Mark Drakeford MS Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Welsh Language Welsh Government

Pwyllgor Diwylliant, Cyfathrebu, y Gymraeg, Chwaraeon, a Chysylltiadau Rhyngwladol — Culture, Communications, Welsh Language, Sport, and International Relations Committee Senedd Cymru Bae Caerdydd, Caerdydd, CF99 1SN SeneddDiwylliant@senedd.cymru senedd.cymru/SeneddDiwylliant 0300 200 6565 — Welsh Parliament Cardiff Bay, Cardiff, CF99 1SN SeneddCulture@senedd.wales senedd.wales/SeneddCulture 0300 200 6565
 

 

 


By email

28 July 2025

Cymraeg for all? inquiry: Ministerial evidence session follow-up

Dear Mark,

Thank you for appearing before the Committee on 16 July 2025, to provide evidence for our inquiry. I am writing to seek clarification on several matters discussed during the session, and to follow up with some additional questions that we were unable to address due to time constraints.

  1. During the session, it was noted that an increase in grant funding in the last budget round ensured that each Menter Iaith received either a minimum uplift of 5%, or an increase to bring their annual grant to at least £100,000. This was the first such increase in several years and was widely welcomed. For those mentrau iaith that previously received a baseline grant of around £60,000, this is a significant increase in their core budget. For those who were already in receipt of £100,000+, the increase of 5 percent is significantly lower as a proportion of their grant funding. Set against the backdrop of significant inflationary costs, particularly costs to hold larger local events and festivals, and rising staffing costs, is the Welsh Government considering further adjustments to address this disparity in funding for the mentrau?
  2. Could you provide a breakdown of the proportion of the Welsh Government’s Welsh language budget in recent years that has been specifically allocated to lay the foundations for future Welsh language technological development?
  3. Could you clarify whether the Welsh Government intends to publish a formal strategy/plan beyond the priorities or establish an expert advisory group to support the long-term development of Welsh language technology?
  4. To what extent is there a need for a more strategic approach to Welsh language research, particularly in relation to language use, and through which mechanisms or institutions could such a strategy be delivered effectively?
  5. Whether you agree with the evidence that there’s currently a knowledge gap in terms of Welsh language use and use of technology in Welsh? If so, how effective can policies and strategies aimed at increasing language use in the digital sphere be if they are developed without a robust evidence base?
  6. One of the issues raised during this inquiry is the ‘confidence gap’ - where individuals who are able to speak Welsh may not feel confident enough to use the language or to identify themselves as Welsh speakers in data and official statistics. Could you set out how the Welsh Government is active in addressing this confidence gap to ensure robust evidence and data to inform future language policy development.

We would be grateful for your responses to these questions at your earliest convenience.

Yours sincerely,

Llun o lofnod Disgrifiad a gynhyrchwyd yn awtomatig

Delyth Jewell AS
Cadeirydd y Pwyllgor

Croesewir gohebiaeth yn Gymraeg neu Saesneg.

We welcome correspondence in Welsh or English.