Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025

PART 1 E+W PROMOTION AND FACILITATION OF USE OF THE WELSH LANGUAGE

1 Welsh language strategy targets: at least a million Welsh speakers and increase in use E+W

(1) The strategy on promoting and facilitating the use of Welsh adopted by the Welsh Ministers in accordance with section 78 of the Government of Wales Act 2006 (c. 32) (“the Welsh language strategy”) must—

(a) include the target to increase the number of Welsh speakers in Wales to at least 1 million by 2050;

(b) set targets for increasing the use of Welsh in Wales, including—

(i) use in the workplace;

(ii) social use;

(c) set targets‍ for teaching Welsh and education through the medium of Welsh, including in relation to—

(i) increasing the number of pupils of compulsory school age receiving education in “Primarily Welsh Language” category schools;

(ii) increasing the number of “Primarily Welsh Language” category schools;

(iii) increasing the amount of Welsh language education provided in “Dual Language” and “Primarily English language, partly Welsh” category schools;

(d) set targets for increasing the number of people learning Welsh;

(e) include the steps Welsh Ministers intend to take to encourage passing on the Welsh language—

(i) at home,

(ii) intergenerationally, and

(iii) in the community;

(f) include the steps the Welsh Ministers intend to take to encourage an increase in digital use of the Welsh language;

(g) set criteria to measure the progress necessary to meet the targets.

(2) The Welsh Ministers may, by regulations, amend sub-section (1)(c) to amend the targets required to be set by the strategy, to include further targets or to remove them.

(3) In setting out their proposals for promoting the Welsh language and facilitating its use in the Welsh language strategy in accordance with section 78 of the Government of Wales Act 2006, the Welsh Ministers must take account of the targets referred to in subsection (1)(a) to‍ (d).

(4) The plan published by the Welsh Ministers in accordance with section 78(9) of the Government of Wales Act 2006 must include a description of the steps the Welsh Ministers intend to take in order to contribute to meeting the targets referred to in subsection (1)(a) and (b) (and see Part 4 in respect of the targets referred to in subsection (1)(c) and (d)).

(5) In section 78 of the Government of Wales Act 2006—

(a) in subsection (1), instead of “(“the Welsh language strategy”)”, insert “to be known as “the Welsh language strategy” or “strategaeth y Gymraeg””;

(b) after subsection (1), insert—

“(1A) See Part 1 of the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025 (asc []) (referred to in Welsh as Deddf y Gymraeg ac Addysg (Cymru) 2025 (dsc [])) for further requirements relating to the Welsh language strategy.”;

(c) in subsection (5), for “consult such” substitute “consult the Welsh Language Commissioner and such other”;

(d) after subsection (10) insert—

“(11) In subsection (5), the reference to the “Welsh Language Commissioner means the commissioner appointed under section 2 of the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 (nawm 1) (referred to in Welsh as Mesur y Gymraeg (Cymru) 2011 (mccc 1)).”

(6) In this‍ Part—

(a) “Welsh language education” means—

(i) teaching Welsh, and

(ii) education and training through the medium of Welsh,

in a maintained school, during school sessions, to pupils of compulsory school age;

(b) references to “Primarily Welsh Language”, “Dual Language” and “Primarily English Language, partly Welsh” school categories are to be read in accordance with Part 3.

Commencement Information

I1 S. 1(1)(a) in force at 8.7.2025, see s. 56(1)(b)

I2 S. 1(4) in force at 8.7.2025 for specified purposes, see s. 56(1)(c)

I3 S. 1(5) in force at 7.9.2025, see s. 56(2)

Prospective

2 Reporting on targets in the Welsh language strategy E+W

(1) At least once every 5 years, the Welsh Ministers must include in the report published under section 78(8) of the Government of Wales Act 2006, analysis of the situation of the Welsh language in Wales including—

(a) an assessment of the number, and‍ a calculation of the percentage of Welsh speakers in the area of each local authority, including by reference to their age;

(b) an assessment of the number of pupils of compulsory school age in each local authority area receiving education in “Primarily Welsh Language” category schools, and a calculation of that number as a percentage of pupils of compulsory school age receiving education in maintained schools in the area;

(c) in relation to community special schools—

(i) an assessment of the number of pupils of compulsory school age in each local authority area receiving education in community special schools providing an amount of Welsh language education corresponding to the amount of Welsh language education provided by “Primarily Welsh Language” category schools, and

(ii) a calculation of that number as a percentage of pupils of compulsory school age receiving education in community special schools in the are‍a;

(d) an assessment of the use of Welsh in Wales;

(e) an assessment of the likelihood that the targets referred to in section 1(1)(a) to‍ (d) will be met by reference to the criteria set by the strategy;

(f) information on the change, during the period since the previous assessment, in the number and percentage of Welsh speakers in the area of each local authority.

(2) If the Welsh Ministers conclude that a target is unlikely to be met, the Welsh Ministers must lay before Senedd Cymru, and publish, a statement.

(3) The statement must be laid and published before the end of the 6-month period starting with the date the report that includes the analysis referred to in subsection (1) is laid before Senedd Cymru (under section 78(8) of the Government of Wales Act 2006).

(4) The statement must—

(a) explain why the target is unlikely to be met, and

(b) set out the further steps the Welsh Ministers have taken, or the steps they intend to take, to meet the target.

Commencement Information

I4 S. 2 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 56(4)(5)

Prospective

3 Calculating the number of Welsh speakers E+W

(1) For the purposes of sections 1 and 2, the number of Welsh speakers is to be calculated on the basis of data specified by the Welsh Ministers by regulations, but in calculating the number of speakers any relevant data derived from a census conducted in accordance with the Census Act 1920 (c. 41) must be taken into account.

(2) For the purposes of sections 1 and 2, whether a person is a Welsh speaker is to be decided—

(a) in the case of persons aged‍ 17 and over, on the basis of self-assessment;

(b) in the case of children under the age o‍f 17, on the basis of self-assessment, or the assessment of the child’s parent or carer.

(3) In the case of children under the age of 17, the Welsh Ministers may by regulations—

(a) specify a method of deciding whether a person is a Welsh speaker for the purposes of section 1 and 2, and

(b) specify whether that method is to be used in addition to, or instead of, the assessments referred to in subsection (2)(b).

(4) The Welsh Ministers must prepare and publish guidance on assessments under subsection (2)(a) and (b).

(5) In preparing guidance under subsection (4), the Welsh Ministers must have regard to the Code prepared under section 6.

(6) The Welsh Ministers must take all reasonable steps to ensure that the guidance published under subsection (4) is taken into account—

(a) when the data referred to in subsection (1) is collected, and

(b) when the assessments referred to in subsection (2)(a) and (b) are completed.

Commencement Information

I5 S. 3 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 56(4)(5)

Prospective

4 Reviewing the Welsh language standards E+W

(1) The Welsh Ministers must review the standards specified under section 26 of the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 (nawm 1) with a view to determining whether amendments are necessary to—

(a) any of the standards relating to improving or assessing workforce Welsh language skills to—

(i) facilitate meeting a target set under this Part, or

(ii) reflect the Code prepared by the Welsh Ministers on describing Welsh language ability under section 6;

(b) any of the Welsh language promotion standards to facilitate meeting a target set under this Part.

(2) The Welsh Ministers must—

(a) consult the Welsh Language Commissioner as part of the review in subsection (1);

(b) complete the review within the 12-month period starting with the day following publication of the Code under section 7 for the first time.

Commencement Information

I6 S. 4 not in force at Royal Assent, see s. 56(4)(5)