THE PERCENTAGE of Welsh speakers has fallen to its lowest level in over eight years, with just 27.7% of people in Wales able to speak the language, according to government statistics.

Data from the annual population survey, which covers the year ending 30 September 2024, estimates there are around 851,700 Welsh speakers in Wales. This marks a 1.6% decline compared to the previous year.

Despite the drop, the Welsh government remains resolute in its commitment to increasing the number of Welsh speakers. A spokesperson said: “We are absolutely committed to our goal of having one million Welsh speakers and doubling the daily use of Welsh.”

The ambitious target of one million Welsh speakers by 2050 is measured using census data, rather than the annual population survey.

Census data paints a stark picture
The 2021 census revealed a further decline in Welsh speakers, with only 17.8% of residents—approximately 538,000 people aged three and older—reporting they could speak the language.

Welsh speakers by the numbers
The annual population survey provides further insights:

• Children lead the way: 48.6% of children and young people aged 3 to 15 reported they could speak Welsh, equating to 237,600 individuals. However, this figure has been gradually declining since 2019.
• Regional highs and lows:
  • Gwynedd boasts the highest number of Welsh speakers (93,600), followed by Carmarthenshire (93,300) and Cardiff (83,300).
  • Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil have the fewest Welsh speakers, with 9,500 and 10,600, respectively.
  • In percentage terms, Gwynedd (77.9%) and the Isle of Anglesey (63.6%) lead, while Rhondda Cynon Taf (13.9%) and Blaenau Gwent (14%) rank lowest.

How often is Welsh spoken?
Among those who can speak Welsh:

• 13.9% (428,800 people) speak it daily.
• 5.6% (171,300) use it weekly.
• 6.7% (204,700) speak it less often.
• 1.5% (46,500) never speak Welsh despite being able to.

The remaining 72.3% of people in Wales do not speak Welsh at all.

Understanding Welsh
Beyond speaking:

• 32.2% (989,300 people) reported they could understand spoken Welsh.
• 24.4% (751,600) can read Welsh.
• 22.1% (680,100) can write in the language.

Survey sample size questioned
The annual population survey, conducted by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), has faced criticism over falling sample sizes in recent years. However, the ONS confirmed to the BBC that 14,881 responses were used for the Welsh language questions in the latest survey.

The figures underline the challenges facing efforts to revitalize the Welsh language, even as the government strives to meet its ambitious 2050 targets.

AXEL RUDAKUBANA, the teenager responsible for the horrific murders of three young girls at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport last July, is being sentenced today at Liverpool Crown Court.

The sentencing hearing, which began at 11:00am, follows Rudakubana’s last-minute guilty plea to 16 charges earlier this week, sparing the victims’ families the trauma of a trial.

A catalogue of violence and missed warnings

The 18-year-old, who was just 17 when he committed the murders, has admitted to killing nine-year-old Alice da Silva Aguiar, seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe, and six-year-old Bebe King. The attack, which also left ten others, including eight children, with life-altering injuries, has shocked the nation and prompted questions about systemic failings.

Red flags surrounding Rudakubana’s escalating violent tendencies and extremist interests were evident as early as 2019. He was permanently expelled from Range High School in Formby after bringing a knife onto school grounds and, months later, attacking another pupil with a hockey stick.

Despite repeated referrals to the government’s anti-extremism Prevent programme for his fixation on violence, including school shootings and acts of terrorism, interventions were described as “limited.” His violent interests extended to Nazi Germany, ethnic violence, and extremist literature, including the Al Qaeda training manual found during searches of his home.

The July 29 attack

On July 29, 2024, Rudakubana launched his premeditated attack during a children’s dance class in Southport. Armed with a knife and other weapons, he murdered three innocent girls and injured multiple others. Among those targeted were class leader Leanne Lucas and bystander John Hayes, who intervened during the chaos.

Sentencing considerations

Due to his age at the time of the crimes, Rudakubana cannot receive a whole-life order, which is reserved for offenders aged 18 and older. Instead, he faces a life sentence with a minimum term likely to span decades, reflecting the exceptional seriousness of his crimes.

Legal experts suggest the unprecedented nature of this case makes the length of his sentence difficult to predict, though the scale of planning and the young ages of his victims will weigh heavily in the judge’s decision.

Remembering the victims

The families of the three girls have shared emotional tributes to their beloved daughters. Elsie Dot Stancombe’s family described her as “extraordinary” and “an amazing little girl” who brightened the lives of everyone she met.

Alice da Silva Aguiar was remembered as a “perfect dream child” with a love for animals and a strong sense of empathy. Her parents spoke of the joy she brought to their lives.

