is actually taught. Many young people are put off learning Welsh because of poor teaching practices. What is your Government doing to improve the delivery of Welsh language teaching?

With regard to adult learning, while we welcome the creation of the National Centre for Learning Welsh, what is your Government doing to ensure language courses are available in all areas of Wales given the pressures on our further education sector and cuts to the Welsh for adults programme?

Finally, Minister, you talk about working with your partners to help the private sector offer more bilingual services. It is vital that we take the private sector along with us. What will the Welsh Government be doing to make it easier for the private sector to offer Welsh language services? Thank you very much—diolch yn fawr.