LESS than four thousand pounds out of a seventeen million pound budget was spent on Welsh medium community education for adults, according to figures given to Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg.

Information released by the Welsh Government under freedom of information legislation to the campaign group shows that a number of major Government budgets fund almost no Welsh language provision, with over 99% of money going to English language projects. In its language strategy published last year, the Government promised to "Mainstream the Welsh language across all of the Welsh Government's activities." 

Over the last three years, out of a total of 90,477 apprenticeships funded by Welsh Government, only 354 were through the medium of Welsh or less than four in every thousand apprenticeships. The figures show that only 0.02% of the seventeen million spent on adult education in the community over three years, or £2 for every £10,000 spent, was used for Welsh medium education. In one year, not a single penny was spent from the budget on Welsh medium courses. Over the same period, the figures also reveal that only 0.3%, or £3 for every £1000, of spending on work-based learning funded studies through the medium of Welsh. 

Responding to the statistics, Toni Schiavone, Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg's sustainable communities' spokesperson commented:

"These figures are shocking and very difficult to believe. They show the Welsh language is being completely undermined by the Welsh Government's main funding streams. In reality the English language, one of the most powerful languages in the world, is receiving an enormous subsidy from Welsh taxpayers. Government spending patterns are reducing the use of the language and the opportunities to use it. So while the Government earmarks relatively small sums of money to Welsh language initiatives, the impact of those projects is completely undermined and reversed by other policies. It's not a joined up approach."

"Some of these specific figures should embarrass Ministers. Especially the paltry sum, less than four thousand pounds over three years, for teaching all of Wales' adults through the medium of Welsh. It's laughably low. Hopefully when they see the information, they will commit to raising that figure substantially. 

"There must be training in the workplace in Welsh if we are serious about making it a language of the workplace. Why should it be a surprise that use of the language is low in work when over 99% of all government spending on that type of training is in English? According to the Government, the future of the language is in our young people's hands. But, are they going to use Welsh in the workplace if there aren't apprenticeships for them in their language? Are adults going to keep the language when there are no community courses for them?

"These problems extend wider than the budget alone. Just like with the unnecessary housing developments in Carmarthenshire and other places, the Government is, on the one hand, funding Mentrau Iaith to strengthen the language, while the housing system is undermining their work completely on the other."

In a recent meeting between the First Minister and a Cymdeithas yr Iaith delegation, Carwyn Jones agreed to commission an independent review of the language impact of all Government spending. The group's Chair Robin Farrar added: 

"We've already raised concerns about Welsh Government spending. We were pleased to hear that he's agreed to our suggestion to commission an independent review of the linguistic footprint of all Government spending in every department. We will be bringing these figures to his attention, and pressing him to act urgently on commissioning the review. More delay would mean even less use of the language and fewer speakers - the old strategy of trying to promote the language while ignoring the policies which are damaging it has failed. Now is the time for positive action by the Government on the language, and as the figures show, that must be done across every department."