0:00:00 > 0:00:02Welcome back. Town or country?
0:00:02 > 0:00:06People are worried that the countryside suffers the most
0:00:06 > 0:00:08as services are cut across Wales.
0:00:08 > 0:00:13We've asked for people's views in the area where Y Sgwrs is filmed.
0:00:20 > 0:00:24The countryside, taxes and the odd French lesson.
0:00:24 > 0:00:27Plenty to discuss with our Welsh Affairs Editor Vaughan Roderick
0:00:27 > 0:00:31and our guests, the Tory MP for Aberconwy, Guto Bebb,
0:00:31 > 0:00:34the broadcaster Beti George and, joining us from Bangor,
0:00:34 > 0:00:37Gareth Wyn Jones, a farmer from Llanfairfechan,
0:00:37 > 0:00:42who is NFU Wales and Principality Rural Communities Champion.
0:00:45 > 0:00:47We will have a word with them shortly.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52But we heard last week that the Welsh government's new borrowing powers
0:00:52 > 0:00:55could be used to improve the M4 near Newport.
0:00:55 > 0:00:58Where would that leave remote areas
0:00:58 > 0:01:01that aren't located on the motorway's corridor?
0:01:01 > 0:01:04With some rural buses services disappearing
0:01:04 > 0:01:07and local authorities having to make cuts,
0:01:07 > 0:01:10there are calls tonight for a new agency to be created
0:01:10 > 0:01:13to protect the interests of Wales's rural areas.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16But is the countryside at a disadvantage?
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Aled ap Dafydd went to find out.
0:01:28 > 0:01:33Rural Wales is portrayed as isolated and sinister
0:01:33 > 0:01:36in a new drama on this channel, but is it accurate?
0:01:36 > 0:01:39How bleak is it beyond the cities?
0:01:40 > 0:01:44On Wednesdays and Thursdays, you may as well put a sign up
0:01:44 > 0:01:47saying, 'Town closed'.
0:01:47 > 0:01:50You know... things are so quiet.
0:01:50 > 0:01:52There's nobody about.
0:01:52 > 0:01:57The butcher says the knife has been stuck into rural services.
0:01:57 > 0:02:03Gary Jones bought the business seven years ago but it is hard work.
0:02:03 > 0:02:05The banks have closed.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08I don't know what they're doing to attract people to small villages.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11You don't see anyone on a Wednesday or Thursday.
0:02:12 > 0:02:17Many rural communities feel they are fighting against the tide.
0:02:17 > 0:02:21This village saw the council office close recently.
0:02:21 > 0:02:25Can I send that registered?
0:02:26 > 0:02:29The Post Office is now one of the cornerstones of the rural society.
0:02:29 > 0:02:34It has inherited other duties to keep services in the area.
0:02:35 > 0:02:39We now accept council tax payments from the public.
0:02:39 > 0:02:44Local schools pay their lunch money
0:02:44 > 0:02:46in here as well.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49They were taken to the local authority office before.
0:02:49 > 0:02:5318 miles north, it's a similar situation.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58Arriva will not provide a service in the New Year
0:02:58 > 0:03:00on the portion of their network
0:03:00 > 0:03:03that links Aberystwyth and many nearby towns.
0:03:03 > 0:03:08I will have to pay more for buses and to travel in the car.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11I'm not sure what I will do.
0:03:11 > 0:03:14We're losing services.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17We have already lost the council services
0:03:17 > 0:03:20in Tregaron, where I live.
0:03:20 > 0:03:23We are losing everything, to be honest.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26Everything is disappearing one after the other.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29In small villages, in rural towns,
0:03:29 > 0:03:34people are aware that they may be losing out.
0:03:34 > 0:03:40The first to suffer and cuts and the last to see any investment.
0:03:40 > 0:03:43Which raises the question for experts,
0:03:43 > 0:03:48how can things be fairer for the countryside?
0:03:48 > 0:03:54Almost ten years ago, Rhodri Morgan made the boastful decision
0:03:54 > 0:03:58to close down the Welsh Development Agency
0:03:58 > 0:04:04Part of that agency was the Rural Wales Development Agency.
0:04:04 > 0:04:09Nothing has taken its place.
0:04:09 > 0:04:14I'm not talking about setting up the same thing again
0:04:14 > 0:04:18but I believe it is clear that something is needed.
