We will now move on to the short debate. This afternoon's short debate is to be presented by John Griffiths.

Thank you, Llywydd. Jayne Bryant and Peredur Owen Griffiths will speak for a minute each. 

Llywydd, Deputy Minister, I want to start the short debate today by wishing you and everybody here in the Senedd a happy St David's Day. I am proud to have this debate on the day when we celebrate our patron saint. Like many in Newport East and throughout Wales, I will mark the day. I'm very proud to be from Newport and to be Welsh, but, as you will surely know, Minister, the feeling of Welshness in my city has not been straightforward. The history of Monmouthshire—which includes Newport—and its place in Wales has changed over for centuries.

Before the first Act of Union in 1535, which saw Wales annexed to England, Monmouthshire was considered Welsh. After the second Act of Union in 1542, it became complicated. Twelve Welsh counties were registered, but Monmouthshire was made directly responsible to courts of Westminster. The Welsh language was a key argument on the side of those claiming the county was Welsh. The English traveller George Borrow in 1862 wrote:

'Monmouthshire is at present considered an English county, though certainly with little reason, for it not only stands on the western side of the Wye, but the names of almost all its parishes are Welsh, and many thousands of its population still speak the Welsh language.'

Newport itself was predominantly a Welsh-speaking town in the early 1800s. More than 100 years later, though, Newport and Monmouthshire had a dominant English-speaking population, but it was growing culturally and economically closer to Wales.

Joyce Watson took the Chair.

I want to use today’s debate to explore Welsh identity in the city a bit further, to explain where I think it is at present but also how I think it can grow, especially amongst our younger generation, but also in the context of the Welsh Government’s ambitions to have 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050.

Back in November and just before the world cup, I was at Rodney Parade for Newport County’s game against Gillingham. Prior to kick-off, the prominent Welsh language campaigner and singer Dafydd Iwan performed his song 'Yma o Hyd' and just as we saw with the Red Wall during many of Wales’s world cup games we saw the county faithful singing in harmony. Prior to this debate we asked Dafydd how it felt to sing in Newport and he told us the following:

'I was very impressed by the warmth and, indeed, the very strong Welsh nature of the reception I received both at Rodney Parade and in the city centre. It was a joyous occasion, and I was struck by the numbers in the audience who spoke to me in Welsh. There is no doubt about it, Casnewydd is challenging Cardiff in the Welsh stakes.'

He also said he thoroughly enjoyed the experience and hoped to return in the future. Deputy Minister, I mention this because not many years ago, the idea of a Welsh language musician performing with the Rodney Parade faithful in harmony would have seemed fanciful.

Sticking to football for one moment, I want to also pay tribute to Wales international stalwart Chris Gunter, who was born in Newport East and attended St Julian's School. He was part of the recent golden generation of Welsh footballers and, until recently, was our most capped Welsh footballer in history with 109 international caps. Only a certain Gareth Bale now has more with 111. So, we should be very proud of Chris’s achievements.

In looking at Welsh identity in Newport, the devolution referendums are instructive. For me they are a sign of the progress and journey we have been on over the years and illustrate the growth in Welshness across the city. Some 26 years ago now, I chaired Newport Says Yes as part of the campaign for Wales to have its own national assembly, as it was known then. And whilst the ‘Yes for Wales’ campaign won across the country as a whole, in Newport a clear majority voted 'no'. But that result was a significant increase in support for devolution compared to the previous referendum in 1979. In neighbouring Monmouthshire, which covers part of my Newport East constituency, we saw similar results. Fourteen years on from the vote that established devolution, a second referendum on whether or not to grant the then Assembly primary law-making powers saw 54 per cent of voters in Newport in favour, continuing the trend for greater support for Wales taking more responsibility and powers to serve our communities.

As we have seen that increase in support for devolution across Newport and Wales, we have also seen a growth in Welsh-medium schools. Prior to 1999, there were no Welsh-medium schools in Newport. We now have five in the local authority, the first two of these coming about in 2008-09, followed by another in 2011-12 and a further two in the last six years. And also in our English-medium schools, there is a lot more Welsh history and culture being taught, all of which I am sure will be strengthened by the new curriculum. When I was at school in the 1960s and early 1970s in Newport, I was taught little about Welsh language, culture or history. We must have learned the national anthem, but that was about it. Thankfully, we have come a long way in the last 23 to 24 years. Our children should learn of local history and Welsh history, as well as that of the UK, Europe and the world.

