Simon Thomas AM
In response to the First Minister’s statement on the Welsh language, the Party of Wales’ Shadow Minister for the Language, Simon Thomas, said:
“It’s most disappointing that the First Minister has again failed to deliver any robust schemes, and has instead announced yet another consultation document. Although the Government’s statement today does contain more substance, a whole year has gone by since they launched their consultation, and there is very little flesh on the bones.
“In the three years since the census, we have been waiting for action by the Welsh Government, but all we have had is a series of consultations, endless investigations and empty statements, with no rigorous action.
“It’s high time we saw some progress on the Language Standards so as to ensure appropriate provision for the Welsh language for public service consumers and a rapid move towards cycles two and three of the Language Standards which extend those rights to the health service and areas such as transport.
“If the Welsh language is to prosper as a community language, it must have standing in the workplace, so it’s good to see that the Government will invest to ensure that the language has its place in economic development policy. The Mentrau Iaith must support this work, and therefore it is good to see that there will be Government funding to do this.
“We are still waiting for details regarding the designation of areas such as Carmarthen, Aberystwyth and Bangor-Menai as growth areas for the economy and the Welsh language. Similarly Plaid Cymru is of the opinion that we must move towards having every child receiving Welsh-medium education at the Foundation Phase.
“The Welsh language must be treated as we would treat anything which is endangered – we must use all our resources to protect it. This is a battle that Wales cannot afford to lose.”
