Wales: Assembly Adopt Welsh Language Standards

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NEWS FROM THE CELTIC LEAGUE

WALES: ASSEMBLY ADOPT WELSH LANGUAGE STANDARDS

This week the Welsh Assembly following passed regulations specifying Welsh language standards.

The Welsh Language Commissioner, Meri Huws, has welcomed the move and set out a timetable to take the process forward. Following the Assembly decision she said:

“The fact that the standards have now been passed as regulations means that I can move forward with the statutory process of imposing the new duties on organizations. This means that citizens in Wales are a step closer towards having rights to receive Welsh language services.

“It is important to note, however, that this is not the final step in the process of introducing standards, and that there are other statutory steps that must be followed before organizations will be operating the standards procedure.”

Outlining the next steps in the process of imposing standards on the first 26 organizations (Welsh Ministers, county councils and county borough councils in Wales and National Park Authorities), the Commissioner explained her role over the next period:

“In accordance with the legislation, it is a matter for me to decide which standards to impose on each organization by way of a ‘compliance notice’. The compliance notice will specify the exact standards that each organization should have to comply with and also the date by which they are required to comply with a standard.”

The process of introducing standards takes place in a series of rounds. The regulations which have been passed today are in relation to organizations in Round 1, namely Welsh Ministers, county councils and county borough councils in Wales and National Park Authorities. The Commissioner has already began the process of introducing standards to the 119 organizations in Round 2, including health boards, colleges and universities and public bodies in Wales. In May 2015, the process of introducing standards to the 61 organizations in Round 3 will begin, including social housing providers, UK Government departments, water companies, the Royal Mail Group and the Post Office. Then the Commissioner will start introducing standards to other sectors and organizations named in the Measure.

The Commissioner added:

“Our aim is to determine which standards should be specifically applicable to other organizations and sectors named in the Measure. We will publish a schedule for introducing standards to further organizations and sectors once we receive confirmation from Welsh Government of their timetable in terms of preparing and ratifying standards regulations for Round 3.”

The full statement and the time table for the process going forward can be found at this link:

http://www.comisiynyddygymraeg.org/english/news/Pages/Welsh-language-sta...

Related link here:

http://www.assembly.wales/laid%20documents/sub-ld10115-em%20-%20the%20we...(no.%201)%20regulations%202015%20explanatory%20memorandum/sub-ld10115-em-e.pdf

J B Moffatt (Mr)

Director of Information
Celtic League

27/03/15

(Please note that replies to correspondence received by the League and posted on CL News are usually scanned hard copies. Obviously every effort is made to ensure the scanning process is accurate but sometimes errors do occur)

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