[lg policy] Welsh Assembly Government

[Harold Schiffman]

At the last count, 575,730 individuals could speak Welsh, some 20.5%
of the total population of Wales. Between 1991 and 2001 there was an
increase in the number of Welsh speakers in 14 of the 22 counties with
a significant rise amongst schoolchildren.

We believe strongly that Wales’s history, culture and social fabric
are inextricably linked to the Welsh language. The Welsh Assembly
Government has a statutory duty to support Welsh and promote its use.
Our aim is to deliver a truly bilingual nation.

On these pages you can find out how we are working towards  this by

policy-making
seeking law-making powers
grant-aiding projects and organisations
working with our partners.

http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/welshlanguage/;jsessionid=hvkBLlzRMcSz0XTV6Mh8Pq9y84GPJwlyCTZ7LThD0JMzPnjm26n5!-897520699?lang=en

see also:

The Minister for Heritage has published the Welsh Assembly
Government’s proposals for a Welsh Language Measure.

A key commitment of the Welsh Assembly Government’s 'One Wales'
programme of government was to seek 'enhanced legislative competence
on the Welsh language in order to legislate by Measure to: confirm
official status for both Welsh and English; linguistic rights in the
provision of services; and, the establishment of the post of Language
Commissioner'.

The proposed Measure is intended to modernise the existing legal
framework regarding the use of the Welsh language in the delivery of
public services. In doing so, it meets the commitments made in the
'One Wales' document.

The proposed Measure:

includes provision with regard to the official status of the Welsh language; and

establishes the office of Welsh Language Commissioner, which will
replace the Welsh Language Board.
The Commissioner’s role will be to promote and facilitate the use of
the Welsh language and promote equality between the Welsh and English
languages. This will include the power to investigate alleged
interferences with individuals’ freedom to use Welsh with one another.

The proposed Measure also makes provision about:

The development of standards of conduct relating to the Welsh
language. These will gradually replace the existing system of Welsh
Language Schemes provided for by the 1993 Act.

The enforcement of the standards of conduct. This will include the
creation of a Welsh Language Tribunal.
The Measure will be subject to many stages of scrutiny by the National
Assembly for Wales.

The Measure and associated documents are available on the National
Assembly for Wales website.

To watch a film that explains what’s in the proposed Measure, go to
the Welsh Assembly Government’s YouTube channel (external link).
http://new.wales.gov.uk/topics/welshlanguage/legislation/measure/;jsessionid=xGy7LsKCnJbBhm4Zxy7ZtLByqL1T6d1ySYJyLhJSLsHNn2MWJ66x!-726066497?lang=en

-- 
**************************************
N.b.: Listing on the lgpolicy-list is merely intended as a service to
its members
and implies neither approval, confirmation nor agreement by the owner
or sponsor of the list as to the veracity of a message's contents.
Members who disagree with a message are encouraged to post a rebuttal.
(H. Schiffman, Moderator)

For more information about the lgpolicy-list, go to
https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/
listinfo/lgpolicy-list
*******************************************

_______________________________________________
This message came to you by way of the lgpolicy-list mailing list
lgpolicy-list at groups.sas.upenn.edu
To manage your subscription unsubscribe, or arrange digest format: https://groups.sas.upenn.edu/mailman/listinfo/lgpolicy-list