Carmarthenshire County Council is celebrating increased use of Welsh language in its meetings.

The council’s annual report on the Welsh language for 2022-23, their seventh since implementing the Welsh Language Standards, reveals that high standards in service provision in Welsh have been maintained.

The Council continues to promote the Welsh language internally and is also committed to facilitating its use in various policy areas.

Its efforts are guided by the resolutions of the Welsh Language Advisory Panel, which met twice over the past year, and ongoing discussions involving key officials including the council leader and the cabinet member for education and Welsh language.

These discussions largely revolve around the decrease in the number of Welsh speakers in Carmarthenshire, a statistic released in the 2021 Census data by the Welsh Government.

Cllr Glynog Davies, cabinet member for education and Welsh language, said: "I am delighted to present Carmarthenshire County Council's Welsh Language Annual Report for 2022/23".

Cllr Davies revealed that council interpreters have been busy with the 'extensive' use of Welsh in meetings and online platforms.

He commended the work of the translation unit and IT division for their role in the seamless integration of Welsh language services.

The Council’s successful provision of Welsh language services extends to marketing and communication strategies, which Davies says have been implemented flawlessly according to the Standards.

The past year was particularly busy with the reporting of the first five years of the Promotion Strategy and formulating the new Strategy.

A significant showcase of the Welsh language was the Council’s decision to fund the Urdd Eisteddfod, a national youth festival of literature, music and performing arts.

Cllr Davies stated, "Despite the fiscal challenges, it was felt to be an important investment to promote the Welsh language, and to maintain great opportunities for our young people to use Welsh." He continued: "The response has been overwhelmingly positive with the county's English language primary and secondary schools owning the opportunity to take pride in and use Welsh".

Looking forward, the Council has ambitious plans to promote the use of Welsh language in all aspects.

"I look forward to another busy and full year of promoting the Welsh language by working with all our partners to make progress in Carmarthenshire," Cllr Davies concluded.

The annual report, which provides a comprehensive overview of the Council’s efforts and future plans in promoting the Welsh language, is available on their website.