<div dir="ltr"><h1 class="gmail-story-body__h1">'Ridiculous' standards for Welsh language rights</h1>
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Meirion Prys Jones said ministers had "completely lost their way"
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</figure><p class="gmail-story-body__introduction">The current law
giving people rights to access services in Welsh is completely
ridiculous, according to an ex-chief executive of the Welsh Language
Board.</p><p>Welsh language standards, introduced in 2016, require
councils, national parks and the Welsh Government to provide some
services bilingually.</p><p>Meirion Prys Jones said ministers "obsessed with hitting organisations hard" had made "very poor legislation".</p><p>Ministers have admitted <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-38518437" class="gmail-story-body__link">the law is too complicated and will be reviewed</a>. </p><p>The
review was welcomed by Welsh Language Commissioner Meri Huws, who took
over the role of promoting the language from the Welsh Language Board in
2012.</p><p>Welsh language standards apply to around 80 public bodies
in Wales, depending on the nature of the organisation and its location.</p><p>Typically, councils can have some 100 to 200 regulations to meet. </p><p>Many
bodies have complained about the cost and complexity of the
regulations, which include making it clear that they welcome
correspondence with the public in Welsh and giving the language priority
on bilingual signs.</p><figure class="gmail-media-landscape gmail-no-caption gmail-full-width">
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</figure><p>Speaking on the BBC Radio Wales Good Morning Wales
programme, Mr Jones said: "It's a very, very poor piece of legislation -
it's so complicated. </p><p>"It was supposed to be simple [and] clear so that everyone can understand the new system - it doesn't work. </p><p>"The
idea of standards was you'd have one standard or a few standards that
would suit all of Wales," he said, adding that to have many more "is
completely ridiculous".</p><p>Mr Jones said Welsh ministers "completely lost their way" on the matter "about seven or eight years ago". </p><p>"They
became obsessed with the idea of regulation, the idea that you need to
hit organisations hard who didn't provide enough services in Welsh and
they set about putting a system in place," he said.</p><figure class="gmail-media-with-caption">
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<figcaption class="gmail-media-with-caption__caption"><span class="gmail-off-screen">Media caption</span>The law around Welsh language standards needs to be reviewed, says Alun Davies</figcaption>
</figure><p>On Thursday, Welsh Language Minister Alun Davies told the
Newyddion 9 news programme: "I think we always need to review how policy
is being implemented - is it delivering its ambition?</p><p>"I hope in
the next few months to issue a white paper which will review the issue
of Welsh language standards as part of a wider review of Welsh language
policy.</p><p>"When I look at the standards I can see they are having an
impact within public bodies that deliver services in Welsh, but I also
see complications.</p><p>"They can be too complicated at times, both the process of designing and implementing."</p><p>Conservatives
AM Suzy Davies said the rules were "far too bureaucratic and a balance
needs to be found in cutting red tape while maintaining the rights which
Welsh speakers want to exercise".</p><p>But the Welsh language society, Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said the legislation should be strengthened.</p><p>Chair
of the organisation's language rights group, Manon Elin, said it should
cover the private sector and "include the unquestionable right to use
the language in every aspect of life".</p>
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