Bebe King, the youngest victim, was described as a “sweet, kind, and spirited girl” who radiated love and happiness.

A public inquiry announced

In the wake of these tragic events, the government has announced a public inquiry into the failings that allowed Rudakubana’s violent escalation to go unchecked. The inquiry will examine the role of public agencies in the case and explore the broader issues of youth violence and extremism.

THE LATEST NHS statistics paint a bleak picture of healthcare in Wales, with waiting lists reaching an unprecedented 802,268 patient pathways in November—marking the tenth consecutive month of increases. These figures have sparked widespread criticism, with opposition parties and healthcare charities lambasting the Welsh Labour Government for its handling of the crisis.

Waiting lists and emergency care in decline

The 802,268 patient pathways recorded represent more than one in four of the Welsh population. Behind this staggering number lies a harsh reality for patients. The median waiting time has now climbed to 23 weeks, a stark contrast to the 14-week average in England. For those waiting more than two years for treatment, the figure has risen again to 24,361. This is a glaring failure considering Labour’s repeated promises to eliminate two-year waits by 2023 and 2024—targets that remain unmet.

Emergency departments also continue to struggle. The percentage of patients seen within four hours has dropped to 64.8%, well below the target of 95%. In December, 10,857 patients waited more than 12 hours for care, an 11% increase from the previous month. Only 47.6% of red calls, the most serious emergency cases, received an ambulance response within eight minutes in December.

Cancer treatment performance falls short

Cancer services are in an equally dire state. The performance against the critical 62-day target for starting cancer treatment has fallen to just 60.2%—far below the 75% benchmark. While Health Secretary Jeremy Miles highlights incremental progress, including a reduction in long waits for diagnostics and therapies, critics argue this is too little, too late.

James Evans MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, called the statistics “truly abysmal,” adding:
“People are dying unnecessarily across Wales. Families are losing loved ones prematurely, and NHS staff morale is plummeting. The Welsh Labour Government has broken the NHS and continues to fail those who depend on it.”

Welsh Government defends record

In response, Jeremy Miles pointed to recent funding increases and measures to address long waits. He highlighted a £50 million investment aimed at improving outpatient services and diagnostics, alongside a decline in delayed hospital discharges over the last four months.

“The health service in Wales continues to provide quality care to thousands of people every day, despite immense pressures from winter illnesses, including Covid-19 and flu,” said Mr Miles. “These figures do not yet reflect the impact of our latest investments, but I am confident that we will see improvements in the coming months.”

Charities demand action on cancer

Cancer charities have voiced their frustration over the slow progress in improving treatment waiting times. Kate Seymour, Head of External Affairs at Macmillan Cancer Support, described the current state of cancer care as “woefully inadequate.” She criticized the lack of strong national leadership and urged the Welsh Government to implement the recommendations of Audit Wales’s recent report on cancer services.

“The latest data shows real people are facing agonizing delays, unsure if they have cancer or when their treatment will start,” said Ms Seymour. “People in Wales with cancer deserve better.”

Judi Rhys MBE, Chief Executive of Tenovus Cancer Care, echoed these concerns, describing the findings of the Audit Wales report as “deeply disappointing.” She highlighted the lack of progress on stubbornly long waiting times for certain cancer types, including gynaecological cancers.

Political fallout

The political repercussions have been swift. Last week, the Welsh Conservatives tabled a motion in the Senedd, calling for the immediate implementation of Audit Wales’s ten recommendations to improve cancer services. The motion criticized the Welsh Labour Government for its failure to meet national performance targets since 2020 and accused it of undermining its own Cancer Improvement Plan through poor communication and unclear priorities.

Labour members, however, voted against the motion, prompting sharp criticism from James Evans MS, who called the vote “shameful.”

“The Welsh Labour Government has broken the NHS, is out of ideas, and is on its way out of office. We stand ready to fix Wales,” said Mr Evans.

The human cost

For patients and families across Wales, these statistics are more than just numbers—they represent painful realities. Behind every delay is someone anxiously waiting for a diagnosis or treatment, often with life-altering implications.

One such patient, Rhian Davies from Newport, has been waiting over two years for a hip replacement. “The pain is unbearable, and it’s getting worse,” she said. “I can’t believe I’ve been left to wait this long. It feels like they’ve forgotten about us.”

As pressure mounts on the Welsh Labour Government, health experts and opposition parties are united in their call for urgent reform. Whether the latest investments and strategies will be enough to reverse the downward spiral remains to be seen. For now, the people of Wales continue to endure a healthcare crisis that shows little sign of abating.