Figures for Welsh-speakers are down in language heartlands

Pressure group Cymuned said it had organised the series of meetings to discuss concerns over the 2001 figures.

Although the language is on the increase in urban areas of south Wales, the new data shows the proportion of speakers is declining in parts of the north and west.

The two-week census tour kicked off in Bethesda on Monday evening and also visits Bangor, Llanrwst, Denbigh, Blaenau Ffestiniog, Caernarfon and Eifionydd.

Wynne ap Iorwerth, from Mynydd Llandegai near Bethesda, said he was very concerned at the results of the census.

"At the meeting we tried to make sense of the figures and analyse the results as best we could," he said.

Welsh is becoming, not a rural language, but an urban language and it's gaining strength in places like Cardiff John Davies, historian

"The increase in urban areas has come about by people being pushed out of the heartlands because of the housing market and the lack of jobs in this area.

"Large cities are not conducive to promoting a minority language.

"Everyone in the meeting knew of young people who had left the area because of house prices or to find work.

"We need some sort of plan in place to lure young people back," he said.

Simon Brooks from Cymuned said: "Despite the big increase in south east Wales, the number of Welsh speakers declined to different degrees in Gwynedd, Anglesey and Conwy."

In Gwynedd, the proportion of Welsh-speakers was down from 72.1% to 68.7%.

Urban language

Rhodri Williams chairman of the Welsh Language Board said the increase in the south-east was, "to a great extent, the result of a successful Welsh medium education system, and the work of the board and its partners to raise the profile of the language locally."

"The decline in the western counties is something which the board has been aware of for years," he added.

"Even though it is important to welcome the increase in the south-east, it is also imperative that we all work together to halt any further decline in the western counties," he said.

Historian, Dr John Davies, said: "Welsh is becoming, not a rural language, but an urban language and it's gaining strength in places like Cardiff.

"In the 1950s, only about 5% of Welsh speakers lived within 10 or 20 miles of Cardiff, now it's 10%," he added.

The tour will conclude with an open public meeting on the Maes in Caernarfon on St. David's Day.