The Chief Executive presented a report to Members, so as to inform the Cabinet Committee of the content and approach taken with the council’s fourth Welsh Language Standards Annual Report for 2018/19

The Consultation, Engagement and Equalities Manager advised that the Welsh Language Standards give Welsh speakers improved, enforceable rights in relation to the Welsh language. The council received its final compliance notice on 30 September 2015, which outlined 171 standards requiring compliance.

She added that, Standards 158, 164 and 170 require the Council to produce and publish an Annual report, in welsh, by 30 June each year.

The Consultation, Engagement and Equalities Manager, confirmed that the council’s Welsh Language Standards annual report 2018/19 covers the period 1 April 2018 to 31 March 2019 and was published, as required by the 30 June 2019. The report was attached as appendix 1 to the main report. 

The report outlined how the council has complied with the standards under a duty to comply during the period and also documents any progress and new developments with our compliance.

She proceeded, by stating that as part of the annual report, there is a duty on the council to report specifically on the information shown in bullet point format, in paragraph 4.3 of the report. 

The Consultation, Engagement and Equalities Manager explained further, that the standards that relate to publishing an annual report, do not require that the report be approved by the council or the Welsh Language Commissioner, prior to publication, as was previously required under the Welsh Language Scheme.

A Member asked why employee training courses (ie e-learning models) were completed in English as opposed to Welsh.

The Workforce Planning and Administrative Manager advised that employees were able to complete e-learning modules in welsh should they desire to do so, but in 2018/19, all completions were in English.

A Member referred to 2.2 of the Appendix, bullet point 7 and asked who decided if it was appropriate to conduct meetings in Welsh, and if these meetings were formal Committee meetings or did this also extend to other bodies and Working Groups.

The Chief Executive advised that the council required prior notice from a member of the public, if they required the proceedings and debate of a formal Committee to be conducted in welsh. The same applied also, for webcasting of meetings. In-house meetings however, where the minutes or notes of these bodies were not made available to the public via the Council’s web site, were conducted in English as the Welsh Language Standards did not apply to the more internal meetings/working groups etc.

The Council also had to similarly give notice, if a formal Committee meeting was intended to be conducted in Welsh.

The Chairperson referred to page 24 of the Appendix to the report, where it stated that 10 new/vacant posts were advertised during 2018/19, where it was specified in the job advert that Welsh language skills were essential for these posts. She asked what posts these were.

The Workforce Planning and Administrative Manager advised that 8 of these posts were school based, including in the Special Educational Needs (SEN) Inclusion Service. The other two were Human Resources Apprentices, he added.

RESOLVED:                    The Cabinet Committee Equalities received and noted the content of both the covering report and the Welsh Language Standards annual report 2018/19.