Sir,

In last week's Observer, Eifion Jenkins told us that having a Welsh medium school in Tenby was 'A Question of Choice'.

Funny that, because in these times of austerity I don't recall anyone asking the people of Tenby if they wanted or felt they needed this school, nor do I recall any sort of consultation. No, rather like most things concerning the Welsh language, it was presented to us as a fait accompli.

So unless I missed something, as a taxpayer I'd just like the following questions answered:

1. How much will it cost to set this school up, and how much will its annual running costs be?

2. How has demand been assesed. As all the families locally are English speaking, are we sure that enough want their kids to go to school and learn in one language, and then come home and speak another?

3. When the children who attend this school reach 11, where will they go? If the county's only bilingual school is already at bursting point (and that's 30 miles away), will we have to open a Welsh medium secondary school, or is the plan that they do half their education in Welsh and half in English? I'm sure our forward-thinking education department have a plan, and it would be nice to know what it is.

I went to both primary and secondary school in Tenby in the '70s and never heard a word of Welsh spoken. However, when I went to Carmarthen, where my father worked, Welsh was spoken in all the shops. Now I go to Carmarthen and it's rare to hear Welsh spoken. To my mind the Welsh Government should concentrate their efforts on trying to ensure that Welsh is still used and practised in the heartlands, as carpet bombing the whole of Wales with Welsh medium schools without any local consultation seems like a highly undemocratic, and very expensive unthought through measure that reeks of desperation.

John Evans,

Wisemans Bridge.