Annual Population Survey a wake up call for the Government?

Following the publication of the Annual Population Survey, which shows a further fall in the number of Welsh speakers, Cymdeithas yr Iaith says that the Government needs to stop and act in the period before the election.

"The results of the Annual Population Survey are extremely disappointing as they show a continuous fall in the number of Welsh speakers.

"In the past the Welsh Government has referred to annual surveys in order to avoid criticism for the disastrous results of the 2021 Census. These results should be a wake up call for the Government to use the remaining nine months of the Senedd term to act, and stop dragging it's feet, as it has been over the past few years.

"Ten months after the publication of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities' report, which carried out two years of detailed research and analysis, the Government's response to it did nothing more than confirm that current plans will continue and say that further discussion and research is needed. We need more than that to tackle the housing crisis in areas which have traditionally been Welsh heartlands.

"The Welsh Language and Education Act - which received royal assent yesterday - was far too weak and lacked statutory targets in order to drive change and achieve the Government's own aim of giving the Welsh language to all children through the education system. Rather than ensuring an Act that will make a real difference when it is introduced, the next Government will have to return to it and add a statutory target for giving Welsh education to all children.
"We also encourage the Government to reverse the recent decision to drop the promise to establish a Broadcasting and Communications Advisory Body for Wales which would start the process of putting broadcasting powers in the hands of the people of Wales."