Of course, in Newport, we have a very proud history, including Chartism and the significant role that the city played in Welsh history, with the Chartist uprising outside the Westgate Hotel in the then town. One of the leaders, John Frost, was born in Newport at the Royal Oak Inn in 1784. Frost and the other Chartists had six demands: the vote for all men aged 21, equal electoral districts, payment of MPs, no property qualification for MPs, a secret ballot, and annual parliaments. Only the latter has not come about. The rising at Newport in November 1839 was the most serious manifestation of physical-force Chartism in the history of the movement. Hundreds of men marched on the Westgate, and a battle with soldiers stationed there ensued. At least 22 Chartists lost their lives, and treason trials followed.

Deputy Minister, I also want to talk about the 2021 census data and put on record some of the findings that were recorded for us locally. Ringland, an area of Newport East heavily influenced by the nearby Llanwern steelworks since the 1960s, has 56.3 per cent of people identifying as Welsh only, but in terms of Welsh language skills, over 90 per cent of people there said they had no Welsh skills. And in Beechwood and other areas of the constituency, it is a similar situation. So, although language isn't the only factor, obviously, when people think about their Welshness, it is an important one that people will consider. Given some of the figures I've just referred to, we do need to look at some of the factors underlying that further.

It's why I very much welcome the ambition by Welsh Government to have 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050. In places like Newport, we need to understand the situation, and Newport is ready to play our part and help realise those targets set by the Welsh Government. Deputy Minister, I would be grateful if you could say a little more about how you and the Welsh Government can work with people in these areas and tap into the strong sense of Welshness that people feel, to in turn increase the Welsh language skills and Welsh culture in the area.

Newport City Council have a Welsh language plan, and are taking this issue very seriously. It will celebrate the Welsh language as part of our shared identity and increase opportunities for everyone to see, hear, learn and use our national language. The long-term aspiration is to increase the number of Welsh speakers, raise awareness, and increase visibility of the language across all our communities. They want to offer opportunities for those with all levels of Welsh to practise and speak the language in a safe, friendly and supportive environment, and to engage with those who might not be aware of the language or its benefits. At the launch of the council's 'Many faces of Welsh-ness' campaign, Janice Dent, policy and partnerships manager, said:

'It might be seen as a white British language but we are trying to engage all communities in Newport.'

This is an approach I very much welcome. At the same launch, Councillor Miqdad Al-Nuaimi, who represents Stow Hill, said:

'Quite a lot of ethnic minority people want their children to speak Welsh.'

This has been my experience as well. One of the co-founders of a football supporters group for Welsh south Asians called Amar Cymru, which has strong roots in Newport, Shah Alom, has been keen to relearn and take up Welsh in his spare time.

We have festivals in Newport including the Gŵyl Newydd. This is a new event for the people of Newport and beyond, taking place in September at the Riverfront theatre. It brings together a number of organisations and volunteers to provide a day of activities and performances. Groups include Cymdeithas Cymry Casnewydd, a Newport Welsh society organising regular meetings and celebrations for Welsh speakers and learners alike. They have an office in Newport market and offer a very wide offer for the people of the city. Another is Merched y Wawr, a group for women of all ages, Welsh speakers and learners. They meet regularly.

Deputy Minister, I want to finish by talking about my constituent and my friend, Olwen, who was formerly a Welsh teacher here in the Senedd. She was nine years old when she moved to Newport from Cardiff, where she was fortunate to go to a Welsh primary school. When they moved to Newport, there was very little Welsh in the town, as it was then, and certainly nothing in the schools.

In the 1960s, with Lilian Jones, the first headteacher at Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw, her mother started a Welsh language school on Saturday mornings. She and many other people fought for Welsh-medium education in Newport. The first unit was established at ysgol Clytha in the early 1970s, and Olwen's little sister was a pupil. Interestingly, one of the pupils at the school on Saturday morning became the first headmaster of Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed.

Olwen is happy and proud that her children went to the unit at High Cross School before the first Welsh school—Ysgol Gymraeg Casnewydd—opened in the 1990s. From there, they went to Ysgol Gyfun Gwynllyw. Today, the children in Olwen’s family are in Welsh-medium education, one at Ysgol Gymraeg Ifor Hael and one at Ysgol Gyfun Gwent Is Coed. I agree with Olwen when she said that things have certainly changed in Newport.

