The Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1 and Transitional and Transitory Provision) Order 2026

Welsh Statutory Instruments

2026 No. 78 (C. 7)

Welsh language

education, wales

The Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1 and Transitional and Transitory Provision) Order 2026

Made

10 March 2026

The Welsh Ministers, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 56(4) and (5) of the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025(1), make the following Order.

Title and interpretation

1.—(1) The title of this Order is the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025 (Commencement No. 1 and Transitional and Transitory Provision) Order 2026.

(2) In this Order, “the Act” means the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025.

Provisions coming into force on 1 April 2026

2.  The following provisions of the Act come into force on 1 April 2026—

(a) section 3(1) to (3) (calculating the number of Welsh speakers);

(b) section 4 (reviewing the Welsh language standards);

(c) section 6 (Code to describe Welsh language ability);

(d) section 7 (publishing and reviewing the Code);

(e) section 24 (National Framework for Welsh Language Education and Learning Welsh);

(f) section 25 (National Framework: further provision on the education workforce);

(g) section 26(2)(b) (implementing the National Framework);

(h) section 27 (National Framework: further provision about content, review and amendment);

(i) section 28(1)(a) and (c) to (g), (2) and (3) (consultation and publication of the National Framework);

(j) section 37 (interpretation).

Provision coming into force on 1 August 2027

3.  Section 28(1)(b) (consultation on the National Framework with the National Institute for Learning Welsh) of the Act comes into force on 1 August 2027.

Provisions coming into force on 1 April 2026 to the extent specified

4.  Part 3 (Welsh language education) of the Act comes into force on the 1 April 2026 for the purposes only of section 37(e) of the Act (but not so as to bring the duties under Part 3 into force).

Transitional and transitory provision relating to section 24 of the Act (National Framework for Welsh Language Education and Learning Welsh)

5.—(1) Until section 1 of the Act comes fully into force, references to “ the Welsh language strategy” in section 24 of the Act are to be read as if they were references to a draft Welsh language strategy containing the matters set out in section 1(1) of the Act and prepared by the Welsh Ministers for the purpose of consultation.

(2) In this article, “Welsh language strategy” means 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(2).

Mark Drakeford

Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Welsh Language, one of the Welsh Ministers

10 March 2026

EXPLANATORY NOTE

(This note is not part of the Order)

This is the first Commencement Order made by the Welsh Ministers under the Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Act 2025 (asc 2) (“the Act”).

Article 2 brings the provisions of the Act specified in that article into force on 1 April 2026.

Article 3 brings section 28(1)(b) of the Act into force on 1 August 2027. This coincides with the date on which the provision establishing the National Institute for Learning Welsh comes into force under section 56(3) of the Act.

Article 4 brings Part 3 of the Act into force on 1 April 2026 for the purpose of the interpretation of “Primarily Welsh Language”, “Dual Language” and “Primarily English Language, partly Welsh” language categories in section 37(e) of the Act.

Article 5 makes a transitional and transitory provision relating to section 24 of the Act, which is brought into force by article 2. It provides that, until section 1 of the Act comes fully into force, references to “the Welsh language strategy” in section 24 are to be read as references to a draft Welsh language strategy containing the matters set out in section 1(1) of the Act and prepared by the Welsh Ministers for the purpose of consultation.

(1)

2025 asc 2.

(2)

2006 c. 32.