0:04:18 > 0:04:22A new agency - more innovative, more flexible.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28Esther Prytherch and her husband made the leap from the city
0:04:28 > 0:04:30to the countryside ten years ago.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33Leaving the media industry in Cardiff
0:04:33 > 0:04:37for a pub in Llanfihangel y Creuddyn near Aberystwyth.
0:04:37 > 0:04:40I can see the argument.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44We have decided to live in rural Wales, we have to pay the price.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48But there isn't room for everybody in the city.
0:04:48 > 0:04:52The population in rural areas, if you consider the towns
0:04:52 > 0:04:56and villages around Aberystwyth, for example,
0:04:56 > 0:05:01can have enough critical mass to justify fair services
0:05:01 > 0:05:05for people who pay the same level of tax.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08The countryside or a hinterland?
0:05:08 > 0:05:12It will take more than a detective to answer the question.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Aled ap Dafydd is not quite DCI Mathias.
0:05:18 > 0:05:23Vaughan, do these statistics show rural areas are suffering
0:05:23 > 0:05:25more and more under these cuts?
0:05:25 > 0:05:28One thing has been happening for many years.
0:05:28 > 0:05:32The formula for funding local government has changed
0:05:32 > 0:05:38in a way that mans that some councils in poor urban areas,
0:05:38 > 0:05:42particularly in the valleys, have benefited
0:05:42 > 0:05:45to the detriment of some rural councils.
0:05:45 > 0:05:49But it's more difficult for rural councils to make cuts
0:05:49 > 0:05:51during difficult economic times.
0:05:51 > 0:05:56If you think of a rural council with two leisure centres,
0:05:56 > 0:05:58it's difficult to close one of them.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00If you are an urban council,
0:06:00 > 0:06:06you may have a number of similar facilities in close proximity.
0:06:06 > 0:06:08That's the problem in many rural areas.
0:06:08 > 0:06:11Gareth Wyn Jones, do you feel that politicians
0:06:11 > 0:06:14tend to forget about the countryside?
0:06:14 > 0:06:16Yes, certainly.
0:06:16 > 0:06:20There is talk of the library being closed in Llanfairfechan
0:06:20 > 0:06:24and public toilets being handed over to community councils.
0:06:24 > 0:06:26There is no talk of money coming in.
0:06:26 > 0:06:31They are stopping all kinds of services
0:06:31 > 0:06:35for people living in rural areas, I feel.
0:06:35 > 0:06:41There is a difference between us in the north as well
0:06:41 > 0:06:43and what's happening in the south.
0:06:43 > 0:06:46A lot of money seems to be going into the south
0:06:46 > 0:06:48and not so much coming up north.
0:06:48 > 0:06:54There's a north-south divide and it's not helping us.
0:06:54 > 0:06:57Beti George, as someone who grew up in the countryside
0:06:57 > 0:06:58but now lives in the city,
0:06:58 > 0:07:02you must have strong cities to keep the wheels turning.
0:07:02 > 0:07:05Yes, that's true,
0:07:05 > 0:07:09but I still have a strong connection with the rural areas.
0:07:09 > 0:07:12A lot of older people live in rural areas.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15How on earth can they survive?
0:07:15 > 0:07:19They may reach the day when they can't drive.
0:07:19 > 0:07:21Who is going to take them to the doctor?
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Society has changed.
0:07:24 > 0:07:30I know a lot of people who still live in the area where I am from.
0:07:30 > 0:07:34They say they feel like strangers in their own communities
0:07:34 > 0:07:37because society has changed so much.
0:07:37 > 0:07:40It's probably the fault of people like myself who have moved away,
0:07:40 > 0:07:44but how they cope, I'm not sure.
0:07:44 > 0:07:46Health services, social services -
0:07:46 > 0:07:50they are few and far between in rural areas.
0:07:50 > 0:07:55- What's the answer?- There is a problem and people need to cooperate.
0:07:55 > 0:07:59Llanfairfechan is a good example because the HSBC has pulled out.
0:07:59 > 0:08:03The Post Office has had to take over banking responsibilities.
0:08:03 > 0:08:07In the Conwy Valley, the most rural area in my constituency,
0:08:07 > 0:08:11the local council has reached an agreement with a local bus company
0:08:11 > 0:08:14to allow young people to travel for a pound.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18It's fine for a pensioner with a free bus pass,
0:08:18 > 0:08:21but young people also need support.
0:08:21 > 0:08:24The fact a company from Llanrwst and the council
0:08:24 > 0:08:27offer that provision is to be welcomed.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30But I do accept that the challenge is a difficult one.
