CEREDIGION County Council has defended itself after criticism from Cymdeithas yr Iaith about plummeting numbers of Welsh speakers in the public sector.

Cymdeithas warned that public sector bodies in Ceredigion had seen a reduction in the percentage of staff who can speak Welsh, with the council seeing a drop from 2015 when 58 per cent of staff could speak Welsh to 51 per cent in 2016.

Other members of the Ceredigion Public Service Board, including Hywel Dda Health Board and Dyfed-Powys Police, had also seen drops in the number of Welsh-speaking staff with only Aberystwyth University seeing an increase in the percentage of staff who can speak Welsh.

That led to calls from Cymdeithas that all public sector bodies should make it mandatory for staff to speak Welsh.

A council spokesperson insisted though that, despite facing financial challenges, the council was committed to the Welsh language.

They said: “In a time of challenging financial pressures for the public sector, Ceredigion County Council is pleased to continue to be committed to implement its Strategy for the Welsh language in Ceredigion."

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