6. What schemes does the Welsh Government have in place to contribute to its target of a million Welsh speakers by 2050? OAQ51477

Thank you very much. Welsh Government’s plans and targets for attaining the target of a million Welsh speakers are included in the 2017-21 ‘Cymraeg 2050’ strategy work programme.

A new report by the Welsh Language Commissioner on the provision of childcare and early years provision through the medium of Welsh states this:

'Although the Welsh Government is aware of the importance of childcare to the future of the language, there are no specific and firm plans on how they intend to integrate the 30 Hours Scheme and the 2050 vision.'

'Prosperity for All' notes the importance of collaboration across departments in order to achieve the Government's ambition. Isn't the lack of collaboration in terms of the Welsh language and childcare a sign of the total failure of your Government to bring together two of your main policy strands?

Well, we do collaborate, and I think the first thing that should be said is that there is an understanding that you have to focus on those early years, and it's fair to say that we do have a strategy in place for childcare. And it's important—it's vital—that, for everything that goes through the Government now, we ask, 'What are you doing to support the Welsh language? And therefore that will be a central part of the work that the Minister will have to undertake. So, of course, there is work to be done, but I do also think that we need to focus on the subsequent years with the nursery schools, and we're going to secure an additional 150 nursery schools over the next decade, and I think that's the way we can ensure we see growth in the Welsh language.

The former Minister said that he'd be willing to look at the role of small businesses themselves in promoting the use of the Welsh language. I believe that it's a very good idea to find key individuals within small businesses who could share the responsibility for developing this as part of lifelong learning or CPD, continuous professional development, or some other appropriate approach for the small business. Are you considering setting targets for the number of small businesses that you would like to see developing their Welsh language skills? What incentives could be available to inspire those key individuals?

Well, you're quite right. One of our targets is to ensure that people are not just able to speak Welsh but to use the Welsh language, and so it's important we give them opportunities to do so. And, in small businesses, ensuring that people are aware that you can use the Welsh language when you deal with them is important. So, there are strategies that we will be developing in order to ensure that people are aware of where there is the potential to use the language.

Already, many of us are wearing these badges and so on, but I do think that we should ensure that people are aware that it's a way for people to be able to identify who is able to speak Welsh. But we have to go further than that. We need to look at technology and so forth. Many businesses use technology in order to buy and sell goods, so we must ensure that people are able to use technology through the medium of Welsh. When I get up in the morning, I ask Alexa to turn the radio on. Well, I can't do that in Welsh. But it's important that we are—and we're doing a lot in that field.