I'm very pleased to be able to contribute to this debate today, but, before moving on, I do want to give heartfelt thanks to the commissioner for his work and his unstinting commitment to the Welsh language.

The Minister has already mentioned the benefits of bilingualism, and I, too, am very proud to have two languages, because two languages means twice as much choice, of course, and I want to encourage everyone in Wales—children, parents, adults—who wishes to learn the language to take advantage of the opportunity to be bilingual.

Bilingualism, of course, has a number of clear benefits—socially, economically, cognitively, and so on and so forth—and the use of language, or language use, is something that's very complex, and I've referred already to the confidence that one gains from using the language regularly. Now, a lack of confidence, of course, can sometimes be reflected in the choice to engage with public bodies through the medium of English. A lack of confidence very often goes back to a lack of Welsh language skills, so we need to look at it as a cycle: a lack of skills, lack of confidence, lack of use. So, rather than being critical of that engagement, we have to consider what public bodies are doing to make it easier for people to engage through the medium of Welsh, and I welcome the research that is to be done on that, because that bilingual service needs to be there as a default, and there should be no hindrance to people taking advantage of those opportunities. What's excellent in this Chamber is that we have Welsh learners who are also taking the opportunities to use the language, and that is a wonderful thing.

The commissioner's report notes a number of challenges that have faced the Welsh language over recent years, from Brexit and the pandemic to the cancellation of those social events that have been so important in bringing people together to use the Welsh language in all parts of Wales. There's also the issue of school closures and the issue of second homes that we've already considered this afternoon, and the shortage of mental health services through the medium of Welsh.

But I want to highlight one issue that is of great concern to me. This report is a five-year report, and it notes that one of the core objectives of the Welsh-medium education strategy is to increase capacity and skills within the Welsh-medium workforce. Now, unfortunately, we have seen a decline in this area over recent years. This data causes particular concern. There has been a striking fall over the past five years in the number of newly qualified teachers who are able to speak Welsh or to work through the medium of Welsh. There's been a reduction of 23 per cent in the numbers able to speak Welsh and 27 per cent in those who can work through the medium of Welsh. Now, this is far higher than the 8 per cent reduction in the total number of newly qualified teachers, and this is a cause of great concern, and it's clear that young Welsh speakers are following other careers outwith the education sector, unfortunately. So, I would like to ask you what exactly your plans are to tackle this in order to ensure an adequate workforce to deliver the 'Cymraeg 2050' strategy.

And if I may briefly turn to Welsh language standards before I conclude, I would like to ask you what the barriers are to implementing further standards in those sectors where standards haven't been imposed to date, such as public transport, regulators in the health sector, and a number of other public bodies, specifically water companies and housing associations. So, how do we draw them into the standards regime?

I want to conclude, Dirprwy Lywydd, with this: Sam referred to the fact that the commissioner had quoted some concerns and some doubt as to whether efforts to date are sufficient in delivering the objectives of the 2050 strategy. Do you agree with the commissioner's assessment of the position of the Welsh language? Thank you.