Call for a ‘big’ response to the ‘Big Conversation’

The Celebrating our Language – Mudiadau Dathlu’r Gymraeg umbrella group is glad to announce that the First Minister, Carwyn Jones, has responded positively to their request for a meeting to discuss the draft budget. The group is confident that this can be carried out before the vote on the draft budget on 10 December.

This comes as the First Minister prepares to deliver a statement in the Assembly regarding his initial response to the Big Conversation.

Penri Williams, Chairman of the Celebrating Our Language group said,

“As a group we were concerned that the draft budget showed a reduction in the finance for the Welsh language, specifically in terms of teaching Welsh. We are of the opinion that spending on promoting the Welsh language should be prioritised, as we as a country respond to the disturbing census statistics and as we look forward to seeing the Government’s response to the Big Conversation on the Welsh language held in the summer.

“We are keen to see a ‘big’ response to the ‘big’ conversation.

“When the Big Conversation was held, Celebrating Our Language called on the Government to increase, over a period of time, it’s spending on projects specifically for the Welsh language to 1% of the total budget, arguing that investment in the language should match those seen for the Basque language in the Basque Country. So any cuts in the opposite direction would, at this time, be severely damaging to the Welsh language, particularly as reviews, commissioned by the Government, call for further spending on specific items.”