Implementing the Comission's recommendations is "vital"

Following the publication of the second report of the Welsh Communities Commission today (Monday, 23 March), Cymdeithas yr Iaith have welcomed the recommendations, stating that it is “vital for the future of the Welsh language” that the next Welsh Government implements them after the Senedd election in May.

The aim of the report, “Cymraeg in every Community, strengthening the Welsh language”, is to look at the future of the language in communities with a medium or lower density of Welsh speakers.

The Welsh Communities Commission presented its first report, “Empowering communities, strengthening the Welsh language”, in August 2024. It listed 57 recommendations, 40 of them for the Welsh Government to enact, with the aim of strengthening the Welsh language in areas with a high proportion of speakers.

The report’s primary recommendation was to designate areas of Wales as “Areas of Higher Density Linguistic Significance” in order to create specific policies to support the language in those areas. However, the Welsh Government is currently only considering the possibility of legislating to establish these areas.

Owain Meirion, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said:

“We welcome the second report of the Welsh Communities Commission aimed at strengthening the Welsh language within communities in Wales where the language is not widely spoken.

“By providing fair access to early years Welsh-language provision, increasing the use of Welsh in sports, and boosting the use and visibility of Welsh in the digital world, it is a piece of research and analysis that sets out clear recommendations for the next Welsh Government.

“It is vital for the future of the Welsh language that whoever forms the government after the May election immediately begins the process of implementing all the recommendations of this report in order to make the Welsh language accessible to everyone living in Wales, as well as to develop a broader policy programme to revive the language. We cannot afford the same delays that we have seen from the current government regarding the recommendations of the first report.”