Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has made representations to the Welsh Government on renaming the Brecon Beacons National Park.

National parks are a devolved matter in Wales. However, I regularly engage with the Welsh Labour Government on a variety of topics, and I would welcome discussions with them on national parks matters next time I meet with them.

The UK Government is committed to supporting the promotion and use of the Welsh language, including the Welsh Government’s ambition for one million Welsh speakers by 2050. Indeed, as a Welsh speaker, I take every opportunity to promote the use of Welsh and communicate bilingually where possible. In addition, the UK Government has agreed a strong licence fee settlement with S4C - a major Welsh language broadcaster - receiving £88.8 million per annum for the first two years, which will then rise in line with inflation thereafter.

However, the Brecon Beacons National Park has a long-standing international identity that is synonymous with its name. I am concerned that the exclusive use of Bannau Brycheiniog will reduce recognition of the national park on an international stage, and I struggle to understand why the Welsh name cannot be used in conjunction with the English name.