1. Will the First Minister make a statement on plans to increase the number of Welsh speakers in South Wales West? OAQ(5)0387(FM)

Our vision is to have 1 million Welsh speakers who use the language by 2050, and we have consulted on a draft strategy in order to achieve that.

Thank you very much for that response, First Minister. Of course, like the rest of the Chamber, I’m very pleased to support your ambitious objective of securing a million Welsh speakers by halfway through the century. That’s an increase of somewhere in the region of 400,000 Welsh speakers across Wales, or an average increase of 18,000 for each of our current counties. Of course, the education sector and its Welsh in education strategic plans are crucially important to this, and, in light of that, do you believe that enhancing the capacity of Welsh-medium primary schools by some 20 places over the next three years, as is suggested in the Bridgend WESP and in those of other councils in south-west West, is sufficient? Is that small number sufficient in order to reach your target and, if not, what will you do to ensure that local councils understand the crucially important role that they will play in supporting you in achieving your target?

Well, local authorities, of course, are duty bound to publish their strategic plans on supporting the Welsh language in schools, and they have to present those plans to us in order for us to approve them. If there is any scheme that is not adequate, then the Government will not approve it.

Would the First Minister acknowledge the continual importance of the Urdd eisteddfodau to the Welsh language, and would he therefore congratulate those people who organise these events and are fundraising for the Bridgend Urdd Eisteddfod in May and June of this year on the Pen-coed college site? This work is undertaken by many volunteers who help to maintain the language amongst our young people and in some of the communities where the Welsh language isn’t perhaps the first language. Of course, I’m sure you will be warmly welcomed in the Green Hall in Cefn Cribwr this Friday to enjoy the ‘twmpath dawns’, or the ceilidh, and to fundraise too.

Well, thank you very much. I hope to always receive a warm welcome in Cefn Cribwr, because, at one time, that village was in my constituency, before it was moved into yours. As one who has worked hard to raise funds for the Urdd Eisteddfod—I’ve organised with my wife two quiz nights in order to raise funds—I’m very supportive personally and, of course, I support everyone who supports the Urdd in the area in order to ensure that the eisteddfod is a great success this year and that there is further growth in the number of people using the Welsh language in the county.

At a recent meeting with Swansea council, officials suggested that their focus during this cycle of the WESPs would be on promoting the Welsh language. That is a step forward, but it doesn’t respond to demand. I got the impression from the cabinet member that she thought that the current vocalised demand for provision came from a specific section of Swansea society, and my belief that there should be at least one person with good Welsh language skills in each Flying Start scheme was met with some doubt. Do you believe that early access to both of our languages will enhance opportunities for children from more deprived backgrounds?

Well, yes, of course. We must ensure that there are more places available in nursery schools, but we must also ensure that children at nursery schools then remain in the Welsh stream as they enter primary and secondary schools in order to ensure that they don’t lose the language skills that they’ve acquired as they go through the school, by changing the language medium of their education.

First Minister, the Welsh Language Commissioner said that, in order to increase the number of Welsh speakers, we need radical change to our education system. She has suggested we should consider teaching all primary schools through the medium of Welsh. It has been compulsory for every schoolchild in Wales to learn Welsh since 1999. Yet, despite this, the numbers of Welsh speakers has fallen.

Rwy’n dysgu Cymraeg.

Polls suggest that the majority of people are opposed to compulsory teaching. Is it time that we accepted that maybe the stick approach is not working, and rather than dictating that everyone should learn Welsh, can we maybe instead make it easier for those who really want to learn? Diolch.

I’m not sure what the Member was trying to say. She did give me the impression that she was suggesting that every primary school should be Welsh medium. I think there are issues surrounding that, particularly practical issues in terms of recruiting teachers. I firmly believe that it’s right that our national languages should be compulsory until the age of 16. There are issues about the way in which Welsh is being taught in English-medium schools, particularly through the short course. I don’t think we can say, hand on heart, that we have created confident Welsh speakers in our English-medium schools. Clearly, that’s not the case. This is why the new curriculum will be important and why moving away from the idea that Welsh is solely an academic area of study, and moving more towards it being seen as a vocational skill—. For those, of course, who want to study it academically, that’s important, but seeing it as a vocational skill that is required through school is going to be important in the future. I think that would be a good way of improving the way in which Welsh is taught and learned in the English-medium schools.

Question 2 [OAQ(5)0402(FM)] has been withdrawn. Question 3, Julie Morgan.