7. What assessment has the Minister made of the effect of the proposed curriculum Bill on the Welsh language? OQ55382

An integrated impact assessment for the curriculum and assessment Bill has been undertaken. This includes an assessment of its impact on the Welsh language, and the integrated impact assessment was published alongside the White Paper on the Bill in January 2019.

I know that the last thing that you want to see is that the new curriculum would have a detrimental impact in terms of your Government's ambition to reach 1 million Welsh speakers, or, indeed, that it would undermine your efforts in any way. Indeed, any Minister for the Welsh language would seek the opportunity to strengthen the position of the Welsh language through this new legislation. But if it's proved to you that this Bill will have unintended consequences that will be damaging to the Welsh language, would you then be willing to support efforts to change what is on the face of the Bill? That is to say, if it becomes clear during the Bill's journey through the Senedd that the legislation would damage your 1 million Welsh speakers ambition, will you press for change?

Well, I would just say that I do have quite intensive discussions with the education Minister on this particular issue. Of course, I would be hugely concerned if there were to be any detrimental impact on the Welsh language. So, it is important to ensure that it's possible to continue to provide immersion education in the Welsh language and that there's no difficulty in that area, and that we also look at the fact that, by 2050, we want to see 40 per cent of our children in Welsh-medium education. So, these issues are raised and, of course, I do hope that, when the Bill is published formally over the next few weeks, things will be in place with which I will be comfortable, and so that those people who are concerned about the Welsh language are also comfortable with what's contained. 

Thank you very much, Minister.