The next item on our agenda is a statement by the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language: Cymraeg 2050. And I call on the Minister for Education and Welsh Language, Jeremy Miles. 

Thank you, Deputy Presiding Officer. I'm pleased to have an opportunity today to update the Senedd on the next steps that the Welsh Government will take to implement the Cymraeg 2050 strategy. The journey to 1 million speakers and to double the daily use of Welsh by 2050 has captured the imagination of people across Wales since the last Government made its announcement back in 2017. I'm very delighted to have been appointed Minister for the Welsh language and to have the opportunity to lead the next stages of the strategy.

The strategy itself, and the five-year work programme that I am publishing today, is key to our work to meet the well-being goal of a thriving Welsh language. We are living in challenging times and I am aware that we need to turn goodwill towards the Welsh language into action that is robust and rapid. The commitment to do this runs through the programme. Our vision is outward-looking and inclusive. We want to create bilingual citizens who are confident to use the Welsh that they already possess. In a nutshell, we want everyone in Wales to feel that the language belongs to us all.

Of course, our response to the pandemic and its impact on the use of Welsh language is central to the work programme, and the main elements of Cymraeg 2050 are clear and they continue. With a strategy that extends over such a long term, we knew that changes in society could mean that we would need to adjust our priorities over time. Of course, that had to be done sooner than expected, and the work programme reflects this.

Today, we are also publishing our response to a recent report about the impact of COVID-19 on Welsh language community groups. We are increasing our focus on community development and ensuring that our work helps people to help themselves and their communities to use the Welsh language.

Planning well and strategically is central to our vision. This is what we will do: we will plan carefully to increase the number of children and adults learning Welsh, and we will increase the opportunities available for us to use Welsh with each other, in geographical or virtual communities, workplaces or social spaces.

The 58 areas of action in the programme show how wide-ranging the work is and how many opportunities we have to make a difference. I'm grateful to our partners for the commitment that they have shown. The pandemic has been a difficult time, but I look forward to rebuilding and collaborating further.

The results of the 2021 census and the language use survey for 2019-20 will be published during this Senedd. It's important to note, therefore, that this is a flexible work programme, and I stand ready to review and develop it in light of the census, together with the evidence that we continuously collect.

The work programme builds on the commitments in our programme for government, and embeds its ethos of a Wales that is stronger, greener and fairer into the general commitments: stronger as a confident bilingual country with a unique identity; greener, in growing the green economy and creating good jobs, closer to home, in areas where Welsh is the main language; and fairer, through the work we do to plan, legislate and invest to expand Welsh-medium education, so that all children from all backgrounds have access to Welsh in all parts of Wales.

Therefore, it's my pleasure to present this ambitious work programme for the new Senedd term. I look forward to working with my ministerial colleagues and across government in Wales to implement all of this programme. The next decade will be crucial in terms of language policy, and we must all come together—politicians, local authorities, and society as a whole. The Welsh language belongs to us all; so does the responsibility to implement policies in its favour.

Conservative spokesperson, Samuel Kurtz.

Thank you, Deputy Llywydd. I'll start by thanking the Minister for an advance copy of today's statement.

I welcome the work that Government is doing to safeguard and develop the Welsh language for the next generation. As one who was brought up in rural Pembrokeshire, educated in a bilingual school, and who considers themselves a first-language Welsh speaker who is a little rusty, I am determined that communicating through the medium of Welsh and using the Welsh language in daily life is a pleasure that everyone should be able to enjoy. But for too long there's been a mindset of 'us and them' in terms of the Welsh language: those who are fluent and those who are learners. People need to feel comfortable in speaking Welsh, whatever their level, not worrying about the odd mistake here and there. Minister, I know that you share my view that we shouldn't be critical of how much or the level of the Welsh language used by individuals, but it's also important that the population joins in the journey to understand the benefits that the language can bring to our lives.

I welcome the ambitious target set by Government for 2050. There is recognition that not only the current Government, but future Governments too, will be responsible for ensuring that this target is delivered. So, what key performance indicators exist in order to ensure the Welsh Government doesn't take its eye off the ball, and how will future Ministers ensure that the policy is effective?

Also, given the news in the statement that the Welsh Government intends to ensure that all posts within the Welsh Government for the future will require some level of Welsh language—to understand the Welsh language—can the Minister explain this point and what he means in terms of an ability to understand the Welsh language? Is there an expectation that all Welsh Government staff in the future will be bilingual? And if this is the case, what assurance can the Minister give us that this announcement will not be an employment barrier for individuals?

And finally, Minister, I'd like to draw your attention to your proposal to encourage young Welsh speakers to return from our universities to help to teach Welsh in our schools. Whilst the focus will be on employing Welsh-speaking teachers, the door will be closed to teachers from outwith Wales. We will lose access to many teachers from various backgrounds who have very different experiences to offer. So, how does the Welsh Government intend to ensure that anyone who wishes to teach in Wales but doesn't have the language skills can find employment as a teacher in Wales? Thank you.