Llywydd, as someone committed to devolution and to Newport, it is very pleasing to reflect on the progress we have made. We now have a Parliament for Wales—something generations have campaigned for and worked to achieve. Newport and Wales have a stronger Welsh identity reinforced by the new democratic settlement. It is important for people to have a clear sense of their place in the world, their history and culture, a base from which to sally forth into education, work and life. Language is a key part of identity, and all in Wales, whether they are fortunate to speak Welsh or not, benefit from our unique language and its central role in our history and culture. Diolch yn fawr. 

I'm really grateful to my good friend, and fellow Newportonian for leading this debate today.

Thank you, John. It's a pleasure to contribute today. 

Now, I want to start my contribution by insisting that I'm not that old, yet, when I went to primary school in Newport, I was taught the national anthem in English. I have to say that that's never come in handy, but, thankfully, my parents and grandparents had already taught me it in Welsh. 

Newport, through its old Monmouthshire county days, was not seen as fully part of Wales, and that changed in the 1970s, as John said, and, since then, there has been a growing sense of pride in our Welsh identity. This has been helped by the Welsh music scene in Newport from the 1980s and 1990s, and the use of the Welsh language in schools, and more widely in the community. 

It hasn't come easy, but the changes have come about because of the hard work and dedication of people such as Elin Maher, whose energy and passion has helped to drive advancements in the Welsh language in Newport. On the weekend, my mum and her friend attended an event in the fantastic new Newport market, where learners could listen to the Mabinogi through Welsh, and I assure you that that would not have happened 10 or 15 years ago. 

I want to close by paying tribute to my late friend, Paul Flynn, or his bardic name, Paul y Siartwr. He was a proud Welshman, and learning Welsh as an adult, he championed the Welsh language, and was a passionate advocate for its use. Paul said that there were two languages spoken in Caerleon in Roman times—intra muros, it was Latin, and extra muros, it was Welsh. If any of the centurions in Caerleon had suggested that the language that would survive to this day would be Welsh, it would have been thought a very curious forecast. But that is the truth. He said,

'Languages represent the humour, wit and passion of generations echoing down the centuries and all of them are unique in their own way. We have the great luck to possess the inheritance of a glorious ancient language, with a wonderful literature that lives, full of virility, variety and enthusiasm. We should celebrate that'.

I'm confident that he would be delighted at the progress. Long may it continue. Dydd Gŵyl Dewi hapus i chi i gyd.  

Thank you very much to John for bringing this debate forward. 

This debate has made me think of a recent conversation I had at an event, and a subsequent e-mail I received from a constituent. I was at an event and we got into a discussion about what it is to be Welsh. I said that, in my opinion—and it is only my humble opinion—if you call Wales your home and you feel Welsh, then as far as I'm concerned, you're Welsh. This is the e-mail I received and it was titled, 'A personal thank you':

'I just wanted to offer a personal thank you for a conversation we had at a recent event. I mentioned that Brexit had taken away my European identity, and although I've lived all my adult life in Wales and that my family are here, having been born in London I felt one couldn't become Welsh because there was no legal mechanism for doing so. You kindly said that there was no concern at all about self-identifying as Welsh. Last week, whilst filling in paperwork for a house move, I had my first chance to declare that I am Welsh on a formal document. Thank you kindly for your encouragement'. 

Minister, I'd like to know how we can encourage more people to feel confident and self-identify as Welsh, regardless of where they're born. Diolch yn fawr. 

I now call the Deputy Minister for Arts and Sport, and Chief Whip to reply to the debate—Dawn Bowden. 

Thank you, Dirprwy Lywydd, and thank you, John, for bringing this debate to the Chamber. Thank you also to everyone who's contributed to the short debate this afternoon. It truly feels like a celebration of Welshness here in the Chamber, with many statements, contributions and a number of debates to mark St David's Day. 

Sorry, I was getting feedback in my ear on the translation. Apologies. 

So, my colleague, Jane Hutt, the Minister for Social Justice, spoke yesterday about how Wales is a community of communities, and her statement to the Senedd spoke about how the Welsh language and culture are something to celebrate and how we as a Government and our partners should embrace our Welsh identity and language as something that should bring the people of Wales and communities together. 

Llywydd, John Griffiths spoke about his Welsh identity and his city's relationship with Welshness, and as the Minister with responsibility for culture and heritage, I welcome the question that John poses today, and that is: how do we learn from the past to ensure a prosperous future for Wales, Newport and the Welsh language? And he also mentioned football, of course, and he immediately got my attention at that point, because that's something that he knows is very close to my heart. So, I'd also like to add my tribute to Chris Gunter's outstanding contribution to the Wales national football team over the years—a team that is also very important to our national culture. 

