Issue - meetings

(a)       That the content of the annual report be approved; and

(b)       That the Committee is assured that the Council has been making progress to meeting the statutory requirements of the Welsh Language Compliance Notice.

The Corporate Business and Communications Executive Officer presented the Welsh Language Annual Monitoring Report for 2018/19 for approval, which provided an overview of compliance with the Welsh Language Standards and areas identified for improvement.  The publication of an annual report was a statutory duty and formed part of a wider programme of work to achieve generational change.

Whilst significant progress had been made in Education, Social Services and Theatr Clwyd on relating to Welsh culture and use of the Welsh language, areas of further improvement were identified in the report including understanding the skill levels of employees and building confidence to converse in Welsh.

In thanking the officer for the report, Councillor Mullin said that areas of non-compliance were mainly due to administrative errors relating to telephone calls and signage, and that the Welsh Government aim to increase the number of Welsh learners was being highlighted across the County.  He acknowledged the areas where improvement was needed, noting the progress already made.

In reply to comments from Councillor Peers, the Chief Officer (Governance) provided clarification on dealing with telephone calls in Welsh including arrangements in the Contact Centre.  Whilst Councillor Peers spoke in support of bilingualism, he said there should be consistency, for example the lack of English signage at T? Dewi Sant offices in Ewloe.  The Chief Officer would pass the comment on and said that the building had been given the Welsh name following workforce consultation.  He added that the requirement was to treat Welsh no less favourably and not to be fully bilingual.

Councillor Jones spoke in support of increasing opportunities for Welsh learners and expressed his disappointment at the significant drop in the number of employees attending Welsh language skills training from 139 in 2017/18 down to 64 in 2018/19.  The Executive Officer shared the concerns and referred to plans to explore alternative types of learning to encourage numbers at entry level.

Councillor Shotton paid tribute to the work undertaken in schools, particularly the six English medium schools which had achieved the Bronze award of ‘Cymraeg Campus’.

The recommendations in the report were moved by Councillor Jones and seconded by Councillor Bateman.

RESOLVED:

(a)       That the content of the annual report be approved; and

(b)       That the Committee is assured that the Council has been making progress to meeting the statutory requirements of the Welsh Language Compliance Notice.