0:08:30 > 0:08:35Gareth Wyn Jones, some would argue that if you have the beauty
0:08:35 > 0:08:40and tranquillity of the countryside, you have to accept fewer services.
0:08:40 > 0:08:44Oh, yeah, and elderly people have to walk everywhere
0:08:44 > 0:08:48and we don't have a library and we miss out on other services.
0:08:48 > 0:08:50We need fairness across the board.
0:08:50 > 0:08:55To be honest, we are being treated as second-class citizens
0:08:55 > 0:08:59here in north Wales with a lot of things.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02Guto mentioned what we did with the bank and it was a good thing.
0:09:02 > 0:09:07We are trying to get people to take over the running of the library
0:09:07 > 0:09:10and the public toilets.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Working together, the people of Llanfairfechan
0:09:13 > 0:09:16will keep the village going.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20We have been stopped from cutting public pathways
0:09:20 > 0:09:24throughout Conwy because money has run out.
0:09:24 > 0:09:27Things like that... I don't know how we move forward.
0:09:27 > 0:09:33We need people to come and walk around our villages
0:09:33 > 0:09:37but without attractions, nobody will want to come.
0:09:37 > 0:09:42It's costing us money in the rural economy.
0:09:42 > 0:09:45We are losing out.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48We need to get ourselves out of this hole.
0:09:48 > 0:09:54Ask people who live in the area, we will have to take responsibility.
0:09:54 > 0:09:58Not those sitting on their backsides in the Assembly.
0:09:58 > 0:10:02What about the politicians in the Assembly?
0:10:02 > 0:10:07Vaughan, is the countryside important to Labour?
0:10:07 > 0:10:09There isn't much support.
0:10:09 > 0:10:11When it comes to elections,
0:10:11 > 0:10:14rural areas are less important to Labour
0:10:14 > 0:10:16than the three other parties.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21They Welsh Government would say that they are investing
0:10:21 > 0:10:25in every policy to discover the needs of rural areas.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29They would say they're investing a lot to make sure
0:10:29 > 0:10:33that things like broadband is available in rural areas.
0:10:33 > 0:10:37That could help some people when it comes to services.
0:10:37 > 0:10:40Things like telemedicine.
0:10:40 > 0:10:44But that isn't necessarily a good thing for older people,
0:10:44 > 0:10:46who may not understand that technology.
0:10:46 > 0:10:50Beti, is it true that everything flows towards Cardiff?
0:10:50 > 0:10:55I mentioned that it's difficult for the elderly in rural areas.
0:10:55 > 0:10:59There are pockets in Cardiff as well where elderly people
0:10:59 > 0:11:03are isolated, lonely and they don't have the services they require.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07Thanks. Time to move on to the latest milestone
0:11:07 > 0:11:10on the winding road of devolution.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13David Cameron has announced new financial powers
0:11:13 > 0:11:15for the Welsh Government.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23Today we are announcing more power for the Welsh people
0:11:23 > 0:11:24and the Welsh Government.
0:11:27 > 0:11:31I believe in devolution. It is right to give people in Wales more power
0:11:31 > 0:11:34and control over the future and over their government.
0:11:38 > 0:11:42It is disappointing when it comes to air tax,
0:11:42 > 0:11:46but this is a complete package for Wales
0:11:46 > 0:11:49and something we can use in the future for the benefit
0:11:49 > 0:11:51of the people of Wales.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57I do not believe my constituents would vote
0:11:57 > 0:12:00for those income tax powers in current circumstances.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04The last thing that would be sensible, I believe,
0:12:04 > 0:12:07for anybody in a position of leadership to do is to say,
0:12:07 > 0:12:10let's have these powers without addressing Barnett.
0:12:10 > 0:12:12That is what happened.
0:12:12 > 0:12:15Thank you to Gareth Wyn Jones, who has now left us.
0:12:15 > 0:12:18Vaughan, when it comes to the referendum on income tax,
0:12:18 > 0:12:20it seems unlikely at the moment.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Yes.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26But some said that the one held in 2011
0:12:26 > 0:12:29wouldn't come for another decade.
0:12:29 > 0:12:35That is what Peter Hain said when the measure was introduced in 2006.
0:12:35 > 0:12:38These things can change and move more quickly
0:12:38 > 0:12:41once the machinery is in place.
0:12:41 > 0:12:44But there is a problem in holding this referendum
0:12:44 > 0:12:47if Labour decide they don't want to.