Llywydd, if I could now just briefly highlight what we are doing in the Newport area specifically, but across Wales as a whole. I'll start by talking about the culture strategy, and we're working with Plaid Cymru on a shared commitment to develop a new culture strategy for Wales that we hope will be available later this year. Our vision for that new strategy is that it will offer forward-looking, values-based direction for the sectors in scope, and that it will strengthen collaborative working and cohesion across our cultural sectors, and underpin all areas of society. The concepts of cultural democracy and developing the links between culture and well-being will be important considerations for the new strategy, and in developing that strategy, we will want to ensure that our sectors, our collections and our cultural activities reflect Wales as a confident, bilingual, diverse, inclusive, reflective and forward-looking nation.

Culture and identity are based on an immeasurable variety of perspectives and experiences, which you've set out very clearly in your introduction, John. So, it's not for Government to attempt to define what this should be at an individual or a community level, but we can and should be thinking about how we include, reflect, support, celebrate and better understand the multidimensional nature of culture and identity in Wales. And the strategy will hopefully be a catalyst to bring communities together to celebrate that rich diversity of identities that exist not only in Newport, but across the whole nation.

But can I now turn specifically to Newport? It’s an excellent example of how a locality’s history impacts on wider Welsh and UK history, helping shape not only local, but also national identity. You already referred to the Chartists; nobody can talk about Newport without talking about the Chartists, and the museum’s Chartists collection, of course, tells the story of a proud and significant Welsh contribution to a British movement that actioned significant political reform. And it’s 20 years since the Newport ship was uncovered during excavations on the riverside, and the planks of that fifteenth-century vessel have now been conserved and are ready to be pieced back together. This is a find of international significance and reflects the importance of maritime travel and trade for Wales across the centuries, which has greatly influenced the Wales that we see today.

I’ve already talked about what we’re going to do, but I think it’s probably right that I highlight a few things that we already have done, and what we continue to do to ensure that Welsh culture thrives within Newport. So, Newport’s museums celebrate a broad spectrum of cultures, communities, industries and eras, which all contribute to developing Newport’s present-day Welsh identity. Museums exist at the heart of a community. It is where people go to connect with each other and to share in and experience our history and our culture. The Welsh Government, via the Arts Council of Wales, fund a number of activities in the Newport area, and these include the Arts Portfolio Wales organisations, Ballet Cymru and the Riverfront, which you also mentioned. And a number of other Arts Portfolio Wales organisations have undertaken activity within the Newport local authority area. Key programme areas, such as creative learning and arts in health, also cover Newport. For example, the Aneurin Bevan University Health Board has recently delivered an extensive Celf ar gyfer y Faenor programme as part of the development of the new Grange.

To turn to Welsh, the Minister for Education and the Welsh Language has already spoken in the Chamber this afternoon about the significant work that’s being done to promote the Welsh language and culture across Wales.

I’m aware of the brilliant work that Menter Iaith Casnewydd are doing in Newport for the Welsh language. The £60,000 in grant funding that we provide to Menter Iaith goes towards promoting and increasing the use of Welsh in Newport communities, and I know that one of their priorities is to increase the use of Welsh amongst families, and to provide more opportunities for children and young people to use their Welsh outside of the school, as well as increasing opportunities for the wider community and learners to use their Welsh. The Menter Iaith has opened a unit in a prominent position in the market with the intention of being a focal point for Welsh language and culture on Newport High Street. As well as holding numerous activities organised by the Menter, such as after-school clubs for children, it’s also a space that can be used by local community groups and is suitable for performances, holding hybrid meetings, and also contains a display area that is open to organisations, schools, artists, business and local groups. The Menter Iaith has also established a number of community groups where people come together to use their Welsh, and with the help of the Menter Iaith, these groups are now able to operate by themselves.

So, to conclude, Dirprwy Lywydd, as I often say when I’m asked, I am English by birth, but I am Welsh by choice, and like others, I am very proud of our Welsh heritage, culture and language, and how this contributes to our sense of Welsh identity, which we see in Newport and which has been so passionately expressed by Members representing that city here in the Senedd, and which is, and will continue to be, supported by this Welsh Government. Diolch yn fawr iawn.

And that concludes today’s proceedings and brings them to a close.

The meeting ended at 17:44.