Language campaign group Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg has called on the Vale of Glamorgan Council to apologise for its ‘prejudiced’ response to a consultation about providing services in Welsh.
The Council’s response to the inquiry, which is being held by the Welsh Language Commissioner, about the proposed language standards - duties on bodies and companies to provide services in Welsh which will replace language schemes - makes a number of claims such as: “It would be difficult and a significant risk to publish invitations to tender in Welsh given the legal technicalities contained in such documents and the possibility of a translation not being exactly in line with the English meaning … If tenders were submitted in Welsh … confidentiality would be breached.”
In a letter calling on the council to send a new response which doesn’t include “baseless claims and negative attitudes towards the Welsh language”, Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg says: “We believe the response not only highlights terribly old-fashioned and negative attitudes towards the Welsh language, but is also unprofessional and factually incorrect. We urge the Council to apologise publicly and submit a new response instead, which not only is factually correct, but also demonstrates a desire to see the language grow in the county. The council’s decision to respond in this way threatens to deprive people of Welsh language services, and so is going to cause distress to a number of people who will not be able to receive Welsh language services nor benefit from seeing, hearing and using the language in the way they’d have wished.”
The language pressure group has called on people to respond to the Welsh Language Commissioner’s inquiry before it ends on 18th April in order to ensure clear rights for people to use the Welsh language. They can do so by using the template on the society’s website - www.cymdeithas.org/safonau/. Robin Farrar, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg added: “There’s no place for these types of prejudiced and ignorant attitudes in modern Wales. The council should apologise straight away and present a different response. But, unfortunately, this is the reality: council, bodies and companies are working hard to prevent people from living in Welsh, preventing our people, especially children, from enjoying our unique national language. I would urge everyone who loves and supports the Welsh language to stop prejudiced organisations like this from winning the day by responding to the consultation asking for better Welsh language services - by going to our website www.cymdeithas.org/safonau.”