Campaigners call for Government to follow through with Welsh language heartlands manifesto pledge

Stephen Price

Welsh language campaigners have called on the Welsh Government to confirm a timetable for delivery of one of their key manifesto pledges calling for new protections for areas of higher linguistic significance.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith has called on Anna Brychan MS, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and the Welsh Language, to provide a clear timetable on implementing the recommendation of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities to give statutory designation to areas of higher linguistic significance.

The Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities published its first report, ‘Empowering communities, strengthening the Welsh language’, in August 2024.

Although more than two years have passed since the report was published, and six months since the Plaid Cymru Government was formed, no action has yet been taken on the Commission’s central recommendation to designate areas of higher linguistic significance, other than further consideration of the issue.

In its manifesto for this year’s Senedd election in May, ‘For Wales’, Plaid Cymru made the following commitment:

“Acting on the recommendations of the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities, we will … legislate for new protections for areas of higher linguistic density, working with local authorities to determine how and where these areas should be designated.”

According to Cymdeithas yr Iaith, the Government has not confirmed that it intends to deliver on this commitment or set out a clear pathway for doing so, despite having had several opportunities to do so.

The movement has expressed its concerns about the matter in correspondence with Anna Brychan MS, Cabinet Secretary for Education and the Welsh Language.

Dr Jeff Smith, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s Sustainable Communities Group, said: “Two years have passed since the Commission for Welsh-speaking Communities published its recommendations, based on rigorous research, and the Government should be treating this as an emergency.

“The time for consideration has passed; it is now time to publish a clear pathway and timetable for implementing the report’s central recommendation.

“Designating areas of higher linguistic significance would make it possible to introduce tailored measures relating to housing, language, education, administration and other areas, in order to sustain Welsh as a living community language.

“We are calling on the Government to assure us that it will honour the commitment made in its manifesto, and to provide a timetable explaining when and how this will be delivered, as a matter of urgency.”

Recently, Councillor Rhys Tudur – who was a member of the Commission – raised concerns about the Government’s delay in implementing its commitment to designate areas of higher linguistic significance.

In response, Anna Brychan MS said that the Government was working with local authorities and others to develop the approach to designation, and was “considering the role that legislation could play in supporting this work”.

Dr Jeff Smith added: “It would be wholly inadequate for the Government to rely solely on non-legislative and non-statutory measures. Legislation is needed to deliver specific measures to protect the position of the Welsh language in the communities where it is strongest – that is, every area where more than 40% of the population speak Welsh, as recommended by the Commission.

“Today marks six months since Rhun ap Iorwerth was appointed First Minister by the Senedd, and therefore since Plaid Cymru took office. However, despite a clear manifesto pledge, the new Government has still not stated that it intends to deliver on this commitment, let alone set out a clear pathway and timetable for achieving the designation.”

The Commission also published a further report in March 2026, as part of the second phase of its work, ‘Reaching every community, strengthening the Welsh language.’ This report focuses on areas of medium and lower linguistic significance.

The Welsh Government has been asked to respond.