§ Sir Anthony MeyerTo ask the Secretary of State for Wales if, pursuant to his reply of 14 July,Official Report, column 351, he will now make a statement in relation to the further discussion he had with the working group he established to advise him on issues relating to the Welsh language.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerThe working group of eight eminent Welsh speakers which I established to advise me on matters relating to the Welsh language recommended the establishment of a special body to co-ordinate activity, offer advice, consider the best ways of marketing the language and to begin work on reviewing existing legislation with a direct bearing on the Welsh language.
I have discussed this with the working group and have decided to accept its proposal. I shall therefore set up a Welsh Language Board—Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg.
This will have the positive and practical task of:
Developing voluntary codes of practice on the use of Welsh in the public and private sectors;626WAdvising on the use of Welsh in public administration;Investigating complaints, and discussing such complaints with the parties involved and advising on practical solutions where possible;Reviewing and reporting on grant supported activity;Liaising with statutory and non-statutory bodies on language issues;Advising the Secretary of State for Wales on matters relating to the Welsh language and considering specific issues referred to it by the Secretary of State.The board will be set up in the very near future and I am delighted to say that Mr. John Elfed Jones has accepted my invitation to be its chairman. His fellow advisers were united in recommending that he should be the first chairman. I was delighted to agree with their recommendation because he is a man who is known in the Principality for getting things done. The board will work through a limited number of specialist sub-committees concentrating on defined areas and issues initially related to:-
- the promotion of the Welsh language;
- the use of the Welsh language by local authorities and public bodies;
- the use of the Welsh language in the private sector;
- proposals for legislation.
The board's secretariat will be provided initially by staff seconded from the Welsh Office. Administrative costs will be met by the Welsh Office and the funding of any projects which the board itself might wish to undertake additional to those which I presently support will be considered on their merits.
There is, I believe, a great deal that this board can do to secure a fine future for the Welsh language. What is achieved will depend largely on the effort which the board and its sub-committees put into the task—and the co-operation of the people of Wales. I am grateful to the group for its work and am pleased that I have its unanimous support for this proposal.