I thank the spokesperson for his comments. I agree entirely that we don't want a culture to develop in terms of 'us and them'. The Welsh language belongs to everyone. Many people in Wales can speak some Welsh and many more are willing to learn more Welsh every day and to use that every day in a phased approach, and that's how we will succeed. I wish everyone well on that journey—a journey that we've all been on at some stage of our lives.

In terms of the key performance indicators, we have various KPIs in place already in terms of, for example, the number of people in Welsh-medium education. One of the new indicators in this programme is that we ensure that there is a new milestone in terms of the number of year 1 children in Welsh-medium education, for example. So, the current target is 30 per cent by 2031 and, in this work programme, we are proposing a new milestone of 26 per cent by the end of this Senedd in order to ensure that we have targets in the short term as well as the long term. So, there are various interventions in the work programme where there will be more policy work and programmes are already in place for some of those, and the KPIs will be tied to those, so there will be an opportunity for everyone to hold the Government to account for what we talk about in this document.

In terms of the question on recruitment in terms of the civil servants within the Welsh Government, it's a question for the Permanent Secretary. But what I would say is that that's a very good example of the idea that the Welsh language belongs to everyone. That is, the proposal is that people can learn new skills as they join the Welsh Government and learn to speak a little Welsh over a period of time, and I think that that's very inclusive—it doesn't create an idea of 'us and them', it pulls people together and acknowledges that the Welsh language is an asset and has a common value for us all in Wales. I think that anyone would welcome the opportunity to learn new skills in undertaking a new job, and that's what's at the core of this policy.

Plaid Cymru spokesperson, Siân Gwenllian.

Thank you very much, Deputy Llywydd. I'm grateful to you for bringing a statement forward early in the new Government's term on the target of creating a million Welsh speakers. You know that you have my support in this ambition, and I know that you're entirely sincere in your ambition, but I do need to be convinced that the necessary gear shift is actually happening. Your predecessor told me in the previous Senedd that the new Government—and I quote her exact words; this is what she said—will have to go much further than we have gone to date. So, can you give us some practical examples and specific examples as to what extent this action plan or work programme represents that gear change that your party recognised was needed in order to reach the million Welsh speakers?

In terms of the content of the programme itself, I am concerned that some of the language does suggest continuity rather than change and that it is not specific enough—you're 'updating' targets on teachers; you're 'considering' the impact of standards; you're 'developing' guidance; you're 'continuing' to add to the evidence base on the Welsh language and language planning; and you're 'working' to safeguard Welsh place names. 

Now, in turning to the detail, I do welcome the commitment from your Government to introduce a Welsh-medium education Bill. Plaid Cymru has long argued that we need a statutory mechanism to drive the efforts to significantly develop Welsh-medium education, recognising the key role of the education sector in delivering the million. I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Gareth Pierce, the former chief executive of the Welsh Joint Education Committee, who died very recently, who did so much for Welsh-medium education, and Gareth was the author of this discussion paper that I published back in the summer of 2019, which did move the discussion forward to look at the beginnings of a Welsh language education Act, and passing that ambitious legislation would be a particular tribute to Gareth Pierce and his work over many years. So, can you give us some idea of the timetable for the publication of the Bill and the timetable for taking such a Bill through the Senedd?

You note that you will consider the impact of Welsh language standards on language use when making decisions on preparing further regulations. The evidence does demonstrate that standards have had a positive impact on individuals and organisations in those areas where they have been introduced. It's now time to see a timetable published for the extension of standards into other areas, so I'm disappointed with this approach.

Can you confirm the timetable and the remit for considering the impact of standards? What will be the impact of the delay that there has been in terms of the regulations that have already been consulted upon, which are the health regulators and the water companies? We need to recognise the important contribution of standards to the strategy and get clarity as we move forward with implementation in new areas.

Finally, you refer to the establishment of a commission to strengthen the Welsh language as a community language. Can you tell us more about this commission? Will it be some sort of task and finish group, because we certainly don't want another talking shop? If it's not a body or a task and finish group, will it be some sort of development body, with powers to regenerate Welsh language communities and to bring jobs to the west of Wales?

As a step towards the creation of a purpose-built body of that kind, which is what Plaid Cymru believes is necessary, can you give us an update on the Arfor plan, and specifically on funding for the continuation of that important programme? Thank you.

I thank Siân Gwenllian for welcoming the work programme. This is a change of gear. Every Senedd is a new opportunity to look again at what we've already delivered and also what's in front of us, and an opportunity for us to set new targets and new priorities in the wake of our experience. It's a good thing and it's an inevitable thing. So, we have further targets in this document, in terms of mudiadau meithrin, for example, but we beat those targets in the last Senedd, by the way, in terms of the numbers of mudiadau meithrin, so we have a good basis to build on there. 

