Welsh Language Board chairman Rhodri Williams said recent wrangles over the language had put it at risk of becoming a political football.

Rhodri Williams: 'Bickering'

In the board's annual report, Mr Williams wrote that the preservation of the language was a "matter for the whole of Wales".

The board remains a powerful lobby group for promoting the language - the UK government has given into to pressure to make the majority of its departmental websites bilingual, in line with the Welsh Language Act.

The Welsh Assembly's year-long review of the language has seen important input from the board, which wants the administration to look at a broad approach to developing its policies.

The WLB's wish to see a well thought out strategy is reflected in the final report by the assembly's Language and Culture Committee.

Unfortunately, what some of our fellow Welshmen and women have been saying and doing of late - often for quite sincere reasons - has put the prevailing consensus in peril

Rhodri Williams

But, reflecting on the debate on the future of Welsh-speaking heartlands in the past 18 months, Mr Williams warned that "unconstructive bickering" would be the undoing of the language.

"Unfortunately, what some of our fellow Welshmen and women have been saying and doing of late - often for quite sincere reasons - has put the prevailing consensus in peril," he said.

"We must all of us appreciate that safeguarding and developing the Welsh language as one of the two national languages of Wales is a national project."

Mr Williams also stressed the need for continuing the "wise and careful" promotion of the language.

WLB work in 2001/2:

Advising Assembly Review of the Welsh Language Contribution to Cymru'n Creu and Cymru Ar-lein Advice on health, education, planning issues Advising Microsoft on Welsh spell-checker

"We must do this in a spirit of respect and tolerance in order to win arguments, alleviate concerns and fire the imagination.

"Woe betide us if endless and unconstructive bickering carries the day. If that should happen, then the Welsh language, without doubt, will be the loser," he said.

"We can rightfully claim to have influenced the Committee from the outset in a positive way, and I welcome the constructive tone of the report."

The past 12 months also saw completion of the Quinquennial Review of the board, which was presented in a report to the assembly.

Welsh medium schools are popular

Mr Williams said the report highlighted the healthy state of the WLB, which was described as being, competent and well run with "robust control systems".

"The Welsh language needs a strong professional body of administrators to ensure that we maximise the use of public money and co-ordinate the efforts of all partners purposefully."

Working in partnership with the assembly, added Mr Williams, meant a "golden opportunity" to develop the language.

"We have to take advantage of every chance we have, and we must have adequate resources."