[lg policy] UK: Language campaigners say Welsh is threatened by moves to give English official status on Anglesey

[Harold Schiffman]

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Language campaigners say Welsh is threatened by moves to give English
official status on Anglesey

   - 16:59, 26 Apr 2016
   - Updated 17:00, 26 Apr 2016
   - By Darren Devine <http://www.walesonline.co.uk/authors/darren-devine/>

Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg has accused the council of forcing English upon
them

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   - 12 shares
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   - 6 comments
   <http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/language-campaigners-say-welsh-threatened-11246078#comments-section>

[image: The Cymdeithas yr Iaith website]
The Cymdeithas yr Iaith website

Language campaigners say Welsh is under threat on Anglesey
<http://www.walesonline.co.uk/all-about/anglesey> because town hall bosses
want to give official status to English in a new policy.

Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (The Welsh Language Society) said the policy,
discussed on Monday, misinterprets the latest language legislation.

The group maintains the 2011 Welsh Language Measure only gives official
status to the Welsh language and establishes that it should be treated no
less favourably than English.

Cymdeithas say Anglesey’s proposed policy gives official status to the
English language and states the two languages should be treated equally.

* Calls to save the language: Why speaking Welsh is good for your health
<http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/health/speaking-welsh-good-your-health-10890612#comments-section>
*

In a letter to the council chair of the Gwynedd and Anglesey region of
Cymdeithas Menna Machreth writes: “It appears you have mistakenly used the
old principle in the Welsh Language Act 1993 of treating the two languages
on the basis of ‘equality’ instead of ‘treating the Welsh language no less
favourably than English’ as is required by the current language law.

“Clearly this mistake has occurred because [clauses in the policy] have
been taken straight out of the old language scheme – without adapting them
to the present legal framework.”

She asks for confirmation that the authority will “correct these errors
straight away” and ensure “up-to-date guidance” is available to officials.

And the campaigner maintains Welsh should be the only language used
internally by the council as happens in neighbouring Gwynedd.

The authority is also criticised for asking Welsh language groups to
present written correspondence to council public meetings in English as
well as Welsh.

* It's not the first council row over the language in recent memory: Welsh
language is not a part of Cardiff's 'social fabric', says council leader
Phil Bale
<http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/welsh-language-not-part-cardiffs-9920236>
*

The campaigner maintains this is forcing English on Welsh language groups.

A spokesman for the authority said they would finalise revisions and
amendments to the policy before it’s presented to the full council shortly.

“The county council will, of course, ensure that the policy conforms to the
relevant legal framework,” they added.
http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/language-campaigners-say-welsh-threatened-11246078

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