We have new issues that deal with the geographical challenges, in terms of western and northern communities specifically; extending the role of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol; the further work on the National Centre for Learning Welsh; and guaranteeing access to language learning between 16 and 25, free of charge. So, there are new steps being taken in this strategy, building on the work that was done by my predecessor, Eluned Morgan, at the end of the last Senedd.

Also, you asked about the Welsh-medium education Bill. That's a commitment, and it's very clear in this document. Work is already happening on the scope and content of that Bill, and I'll be happy to update the Senedd further on that in the next term.

In terms of the standards—the Dirprwy Lywydd has asked me to be brief here, so I'm just touching on the questions that you asked. In terms of the standards, it is important to ensure that what we do as a Government does have a positive impact on the use of the Welsh language. That's the main aim: ensuring that everything that we do, and every intervention that we undertake, ensures support for the use of the Welsh language as a living language in our communities. That's my priority, and the standards, like every other intervention, have a role to play in that. But, the yardstick in every case, across everything that we do, is use, and I've had very positive discussions with the commissioner about looking at those two things jointly—standards and their contribution to the use of the language.

And the final question, you mentioned the commission. I'm not talking about creating a body and new infrastructure. This is a group of people who will be able to advise us on the specific challenges, as Dr Simon Brooks, for example, described in his report. One of his recommendations was to establish this kind of commission, and we're very pleased about that and enthusiastic about establishing it and taking it forward.

Hefin David.

Was I called then?

Yes, Hefin.

I couldn't hear your voice, Dirprwy Lywydd. I've been contacted by a constituent whose son is coming to the end of year eight, and he’s concerned that successive lockdowns have meant his son has fallen significantly behind with his spoken and written Welsh in a Welsh-medium school. He’s contacted the National Centre for Learning Welsh—the NCLW—to ask about extra tuition over the school summer holidays for his son, only to be told it won't be possible as the NCLW's remit, set by the Welsh Government, requires it to teach adults, 18 plus only.

Would the Minister consider expanding the remit of NCLW, perhaps simply for this summer, given the exceptional circumstances that exist, in order to allow them to provide support and additional training to those under the age of 18, for example to pupils in Welsh-medium secondary schools from non-Welsh-speaking households?

I thank Hefin David for that question; it’s an important question. Pupils from non-Welsh-speaking families have faced specific challenges during this recent period and I want to pay tribute to the work of the national centre and for their innovation over the last year, extending what they’ve been able to do online and developing an interesting offer for many people over a very difficult period.

As the Member may know, there has been a review of the work of the national centre and I intend to be in a situation to say more on that over the coming weeks, and so perhaps the question that he has raised today will be relevant in that context.

The main objective of the 2050 strategy is to ensure more use of the Welsh language and a significant way of doing that is through education. However, many families in Pencoed are waiting to hear the results of an appeal, to see if their children will be able to Ysgol Bro Ogwr in September. If the appeal fails then these families will have to choose between sending their children further away for Welsh-medium education or choosing English-medium education. The Minister will know, in terms of the school access code, point 3.5 mentions that local authorities have the right to change the number of pupils accepted if there are plans in place to expand the provision of education, as is the case in Ysgol Bro Ogwr. It’s apparent to me that Bridgend council should guarantee a place to the children who’ve been refused a place, and I hope that the Minister will convey that to colleagues in Bridgend county.

But there is a fundamental question here too: where is the fairness here? Why should the children of Pencoed have to travel outside Pencoed to receive Welsh-medium education? Quite simply, areas like Bridgend will continue to miss their targets unless something changes and changes soon.

Well, I want to reflect on the point that was raised about the importance of fair access in every part of Wales for pupils who want a Welsh-medium education. That’s certainly the objective of the Welsh Government and that’s certainly the call from us to local government over the next period, in terms of ambitious strategic plans to ensure that we move more quickly towards realising that aim.

In terms of the specific situation that he has raised today, my officials have been in discussions with officials in the council and I’ll be happy to write to the Member on that.

I’d like to welcome the new Minister to post and I’d also like to thank him for the opportunity to have this debate an early stage in this new Senedd. I welcome the tone that the Minister has adopted in his initial remarks.

There are a few things that I would like to say as part of my contribution this afternoon. The first is on the importance of Welsh-speaking communities, communities where the Welsh language is used on a daily basis, and that is crucially important and must be part of the Government’s strategy.

And, secondly, the right of every one of us to learn Welsh. The Minister will know that there is a new Welsh-medium school being opened in Tredegar. When I attended school in Tredegar, I didn’t even have the right to learn the Welsh language in school, so we have seen transformation over recent years, but we must ensure that people do have the ability and confidence to use the Welsh language.

