Agenda item

The Leader firstly advised colleagues of the death of the Welsh Language Commissioner, Aled Roberts on Sunday 13 February. Aled was a former Leader of Wrexham Council and an Assembly Member for North Wales region in 2011.

The council was subject to a number of Welsh Language Standards, imposed by the Welsh Language Commissioner.

Standard 145 placed an obligation on the council to publish a five year strategy which sets out how we proposed to promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language in Newport.

The Standards also required that the Strategy must include a % target for increasing or maintaining the numbers of Welsh speakers in the area and a statement setting out how this would be achieved.

The Leader was delighted to present our second Welsh Language Promotional Strategy which built on the links, good work and progress made over the last five years.

The Strategy represented an evolution from our 2017 – 2022 plan, with a focus on delivering a vision for the Welsh language in Newport that included all of our diverse communities, works in partnership with key stakeholders and met statutory obligations.

The Strategy reflected Newport as a Welsh city with rich multicultural, multilingual communities. We wanted to celebrate the Welsh language as part of our shared identity, and increase opportunities for everyone to see, hear, learn, use and love our national language.

It also brought together exciting Welsh language work across a range of areas including our new Welsh in Education Strategic Plan and our work with Public Service Board partners through our Right Skills Board.

As well as focusing on growing the range of partners and stakeholders who were engaging with the Welsh language, we continued our commitment to develop our internal structures and policies to support staff who wish to learn Welsh, or use their skills in the workplace.

This Strategy would provide a drive and focus for the next five years as we continued to raise the profile of the Welsh language across the city, supporting Welsh Government reach its target of 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050, and create a Wales of vibrant culture and thriving Welsh language.

The Leader invited Cllr Jason Hughes, Welsh Language Member Champion to say a few words.

Councillor Hughes shared sentiment on Aled’s passing and thoughts went out to family and friends.

Mae’rstrategaeth yn. Cyflwyno gweledigaeth y cyngor ar gyfer yr iaith gymraeg Yong Ngasnewydd-Bod pawb yn gallu gweld; clywed; disgu, defnyddio a caru Cymraeg.

Er bod ein targed ar gyfer twf yn canolbwyntio ar addysg, rydym yn cydnabod bod angen uchelgais ehangach ar gyfer y Gymraeg yng Ngasnewydd er mwyn gwneud yr iaith yn hygyrch a gynhwysol fel y gall ein holl drigolion ymgysylltu a hi.

I gyflawni hyn rydym weds datblygu tair thema strategol syn canolbwyntio ar gymunedau addysg, diwylliant ac hefyd chyflogaeth a sgilliau.

Mae cypress o gamau gweithredu syn ymwneud ar themau hyn wedi cynnwys y strategaeth a bydd y rhain yn cael eu hadolygun barhaus, yn enwedig yng ngoleuni data’s cyfrifiad ( sensws) newydd a all dweud mwy wrthym am brofil ieithyddol Casnewydd.

Byddwnhefyd yn defnyddio strwythurau llywodraethu presennol I fonitro cynnydd y strategaeth gynnwys drwy ein bwrdd sgilliau cywir; grwp gweithredu iaith Cymraeg ac hefyd fforwm yr iaith Cymraeg yn y ddinas. Adroddir yn gyhoeddus ar gynnydd y strategaeth fel rhan o’n hadroddiad blynyddol ar y iaith Gymraeg a gyhoeddir fel rhan o’r adroddiad bob  blwyddyn ariannol.

Diolchyn fawr Arweinydd

The strategy introduced the council’s vision for the Welsh language in Newport – that everyone is able to ‘see, hear, learn, use, and love’ Welsh.

Although our target for growth is education focussed, we recognised that we need a wider ambition for the Welsh language in Newport in order to make it an inclusive, accessible language which all of our residents can engage with.

To achieve this, we have developed three strategic themes which focussed on Education, Communities and Culture and Employments and Skills.

A series of actions relating to these themes were included in the Strategy, and these would be reviewed on an ongoing basis, particularly in light of new census data which may tell us more about Newport’s linguistic profile.

Existing governance structures would monitor the progress of the Strategy, including through our Right Skills Board, Welsh Language Implementation Group and Welsh Language Forum.

Progress on the Strategy would be publicly reported on as part of our Welsh language annual report which was required to be published each financial year.

Comments from Cabinet Members:

§  Councillor Mayer thanked Councillor Hughes as the Welsh Language Champion as well as the Leader.    Councillor Mayer thanked Tracy McKim, in her role as Policy, Partnership and Involvement Officer and the team who embedded this.  Finally Councillor Mayer also Heather Powell, Connected Communities Manager, for her hard work and support.  Heather was leaving the Council and Councillor Mayer wishes her all the best as she embarked on her new career path.

§  Councillor Davies echoed thanks of colleagues. The report reflected on target of WESP and adopted those priorities to achieve target of 1M speakers by 2050.

Decision:

That Cabinet approved the draft Strategy prior to submission to Full Council in March.