0:12:47 > 0:12:49We haven't seen the plans.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53There could be a threshold of 40 votes in the Assembly
0:12:53 > 0:12:55to call a referendum.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58That pretty much gives Labour a veto.
0:12:58 > 0:13:01And would the other parties want to call a referendum
0:13:01 > 0:13:04if they thought Labour would campaign for a No vote.
0:13:04 > 0:13:06It's unlikely.
0:13:06 > 0:13:10Currently it looks unlikely, but who knows?
0:13:10 > 0:13:14These things can build up momentum when they are on the statute books.
0:13:14 > 0:13:18Why is David Cameron giving this right for a referendum?
0:13:18 > 0:13:21He says there needs to be some accountability.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24I think it is a very important step.
0:13:24 > 0:13:27It is now a matter for the Assembly
0:13:27 > 0:13:30whether it wants to have a referendum or not.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33But the Welsh Government says there isn't enough funding
0:13:33 > 0:13:35from Westminster.
0:13:35 > 0:13:37It's going to be an empty argument
0:13:37 > 0:13:40because the Assembly will have the powers now.
0:13:40 > 0:13:44This is a significant change because it means
0:13:44 > 0:13:47the Assembly has to justify
0:13:47 > 0:13:50why they won't ask for those powers.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53I can't understand why there is a need for a referendum.
0:13:53 > 0:13:59We live in an age when a referendum decides everything.
0:13:59 > 0:14:05We elect our MPs and Assembly Members.
0:14:05 > 0:14:09I'm willing to give them the responsibility
0:14:09 > 0:14:14to decide whether we need income tax powers are not.
0:14:14 > 0:14:19Some would argue tat there's more justification for this referendum
0:14:19 > 0:14:21than the one we had in 2011,
0:14:21 > 0:14:25because the question had been asked in Scotland in '97.
0:14:25 > 0:14:28I do have sympathy for the argument for a referendum.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32There is more justification with income tax...
0:14:32 > 0:14:34But why have a referendum?
0:14:34 > 0:14:37It's established that we have referendums
0:14:37 > 0:14:39on constitutional changes.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43The Prime Minister could take us to war, according to tradition,
0:14:43 > 0:14:46but that won't happen because of what happened with Tony Blair.
0:14:46 > 0:14:50We have developed this idea that if it is constitutional change,
0:14:50 > 0:14:52we must debate with the public.
0:14:52 > 0:14:55If people want to see the Assembly develop,
0:14:55 > 0:14:58then we have to be confident of selling this message.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00Beti, are you against a referendum
0:15:00 > 0:15:02because you support further devolution?
0:15:02 > 0:15:07I want to give the people we elect the power to make these decisions.
0:15:07 > 0:15:12What's the point electing them if they won't take the responsibility?
0:15:12 > 0:15:18Also... of course we need powers over income tax.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22That is what... it's something we must have is we're...
0:15:22 > 0:15:24And increase the tax?
0:15:24 > 0:15:27That is the worry.
0:15:27 > 0:15:32At the moment, the economic climate is tough and nobody would dare
0:15:32 > 0:15:34increase the income tax,
0:15:34 > 0:15:40but you could argue that they could cut it in Wales.
0:15:40 > 0:15:42What's the maths here, Vaughan?
0:15:42 > 0:15:46What's interesting is that, because the tax base is so weak in Wales,
0:15:46 > 0:15:50if you talk to economists, what they is that we can't say
0:15:50 > 0:15:53the thing that would make a difference in Wales
0:15:53 > 0:15:56would be to cut the higher rate of tax.
0:15:56 > 0:15:59But not many people pay that.
0:15:59 > 0:16:02They want to attract people from affluent areas
0:16:02 > 0:16:08like Bristol and the Cotswolds to invest in areas like Monmouthshire
0:16:08 > 0:16:14but no government would do that, even if the Conservatives won.
0:16:14 > 0:16:19These tax powers have been available in Scotland since devolution
0:16:19 > 0:16:21but they haven't used them.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24But it has created a mature politics in Scotland.
0:16:24 > 0:16:29They don't blame Westminster but discuss how they can use the powers.
0:16:29 > 0:16:31That is the significant change.
0:16:31 > 0:16:34The powers will be available for the Assembly
0:16:34 > 0:16:37to call a referendum on income tax.
0:16:37 > 0:16:39If they don't, they have to be more effective.
