Three eminent individuals from Welsh public life met Alun Ffred Jones, the Heritage Minister, today (Monday, 15th November) to urge him to respect unqualified official status for the Welsh LanguageThe meetings comes barely a week after eighty five authors, poets, clergy, scholars, artists and business people sent an open letter to the Heritage Minister.A deputation of the signatories of the letter attended the meeting: Professor Richard Wyn Jones, the Reverend Guto Prys ap Gwynfor and well-known broadcaster Beti George.Following the meeting, Professor Richard Wyn Jones said:"We had an hour's meeting with the Heritage Minister, Alun Ffred Jones."We explained our position to him, namely that one small change to the Welsh Language Measure would mean giving full and unqualified official status to the language, so that there will be no need to revisit this issue in future."That would create a firm foundation for all the other practical things that need to be done to promote and protect the Welsh Language in Wales."It is now a matter for the Government of Wales. We hope that they will seize their historic opportunity when legislating for the first time about the Welsh language."The Reverend Guto Prys ap Gwynfor said:"Bilingualism in Wales has no meaning if Welsh is not given official status."In response to the question why she felt she had to make this stand, Beti George said:"What I can't understand is that the Legislation Committee having unanimously agreed upon a clear wording that Welsh was to be made official and equal with English, then went back on their decision. When you read the newspapers, you are given to believe that nothing needs to be changed in the proposed Measure to strengthen the status of the Welsh language. But that isn't the case."