European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages

HC Deb 02 February 2001 vol 362 c351W

Mr. Llwyd

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how the Government plan to implement the provisions of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages; and if he will make a statement. [147383]

Mr. Vaz

The Government will apply the provisions of Part II to all the languages which they regard as meeting the Charter's definition of a regional or minority language. The Government will promote the use in public life of Welsh, Scottish-Gaelic and Irish by applying a minimum of 35 provisions from Part III to each of those languages.

Within a year of the Charter's entry into force in the UK, the Government will submit a report on UK implementation of the Charter for examination by the Charter's Committee of Experts.