0:16:39 > 0:16:43If there was someone here from True Wales who was against this,
0:16:43 > 0:16:49like David Davies from your party, saying this is a slippery slope,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52but these powers have come from David Cameron.
0:16:52 > 0:16:56I don't know how we can argue in favour of making decisions
0:16:56 > 0:17:01at a local level in England but against greater devolution.
0:17:01 > 0:17:04I think the message from the Prime Minister this week
0:17:04 > 0:17:08is consistent with developing powers at a regional level.
0:17:08 > 0:17:10It's a natural step forward.
0:17:10 > 0:17:14It's also a step towards more mature politics in Wales.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17In a word, when will this referendum be held?
0:17:17 > 0:17:20A long time after my retirement, I'm sure.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23That's the simple answer.
0:17:23 > 0:17:26I'm sure you will still be sitting in the seat,
0:17:26 > 0:17:28as Beti did before you.
0:17:28 > 0:17:32I cannot face a referendum without Vaughan Roderick.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36How effective is the Welsh language at adapting to modern life?
0:17:36 > 0:17:40One commentator says it's time to look to France for ideas concerning
0:17:40 > 0:17:44retaining standards and also getting more people to use the language.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47Just a warning, one of these accents may cause distress.
0:17:47 > 0:17:50SHE READS IN FRENCH
0:17:55 > 0:17:58The original would be much easier, but novels like this,
0:17:58 > 0:18:02John Grisham or Dan Brown, sell millions of copies,
0:18:02 > 0:18:07translated into all kinds of languages.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11There's an argument that the way to get more people reading Welsh
0:18:11 > 0:18:16is to translate books like the Da Vinci Code or 50 Shades Of Grey.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20What is the Welsh word for "the associate"?
0:18:20 > 0:18:24In an article for the Institute of Welsh Affairs,
0:18:24 > 0:18:28Rhys David argues that we could learn from the way French
0:18:28 > 0:18:31has taken advantage of Anglo-American culture.
0:18:31 > 0:18:36A lot of good books and great programmes
0:18:36 > 0:18:39are produced in Wales.
0:18:39 > 0:18:45But the subject matter is restricted and the canvas can be quite limited.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Too limited, in my opinion,
0:18:48 > 0:18:52to meet the needs of people these days.
0:18:52 > 0:18:58If we want people to be able to live through the medium of Welsh,
0:18:58 > 0:19:05they will need to go further than what we have available
0:19:05 > 0:19:09in Wales today.
0:19:09 > 0:19:12I do think it's worth translating popular English books
0:19:12 > 0:19:16into Welsh, such as John Grisham and Dan Brown.
0:19:16 > 0:19:18They're all translated.
0:19:18 > 0:19:23A famous story is that Dan Brown locked his translators
0:19:23 > 0:19:28in one room so they couldn't give the story away.
0:19:28 > 0:19:34That would set Welsh alongside the other languages on this platform.
0:19:34 > 0:19:38But it shouldn't be to the detriment of creating new works in Welsh.
0:19:38 > 0:19:42We've shown that we've got a rich literary base here
0:19:42 > 0:19:46and it's worth creating Welsh language novels which can be
0:19:46 > 0:19:50different to other things in the world.
0:19:50 > 0:19:54We can contribute to world literature and that's all important.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57If we lose that, then it's all over.
0:19:57 > 0:20:01Rhys David also says that a special body is needed to create new
0:20:01 > 0:20:05terms and maintaining standards, similar to the Academie Francaise.
0:20:05 > 0:20:07But according to Aneirin Karadog,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10the process in Welsh has been less formal.
0:20:12 > 0:20:14I think we create terms when necessary
0:20:14 > 0:20:17so we can indicate linguistically what's in front of us.
0:20:17 > 0:20:23If we look at rugby, Eic Davies, Huw Llywelyn Davies' father,
0:20:23 > 0:20:27created all the terms that are now common and natural to the ear
0:20:27 > 0:20:31when you hear them being used in rugby commentary.
0:20:31 > 0:20:35Mewnwr, maswr, wythwr, canolwr, yr olwyr, y cefnwyr.
0:20:35 > 0:20:39But we don't have an organisation as such.
0:20:39 > 0:20:41Maybe one is needed.
0:20:41 > 0:20:43But if we look at the L'Academie Francaise,
0:20:43 > 0:20:46if there's a body that isn't connected to its people,
0:20:46 > 0:20:48maybe that's it.
0:20:48 > 0:20:53- I've just learned that Beti George hasn't read 50 Shades of Grey.- No.
