Question to the Department for Exiting the European Union :

To ask the Secretary of State for Exiting the European Union, what discussions he has had with the (a) Secretary of State for Wales, (b) Welsh Government and (c) Welsh Language Commissioner on the potential effect of the UK leaving the EU on (i) Welsh speakers and (ii) Welsh-speaking communities.

As the Prime Minister has made clear, we are committed to securing a deal that works for the whole of the United Kingdom including Welsh-speaking communities. The UK Government has been working closely and effectively with the Welsh Government, the Secretary of State for Wales and Welsh stakeholders on EU Exit to ensure this.

This includes, for example, the Joint Ministerial Committee on EU Negotiations and the Ministerial Forum on EU Negotiations. The Ministerial Forum recently discussed the UK Government’s proposals for continued cooperation with the EU on culture and education as well as options for continued participation in successor schemes to EU funding programmes, such as Creative Europe, which I understand has played a role in supporting a number of Welsh language projects. We welcomed the Welsh Ministers’ contributions to this discussion.

While the Welsh language is a devolved matter, we fully recognise its importance as part of the United Kingdom’s rich culture and will continue working with the Welsh Government, the Secretary of State for Wales and Welsh stakeholders to ensure their concerns on this matter are taken into account as we leave the EU.