COMMENTING on today's claim by the Assembly Government that Wales is now in a "new era" of Welsh language policy, Shadow Heritage Minister and Preseli Pembrokeshire AM Paul Davies said:

"In the last 12 months we have seen ministers all-but abandon a commitment to support a Welsh language daily newspaper and discriminate against Welsh medium education in new laws on school transport.

"Their long-promised legislation on the Welsh language has also failed to materialise.

"Welsh Conservatives are committed to increasing the use of Welsh in all spheres of life in Wales.

"It was a Conservative government which laid the foundations for a bilingual Wales through the Welsh Language Act, Welsh Language Board and the creation of S4C.

"We support all efforts to encourage people to use Welsh wherever practicable, including in relations with the National Assembly and Assembly Government.

"The suggestion that under the Labour-Plaid government we have entered a new era of language policy is frankly laughable."