Drakeford Concerns Over Lack of Welsh Language Support in Next Senedd

Mark Drakeford warns of risks to Welsh language progress if unsupportive parties gain seats in the next Senedd, emphasizing the importance of consensus and government strategy for Welsh Language 2050 targets.

Drakeford Voices Concern Over Welsh Language Support in Upcoming Senedd

Ysgrifennydd y Gymraeg Mark Drakeford has expressed his apprehension about the next Senedd term if individuals unsupportive of the Welsh language are elected in the May election.

He responded to Plaid Cymru MS Heledd Fychan, who questioned how dangerous it would be if the Reform party were to "abolish" the Welsh language 2050 targets.

A spokesperson for Reform told the BBC that they "want to see the Welsh language thrive across our country."

"We would replace arbitrary targets with genuine ambition,"

the spokesperson added.

Reform is set to publish their manifesto tomorrow for the Senedd election on 7 May.

The Welsh Government's Welsh Language 2050 strategy has two main targets:

The number of Welsh speakers to reach 1 million by 2050;
The percentage of the population who speak Welsh daily, and who can speak more than a few words of Welsh, to increase from 10% (2013-15) to at least 20% by 2050.

During the Senedd's culture committee on Wednesday, Heledd Fychan stated,

"We currently have a consensus in this Senedd. We know that every party standing in the May election is not supportive of the Welsh language. Reform, for example, have said they want to abolish Welsh Language 2050. How dangerous do you think that would be, and not having this central to government strategy for the continuation of the Welsh language?"

Mark Drakeford replied that one of the things he is "so proud of" since the 2021 Senedd election is that the Welsh Language and Education Bill was passed unanimously in the Senedd.

"I'm sure some people in the Conservatives think the bill went too far and too fast. I'm sure members in Plaid Cymru thought the bill did not go far enough and was too slow. But the consensus behind the language, every party wanted to show they were supportive. That is really important, I think. I am worried about the next Senedd, where people from different political backgrounds who are not supportive of the Welsh language, who are not supportive of the Senedd... We've been lucky, I think, that we have collaborated on such a fundamental issue for us in Wales, which has been a strength for the language, and I don't want to see that disappear in the next Senedd."

"I think we would all endorse your words there,"

said committee chair and Plaid Cymru MS Delyth Jewell.

When the final stage of the Welsh Language and Education Bill was passed, Conservative Tom Giffard said,

"If people want Welsh-medium education it is important that provision is available... it is important that we reach the target of a million Welsh speakers."

'Place Names Remain a Challenging Area'

In written evidence to the committee, the Welsh Government acknowledged that "place names remain a challenging area of work."

The government commissioned research to better understand where, how, and why place names change in Wales, publishing findings in "Changes to place names in Wales: research on current trends," with an external link due in June 2025.

The government stated in the paper for Wednesday's committee meeting that although the research report "focuses on property names, business names, and street names, it also highlights the need for further research into topographical names, especially those used by tourism communities and outdoor activities, which are later adopted locally and online, and which, due to their nature, are more difficult to identify.

"We continue to explore several avenues for this second phase of research."