0:20:53 > 0:20:57But she's had 50 nights with Dewi Llwyd!
0:20:59 > 0:21:03Could it be translated into Welsh? Have you read it?
0:21:03 > 0:21:07I have to admit that I have read it in English.
0:21:07 > 0:21:11- Would it be easy to translate? - I wouldn't try!
0:21:11 > 0:21:14When it comes to reading books that have been translated,
0:21:14 > 0:21:16would you enjoy it, Beti?
0:21:16 > 0:21:21I read translated novels all the time in English.
0:21:21 > 0:21:23Those are translated foreign novels.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26I think that I'd prefer it...
0:21:27 > 0:21:33..if English novels weren't translated into Welsh.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35I don't know why.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38I think it's because we have so many authors these days
0:21:38 > 0:21:40and we have a high standard.
0:21:40 > 0:21:44Books come out like sausages these days.
0:21:44 > 0:21:48What's interesting, and I don't remember the exact figures,
0:21:48 > 0:21:51I remember reading that about 80% of the books translated in the world
0:21:51 > 0:21:54are books translated from English into other languages.
0:21:54 > 0:21:59The number is very low for those being translated the other way.
0:21:59 > 0:22:02Maybe we should look for other books in other languages that
0:22:02 > 0:22:06- haven't been translated.- That's what I'm reading in English.
0:22:06 > 0:22:07I'd welcome them in Welsh.
0:22:07 > 0:22:11What about standards, Guto Bebb? Do we need an Academie Francaise?
0:22:11 > 0:22:14We have the dictionary. We should let Bruce do all the work!
0:22:14 > 0:22:18I think translating popular English novels into Welsh is a mistake.
0:22:18 > 0:22:22When Mankell came out and it was translated from Swedish
0:22:22 > 0:22:26into English, there was no reason why we couldn't do it into Welsh.
0:22:26 > 0:22:29With the success they've had that could have worked.
0:22:29 > 0:22:32In the way there is an incredible book that was translated into Welsh.
0:22:32 > 0:22:35John Rowlands translated one of John Rankin's first novels.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38But that was before Rankin became famous.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41It can work because it led me to the rest of Rebus's novels.
0:22:41 > 0:22:43But on the whole I think it would be a mistake to translate
0:22:43 > 0:22:45popular English novels.
0:22:45 > 0:22:50Beti, recently in Newyddion we were looking for a Welsh word for "trolls"
0:22:50 > 0:22:52on Twitter or cyberbullying.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Is the language developing quickly enough?
0:22:56 > 0:22:59I don't know if it's developing quickly enough
0:22:59 > 0:23:02but it is developing quicker than it was.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06There used to be committees that decided which word would be
0:23:06 > 0:23:10suitable. But now we have Twitter.
0:23:10 > 0:23:14- It's a help.- But is it helpful?
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Is Welsh moving fast enough?
0:23:17 > 0:23:21What's interesting is, I see children in my family
0:23:21 > 0:23:25and what they use to tweet is the oral language.
0:23:25 > 0:23:27It's as if they're talking.
0:23:27 > 0:23:31But I think that Twitter will lead to compact verbs being obsolete.
0:23:31 > 0:23:34In order to get everything to fit in...
0:23:34 > 0:23:37I need a translator to understand my daughter's text messages.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40They're written in Caernarfon language as well!
0:23:40 > 0:23:42I accept that point.
0:23:42 > 0:23:45But is there a role here for the Commissioner?
0:23:45 > 0:23:48No, I don't think so.
0:23:48 > 0:23:51I think it develops naturally.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55English develops so quickly.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58How many new words are created every day?
0:23:58 > 0:24:02It's difficult for us to catch up with all of them in Welsh.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06But I do think it happens naturally through things like Twitter.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09People suggest words.
0:24:11 > 0:24:16I remember when the word "television" was created,
0:24:16 > 0:24:22there were committees galore to try and find the correct word.
0:24:22 > 0:24:25Quickly, Vaughan, the language needs to move forward.
0:24:25 > 0:24:29You need a richness of language as well.
0:24:29 > 0:24:34My personal crusade is to bring back "trengholiad" for "quest".
0:24:34 > 0:24:36I love that word.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40Many thanks for your company tonight.
0:24:40 > 0:24:42That's all from Y Sgwrs for tonight.
0:24:42 > 0:24:45Thank you to our guests and to you for your company.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47From all of us here, good night.