Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what recent discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on promoting the Welsh language in Patagonia.

I regularly meet with Welsh Government Ministers and the First Minister to discuss a wide range of matters, including the Welsh Language.

Although the Welsh Language is a devolved matter, the UK Government has a role to play in supporting the Welsh Government’s Cymraeg 2050 strategy. This is most notably through ensuring that S4C continues to thrive because of its vital role in ensuring the ongoing promotion and use of the Welsh language.

A good example of collaboration between the UK Government and Welsh Governments on the Welsh Language is the Welsh Language Project (WLP), funded by the Welsh Government and administered by the British Council. This has been promoting and developing the Welsh Language in the Chubut region of Patagonia, Argentina since 1997, where each year two teachers from Wales spend a full academic year from March to December teaching in Patagonia. Teaching time is split between the three Welsh-Spanish bilingual primary schools, Coleg Camwy, a secondary school in Gaiman where Welsh is taught as a second language, and the Welsh for Adults Centres in the region. The project also funds a permanent Welsh Teaching Co-ordinator, based in Patagonia, and supports approximately 20 staff in the schools and adult learning centres to teach Welsh.