James Evans has said Labour need to "get a grip" on promoting Welsh, after Census figures revealed a drop in the percentage of Powys residents who can speak the language.

The latest figures from Census 2021 show an estimated 538,300 Welsh residents aged three years or older reporting being able to speak Welsh, equating to 17.8 per cent of the population. This is a drop of 1.2 per cent since the 2011 Census.

In Powys, the number has fallen by 2.1 per cent. A Welsh Government document from 2017 projected there would be 580,000 Welsh speakers by 2021, or 19 per cent of the population.

Brecon and Radnorshire MS, Mr Evans said: “I support the aims of the Cymraeg 2050 strategy, but it’s clear there are big issues in the policy direction coming from Welsh Government.

“There’s been a devolved administration for nearly a quarter of a century, but the last decade has seen the number of Welsh language speakers declining – it’s unacceptable.

“There is a political consensus on promoting the Welsh language, but we need Labour Ministers to get a grip on this and take action so Cymraeg can grow and prosper once again.”