Because of that, Plaid Cymru believes strongly that it’s crucial that Wales remains within the Erasmus+ programme, whatever happens in future in terms of our relations with the European Union. When Professor Claire Gorrara from Cardiff University provided evidence to the committee on this issue, before I joined the committee, she said that she would describe this programme as one that is at the very heart of the linguistic and intercultural well-being of Wales.

She also described what she referred to as 'linguaphobia', suggesting that this was a direct result of the climate created by Brexit. She described a perception that people who don’t speak English, but who speak other languages, are not a full part of the community. Certainly, we see anecdotal evidence that people are being insulted for speaking other languages on the street, particularly on public transport and elsewhere. My concern is that this trend will continue.

Professor Gorrara also highlighted research undertaken by the British Council, which found that a third of the schools that responded believed that Brexit was having a negative impact on parents' and pupils' attitudes towards modern foreign languages.