About the Member

Originally from Morriston, near Swansea, Efa Gruffudd Jones received her secondary education at Ysgol Gyfun Ystalyfera, before going to Aberystwyth University to study in the Welsh Department.

She has followed a career that has combined her interest in the arts, and in the Welsh language. She worked for the Welsh Language Board and the Arts Council of Wales before being appointed Chief Executive of Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Wales's largest youth organisation, in 2004.

In 2016, she was appointed Chief Executive of the National Centre for Learning Welsh which is the body funded by the Welsh Government to provide strategic guidance in the field of Welsh language teaching for adults in Wales. During her time there, the Centre developed a new curriculum and resources, with an emphasis on digital resources, and led on the establishment of innovative projects including 'Work Welsh.'

Until recently Efa was Chair of the Board of Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru. She was also Vice-Chair of CWVYS, a trustee of the WCVA, and a member of the Welsh Language Partnership Council.

In her position as Welsh Language Commissioner, Efa wants to ensure that the Commissioner's powers are used to their full potential, to increase the use that is made of the language, and to ensure that the Commissioner plays a key role in the efforts to secure a prosperous future for the Welsh language.

Efa started as Welsh Language Commissioner in January 2023.

About the Member's Office

The principal aim of the Welsh Language Commissioner, an independent body created in accordance with the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011, is to promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh Language. This entails raising awareness of the official status of the Welsh language in Wales and imposing standards on organisations. This, in turn, will lead to the establishment of rights for Welsh speakers.

Two principles underpin the work:

• In Wales, the Welsh language should be treated no less favourably than the English language
• Persons in Wales should be able to live their lives through the medium of Welsh if they choose to do so.

 The office of Commissioner is a full-time post for a period of seven years.

The Commissioner works to increase the use of the Welsh in terms of service provision and opportunities for people to use the Welsh language.

In working towards achieving her long term vision, the Commissioner has identified 5 strategic objectives:

• Influencing the consideration given to the Welsh language in policy developments
• Ensuring justice for Welsh language users
• Imposing statutory duties and regulating them
• Encouraging, promoting and facilitating the use of the Welsh language on a voluntary basis
• Operating and communicating appropriately and effectively

Key Information on the Language Situation in this Country/Region

Official status was given to the Welsh Language through the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011. Even though English is the language most widely spoken in Wales, only the Welsh language has official status confirmed in legislation.

Since the beginning of the 20^th century, a constant decline has been seen in the percentage of the population of Wales who speak Welsh. At the turn of the century, 49.9% spoke Welsh, but by 1961 this had halved to 26%.

The 2021 Census results show that 17.8% of the population in Wales can speak Welsh. That’s 538,300 people aged three or older. This is the lowest percentage ever to be recorded in a census, but it’s not the lowest number of speakers to be recorded. However, the number of Welsh speakers has been decreasing since 2001. The Commissioner has created an interactive dashboard to allow users to have easy access to Census statistics and compare how the numbers and percentages have changed over the decades: Data dashboard: Who speaks Welsh in Wales?

You can read the Welsh Language Commissioner's statutory 5-year report on the position of the Welsh Language, which includes a detailed analysis of the 2021 Census here: Click here to read the Report.