Rt Hon Carwyn Jones AM, First Minister of Wales and Huw Lewis AM, Minister for Education and Skills
This was published under the 2011 to 2016 administration of the Welsh Government
I am pleased for the opportunity to be able to update Members on how the Welsh Government will continue to implement the proposals set out in our Welsh language strategy a living language: a language for living 2012-17 in its final year.
The annual action plan, published today, reflects the priorities of the policy statement Bwrw Mlaen, published August 2014, which outlines the Welsh Government's priorities in the implementation of the Strategy over the three years until the end of the strategy period.
2016-17 will be an important period for the language with the first set of Welsh language standards becoming operational on 30 March 2016. As the action plan notes, we will continue to deliver the programme for making Welsh language standards as published by the Welsh Language Commissioner.
Alongside the important regulatory activity the work of supporting and promoting the use of Welsh will continue through the ‘do the little things’ behavioural change campaign, the introduction of the Welsh Language Charter in Welsh medium primary schools across Wales as well as through other targeted campaigns.
In the longer term the Welsh Government will work with stakeholders during 2016-17 to determine the direction for a new Welsh language strategy. This must be a priority for the new government.