Cymdeithas yr Iaith have written to Carwyn Jones and the Welsh Language Commissioner to raise concerns about the changes in the lists of organizations that are part of round 3 of the Language Standards.

The Commissioner will present standards reports to Welsh Ministers, who will be responsible for drafting the regulations, in October, based on the evidence collected during the recent investigation standards for round 3.

According to the language movement, changes have been made to the list of organizations that will be subject to standards since the original lists were published in January and April this year, without informing the public. When the original lists were published 267 organizations were intended to be subject to standards in round 3, but only 64 organizations are on the list now.

In the letter to the First Minister and the Language Commissioner, Manon Elin, vice-chairman of Cymdeithas yr Iaith’s Rights Group, said:

“Without informing neither the public or AMs, over 200 organizations have been withdrawn from the list of organizations that will come under round 3 of the Language Standards in January and April this year. To our knowledge, there was no democratic scrutiny on that decision. As a result of inaction, we are concerned that you are depriving people of their language rights and a golden opportunity to increase the use of Welsh. Most worryingly, is that there has been no public statement on this: we have the impression that you are trying to make changes without noticing the public.

Before the organizations were removed from the list, we received a suggestion from the Commissioner that that Government insisted that the organizations were to be removed from round 3. However, there has been neither a public debate nor a statement on this.”

In the letter, Cymdeithas yr Iaith asks the Commissioner to announce when Language Standards will be set on the organizations that were removed from the list of Round 3, as well as either a list of companies that will be included in round 4, or the date of publication of that list.

Manon Elin added:

“We are still waiting for the list of companies that will be included in Round 4. It is unacceptable, almost 5 years since the Welsh Language Measure was passed, that the authorities responsible for the language haven’t fully implemented the legislation, and consequently put the interests of large companies before the language rights of people of Wales.

It is the statutory duty of the Commissioner to do everything in her power to ensure that the large companies are subject to the standards as soon as possible. As an organization we are extremely frustrated that she hasn’t implemented the powers she has in these important areas, and avoiding her duties. This lack of action from both the Commissioner and the Government deprives people of their language rights, and miss out on a golden opportunity to increase the use of Welsh.”