Finally, I’d like to say this: it’s important that when we set that objective of 1 million, it was about using the Welsh language and using the Welsh language on a daily basis. I’ve never been too concerned about standards. We don’t want to see bureaucratic language that exists only in books and policy; we want to see the Welsh language as a language that is used among families at home, and in the pub, when you're watching the football or the rugby. That's where we want to see the Welsh language. And would you—

Can the Member close now, please?

—work with the Football Association of Wales, and others, to ensure that we normalise the use of the Welsh language where we socialise, where we live and where we work?

I thank Alun Davies for that question, and I also thank him for his work in the last Senedd on this agenda, which is so important to the work that we're proceeding with at the end of the last Senedd term and the start of this term. So, I thank him for his innovative work in this area.

And I want to echo what he said in terms of the importance of language use in our communities. I am also announcing our response to the report on the impact of COVID on the use of the Welsh language in community organisations, and that impact has been very significant. So, we need to support them to work in ways that support them for the future. But the point that he closed on, the importance of Welsh in the workplace, that's a central part of what we're trying to ensure, and that's one of the points of emphasis in this document in terms of supporting the use of the Welsh language.

The Minister will be aware that the Swansea valley, in his own constituency, is linguistically significant because it includes the highest number and highest percentage of Welsh speakers in Neath Port Talbot—among the highest in the whole of Wales in fact. In relation to the objectives set out by the Minister today in terms of developing Welsh-medium education, safeguarding and developing the Welsh language as a community language, and providing opportunities for the use of the Welsh language outside the classroom, I'd like to ask how the Minister will ensure that local authorities don't take steps that would threaten that, such as the plan by Neath Port Talbot who want to open a new, huge English-medium school in Pontardawe, contrary to the wishes of the communities of the schools that will have to close in order to do that, and also the view of experts such as Heini Gruffudd, Dyfodol i'r Iaith and Rhieni dros Addysg Gymraeg, who say that it will be a detrimental blow to Welsh-medium education and the viability of the language in the valley. And the Minister will be aware that Neath Port Talbot hasn't opened a new single new Welsh-medium primary school since the reorganisation of local government in 1996. So, there is work to be done.

There is no talk either, in the work programme, of building on the Government's significant investment in terms of establishing Welsh language community centres, although those like Tŷ'r Gwrhyd in Pontardawe—and Alun Davies may recall coming to open that centre—have seen great success in expanding the use and procurement of the Welsh language—

Can the Member come to a close now, please?

—beyond the sphere of education. So, what are the plans in order to support these as part of the work programme? Thank you.

Well, of course, I answer in my capacity as education Minister rather than as a local Member for Neath. I can say that Neath Port Talbot's full business case for the proposal of the school in Pontardawe has been postponed at present by the Welsh Government, and officials will meet with the authority next week to discuss their assessment of the impact on the Welsh language in more detail before pressing ahead further. It's important when local authorities consider proposals for planning for schools, for Welsh-medium provision or English-medium provision, that they continue to look at the broader picture. Neath Port Talbot council has noted Pontardawe as a linguistically sensitive area, so all possible steps must be taken by the authority to mitigate any detrimental impact that new proposals could have on the Welsh language.

In terms of impact on organisations and community hubs, the report that I publish today, the focus of that is the impact of COVID on Welsh language community groups and infrastructure specifically, so I would refer the Member to the content of that document.

And finally, Buffy Williams.

Diolch, Dirprwy Lywydd. I'm really glad to hear that the Minister is serious about reaching 1 million siaradwyr Cymraeg by 2050. Taking camau bach makes a huge difference. Like thousands of people across Wales, I use Duolingo every morning to learn more geiriau. But more important than this, children across Wales speak Welsh in their classrooms every day, like the children in Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhondda. The Minister knows that I recently visited Ysgol Gyfun Cwm Rhondda to meet with the new headteacher, to discuss the future of the school, and I look forward to meeting with the Minister to further discuss the plans. What steps will the Minister take to encourage more people to dechrau dysgu Cymraeg and encourage more parents to send their children to Welsh language schools? 

I thank Buffy Williams for that question, and I think that the fact that some of it was in Welsh is fantastic.

In terms of what we're doing to encourage people to learn Welsh, a lot of the work that Mudiad Meithrin do is having a great and positive impact on the numbers attending Welsh-medium schools. So, investing further in that sector is very important. The ambition that we've set for local authorities for provision over the next period is going to contribute to that, but there is also a role for FE and HE and lifelong learning, to ensure that everyone has an opportunity at every part of their lives to access Welsh-medium education and learning Welsh. That's vital, and we're going to continue, as the work programme describes, to support that work over the coming period.

Thank you, Minister.