On Tuesday the 24th of January in Cardiff Millenium Centre a public meeting will be held to consult on the need for new legislation for the Welsh language. The meeting follows a period of political discussion and consultation with political parties.

Catrin Dafydd, chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg’s Language Act campaign said:"This meeting is all important to develop the discussion on the need to ensure new rights for the Welsh language in Wales. Some type of act is unavoidable, the question now is, what type of act should come to power? The meeting will give the political parties the chance to state their opinion on the way forward while also giving language experts, lawyers specializing in minority language rights and prominent national figures to offer their thoughts.""Considering the importance and significance of this meeting, it is absolutely disgraceful that neither Alun Pugh or any other member of the Labour Party has chosen to attend. Once again this highlights a major shortcoming of the present government. It is a government which chooses to ignore the injustices which exist in terms of the Welsh language, it is a government whichrefuses to hold democratic discussions and which ignores the rights of all who choose to make Wales their home.""The fact that Rhodri Morgan in 1993 stated that he was abstaining from voting for the act which is still in place today, and that his government would do a better job when in power is a further sign of the present governments hypocrisy and lack of vision."Among those who will address the meeting on the 24th of January are Professor Colin Williams, a member of the Welsh Language Board, John Elfed Jones, the first chair of the Welsh Language Board, and Huw Lewis on behalf of the Welsh Language Society. The lawyer Hywel James will chair a panel of spokespeople on behalf of the main political parties.Owen John Thomas AM will speak on behalf of Plaid Cymru, Eleanor Burnham AM on behalf of the Liberal Democrats and Lisa Francis AM on behalf of the Conservatives. Letters of support will also be read, and among those who have offered these words of support are Dafydd Wigley, Dewi Watcyn Powell, Lord Gwilym Prys Davies, Elfyn Llwyd MP and Jill Ecans MEP.