PET(4)-10-12 : Tuesday 19 June 2012
P-04-330 : A Welsh-language Record in our Assembly
Sarita
The Committee acknowledged the petition in its report, which it published on 4 May. The actual issue of a bilingual record of plenary was considered by the Committee and it recommended that the Commissioner should bring forward an amendment to the Bill to ensure that the Official Languages Scheme makes provision for a bilingual record all Assembly proceedings, including a bilingual record of plenary proceedings.
Following a debate, the Assembly agreed the general principles of the Bill on 16 May.
Stage 2 scrutiny will take place on 21 June, with a deadline for tabling amendments of 14 June.
Regards
Gareth
From: Marshall, Sarita (Assembly - Committee Service)
Sent: 18 May 2012 16:27
To: Williams, Gareth (Assembly - Legislation Office)
Cc: Phillips, Abigail (Assembly - Committee Service);
Millett, Annette (Assembly - Committee Service)
Subject: RE: Petition: A Welsh-language Record
Gareth
Could you give us an update on the progress of this legislation and any consideration that has been given to the subject of the petition please?
Many thanks
Sarita
Sarita Marshall
Dirprwy Glerc y Pwyllgor - Y Pwyllgor Deisebau
Deputy Committee Clerk - Petitions Committee
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From: Marshall, Sarita (Assembly - Committee Service)
Sent: 23 March 2012 12:52
To: Williams, Gareth (Assembly - Legislation Office)
Cc: Phillips, Abigail (Assembly - Committee Service);
Millett, Annette (Assembly - Committee Service)
Subject: Petition: A Welsh-language Record
Importance: High
Dear Gareth
The Petitions Committee have requested that the petition below be referred to the Committee scrutinising the official languages Bill.
‘We are concerned about the status and use of the Welsh language in the National Assembly. Welsh is now an official language in Wales, and we are very proud of this development. Nevertheless, the decision to allow the Record—a document of the highest symbolic importance—to become, essentially, a monolingual English document, after having been entirely bilingual since 1999, runs counter to this development and denigrates the official status of the Welsh language.
We therefore call on the National Assembly for Wales to return to a policy of providing a fully bilingual Record, so that the people of Wales can read the Assembly’s proceedings in their own language, be that Welsh or English. This is a matter of principle and of respecting the fundamental linguistic rights of the people of Wales.’
Although the Assembly Commission has now announced its decision to maintain a fully bilingual Cofnod, the petitioners (Cymdeithas yr Iaith) remain concerned that the fully bilingual version of the Record will not be available until five days after a meeting. The petitioners are also unhappy that the Assembly Commission has not taken on board the Welsh Langauge Board’srecommendation to make the production of a Welsh-language Record a statutory requirement. I attach the petitioner’s correspondence for your information.
Additional information and documents relating to this petition can be found in the link below:
http://www.senedd.assemblywales.org/mgIssueHistoryHome.aspx?IId=1739&Opt=0
Grateful if these concerns could be brought to the CELG Committee’s attention.
Thank you for your consideration of this matter. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you need any further information.
Sarita
Sarita Marshall
Dirprwy Glerc y Pwyllgor - Y Pwyllgor Deisebau
Deputy Committee Clerk - Petitions Committee
Gwasanaeth y Pwyllgorau
Committee Service