Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025

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)