Campaigners fear a government promise to provide Welsh language swimming lessons to every child in the new language duties could be worthless in over half of council areas because of privatisation, following the publication of Assembly research.  

The language standards, published in November, are supposed to ensure Welsh language swimming lessons, but the standards don't include a duty to include language conditions when putting out services to tender or handing out grants.  

According to information collated by the Assembly research service, 14 out of 19 local authorities who responded either have, or are considering, establishing trusts or getting a private company to run their leisure services. The language group has called on government to clarify the legal situation under the various models used by local authorities  to run swimming pools and how it will impact on the new duties to provide Welsh language swimming lessons.  

The group argues that the lack of a standard - the name of the new duties to provide services in Welsh - which places language conditions on contracts and grants is at odds with the Government's language strategy which promises: ‘to ensure that appropriate conditions in terms of use of the language are included as grants and contracts are awarded to private sector companies by public bodies’. It also goes against the Welsh Language Commissioner's advice to government. 
 
Manon Elin, language campaign group Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg's rights spokesperson commented: "A number of different models are used by local authorities to provide swimming lessons. We are asking Government to clear up the legal situation, and hope there will be a solution. It's important that every child in the country can enjoy the languaeg in a social context like this - legal loopholes shouldn't be a factor. 

"There is a big fear that the government promise of Welsh-medium swimming lessons could be worthless in a large number of places. It highlights a wider flaw in the standards: they fail to include a duty to ensure language conditions are in contracts and put on grants. We understand the Government will be looking into this, but we still believe there needs to be a specific standard to deal with this, and we are going to offer detailed ideas to civil servants in an attempt to ensure everyone gets to live and enjoy the Welsh language.” 
 
The research work was provided by Plaid Cymru's Shadow Minister for Education and the Welsh language Simon Thomas AM who commented: “The language standards will need to deal with this. We're of the view, because of the public money being used, that there needs to be Welsh language provision and that the language standards will need to reflect that.”  

The latest consultation on the language standards closes today (Friday, December 5th)