On Saint David’s Day, the Welsh Conservatives are calling on the Welsh Government to do more to promote the everyday use of Welsh and follows the recent publication of the Census 2021 data which shows that the number of people who consider themselves as Welsh speakers dropping since 2011.

Commenting ahead of the debate, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for the Welsh language, and Member of the Senedd for Carmarthen West and South Pembrokeshire Samuel Kurtz said: “It’s incredibly important, particularly given the recent, disappointing census results, that we take concrete steps to promote the everyday use of Welsh.

“Bilingualism is beneficial to the Welsh economy, acting as a unique selling point for the tourism and hospitality industries.

“There are countless speakers across Wales who cite confidence as their main reasoning behind not using the language regularly despite their ample ability.

“It’s vital that we create an environment where new speakers can feel comfortable using basic phrases and that capable speakers are able to practice their Welsh.

“That is why we are calling on the Labour Government to explore opportunities to promote day-to-day Welsh language use to further enrich our culture,” he continued.

The motion before the Senedd reads - To propose that the Senedd:

• Notes the Cymraeg 2050 work programme 2021 to 2026.

• Expresses concern that the 2021 Census revealed that the number of people who say they can speak Welsh decreased by more than 20,000.

• Believes that the Welsh language is a cultural asset which brings many benefits to Wales.

• Recognises the disparity in confidence amongst Welsh speakers.

• Calls on the Welsh Government to explore opportunities to expand and promote the day-to-day use of the Welsh language.