Question to the Wales Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, what steps the Government is taking to protect the Welsh language.

The Welsh language is a devolved subject and the responsibility of Senedd Cymru / the Welsh Parliament and the Welsh Government. However, 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.

As the UK’s major Welsh language broadcaster, S4C has played a unique and critical role in promoting the Welsh language and is a vital partner for UK Government. The UK Government’s commitment to promoting the Welsh language is reflected in S4C’s licence fee settlement, announced in January 2022; this provides a very strong settlement, with S4C initially receiving £88.8 million p.a. from April 2022, rising in line with inflation from April 2024. It also includes an additional £7.5 million p.a. to support S4C’s digital development, ensuring S4C’s offering remains sustainable in the digital age. Overall, this settlement delivers a 9% increase in funding for S4C.

Furthermore, as a fluent Welsh speaker and champion for the Welsh language, I personally take every opportunity to promote the language and communicate bilingually in my role. The Office of the Secretary of State for Wales, as the lead department in UK Government for the Welsh language, works with other government departments to improve Welsh language provision, most notably through the official-level, cross-Government Welsh Language Forum.