Category Archives: Cymunedau

MEETING THE WELSH MINISTER 31/01/17

Reply

We had an useful meeting with Alun Davies and his officials on Friday morning, January 31st. Here are the matters we discussed and some of  the responses received:

It was agreed that more attention should be given to the Welsh language in the context of the community.

Matters including in-migration, housing planning, education, teaching Welsh to adults, the language on the high street and within work were all given attention.

Welsh Language Agency

The Government have £2 million to spend this year, but there is no agreement for next year. A White Paper will be published for the new Bill / Welsh Language Measure and this will provide an opportunity to to establish a Welsh Language Agency.  Alun Davies favoured an arms’-length Agency.  If this years’ expenditure is successful, it is hoped that this will lead to a stable Agency, with the possibility of it growing into a wider-reaching body which can bridge the work of the different Government departments. An announcement on the Bill is expected before Christmas, following the consultation on the White Paper.

Our points on promoting the language were welcomed, and can be worked upon this year:

  • Promoting Welsh language education
  • Promoting the Welsh language with prospective parents
  • Expanding the development of Welsh Language Centres to include cafes / pubs in smaller towns and villages
  • Rewarding organisations across all sectors for their use of the language
  • An ongoing promotion campaign with shops, cafes and pubs, encouraging them to display signage that customers are welcome to use the Welsh language
  • A cost-effective translation service

Government officials said that the Welsh Government is currently working with the Language Commissioner and Mudiadau Iaith on a pilot scheme for promoting the language within small businesses.

TAN 20

There was an understanding of the need to consider the language in relation to individual housing developments even though they might already be part of Local Development Plans.

Government officials said that they hoped that ongoing work with Horizon (Wylfa) would yield a language impact assessment methodology, that could be used throughout Wales. Dyfodol have already been in touch with Lesley Griffiths, Secretary for the Environment and Rural Affairs regarding TAN 20, and we will be requesting an update, as soon as this work is completed.

Welsh Education

It was agreed that local authorities’ Schemes were vague, and that the Government need to review the majority of them, and then discuss their contents with the Councils. It was agreed that it was not useful to set a target to increase the number of 7 year-olds in Welsh education within 3 years, as these children will already be within the system.  The Minister was anxious to see stronger Schemes.

The Government Officials said that they expected an improvement in the Welsh language skills of pupils in English-medium schools following the introduction of the continuum . We are however doubtful that this will be significantly successful.

DYFODOL CALLS FOR A SCORING SYSTEM FOR WELSH LANGUAGE SERVICES

Reply

According to Dyfodol i’r Iaith, cafes, shops, pubs and centres need to demonstrate clearly that people are welcome to use the Welsh language over the counter. This would give Welsh speakers confidence to use their language.

The organisation wants the Welsh Government to introduce attractive window signage for businesses who welcome the use of Welsh.

If the Welsh Government is to create a million Welsh speakers by the middle of the century, more people must be encouraged to speak it, and in as many different informal situations as possible. This lies at the Centre of Dyfodol i’r Iaith’s vision, and the organisation is convinced that private businesses and services have a key role to play in this.

This is the principle behind Dyfodol’s call for a voluntary system which would outline businesses’ ability and willingness to provide a Welsh language service for its customers. Such a system could be based upon arrangements that are already widely familiar to all; food hygiene standard scores, for example, or CAMRA’s good beer guide. Ceredigion has already introduced certificates to organisations who promote the Welsh language.

Heini Gruffudd, Dyfodol’s Chair said:

“Cafes, shops, pubs and a host of other private sector services provide excellent opportunities to use the Welsh language in a community setting. Such a scoring system would provide businesses with an opportunity to display the fact that the Welsh language is part of their customer service ethos. It would also provide an incentive to raise the profile of the Welsh language within the workplace, and to appreciate and encourage staff language skills.

Over time, and backed up by a far-reaching campaign by the Welsh Government to raise language awareness, we would foresee that this system would provide an easily recognisable quality mark, and one that would be attractive to the businesses themselves, as well as their customers.

DYFODOL I’R IAITH CALLS FOR A ROBUST ASSESSMENT FRAMEWORK FOR THE WELSH LANGUAGE IN PLANNING MATTERS

Reply

A robust Standard framework is needed to assess Welsh language impact in planning matters.

This is the conclusion Dyfodol i’r Iaith has come to following the passing of last year’s Planning Bill. Dyfodol believes that such a framework must offer an acknowledged methodology, based upon linguistic and local expertise in addition to town and rural planning input.

Dyfodol i’r Iaith have drawn up comments on the guidelines of the Technical Advice 20: Planning and the Welsh Language, which was updated to reflect the new requirements in relation to the language.

Ruth Richards, Dyfodol’s Chief Executive said,

“ Establishing a standard methodology is of key importance if we are to build upon the gains of the Planning Bill. We would draw the Government’s attention to the good practice that is already developing in relation to the Gwynedd and Môn Development Plan.

In this case, it was agreed that evidence regarding the Welsh language be reviewed. The Gwynedd and Môn Housing and Planning Campaign Committee (which includes representation from Dyfodol i’r Iaith, Cymdeithas yr Iaith, Cylch yr Iaith and Canolfan Hanes Uwchgwyrfai) are commissioning an independent specialist assessment which will be considered as part of the review. We hope that this process and the co-operation behind it will establish a pattern for good practice throughout Wales.”