On Tuesday members of the Executive Board will be asked to approve our Welsh Language Annual Monitoring Report for 2019/20 before it goes on our website.
In Wrexham there are a total of 171 Standards identified by the Welsh Language Commissioner that we must comply with. The standards ensure that we treat Welsh and English languages equally and respect the rights of Welsh speakers.
They’re legally binding and have been in place since March 2016 and have been welcomed by the Council since they were introduced as they allow us to increase the delivery of services through the Welsh language and offer rights to the public and employees.
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The report identifies that over the last 12 months the Council has made good progress with successful recruitment into Welsh essential posts and the delivery of a comprehensive programme of Welsh language events such as Hwb as part of the FOCUS Wales events.
The contribution that Tŷ Pawb has made to the Welsh language is also acknowledged in the report following another very successful St. David’s Day event with the parade ending in Tŷ
Pawb and over 3,600 attended
Hundreds of people of all ages also flocked to Tŷ Pawb for a huge celebration of Welsh music. As well some brilliant live performances from some of the best Welsh acts the day also included live choirs, theatre, a film screening, arts and crafts for children and live rugby on the big screen.
All the events demonstrate that there is a good interest in Welsh language and Culture in our community and we will continue to build on this.
However, the report also acknowledges that there are still challenges and instances of noncompliance in the form of investigations from the Welsh Language Commissioner as well as complaints from members of the public. All such instances are thoroughly investigated and remedial actions are put in place when required.
During the year there were 14 investigations into issues of non-compliance and we continue to make all staff aware of the importance of the Standards in order to provide a completely bilingual service.
Cllr Hugh Jones, Lead Member for Communities, Partnerships, Public Protection and Community Safety, said: “We’ve made huge progress with improving the delivery of our services in the Welsh language and we will continue make sure this remains the case. We are always vigilant to monitor our performance and we welcome challenges from members of the public and the Commissioner because it means we can make further improvements. Staff and members of the public are actively encouraged to speak to us in Welsh and there’s also more opportunities for everyone to take part in Welsh events and activities.
“I hope colleagues on the Executive Board accept the report and are pleased with our performance against the standards.”
You can take a look at the full report here.
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