Consultation on proposed Welsh Language (Wales) Measure

Paul Dancey on 07/04/2010

Legislation Committee No. 2 of the National Assembly for Wales are consulting on the Proposed Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2010.

The key provisions of the proposed Measure are to:

1. make further provision with regard to the official status of the
   Welsh language in Wales;
2. establish the office of the Welsh Language Commissioner with
   functions and powers to promote and facilitate the use of Welsh,
   and promote equality between the English and Welsh languages;
3. establish an Advisory Panel to the Commissioner, appointed by the Welsh Ministers, who will have a strategic role in advising the
   Commissioner with regard to wider policy issues;
4. abolish the Welsh Language Board (as a consequence of the establishment of the office of the Welsh Language Commissioner);
make provision about standards (to eventually replace schemes) relating to the Welsh language, which may include service delivery standards, policy making standards, operational
standards, promotion standards and record keeping standards. The preparation, imposition and enforcement of which are to be, in the main, carried out by the Commissioner;
5. make provision about investigating alleged interferences with the freedom to use Welsh; and
6. establish a Welsh Language Tribunal— to be comprised of a President, lay and legal members—as an appeal mechanism to
   the imposition or enforcement of standards by the Commissioner.

Further details of the proposed Measure and the accompanying Explanatory Memorandum can be found on the National Assembly’s website at:
www.assemblywales.org/bus-home/bus-legislation/bus-legmeasures/business-legislation-measures-wl.htm.

Closing date for submissions 11 May 2010.

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