The following amendments have been selected: amendments 1, 2 and 3 in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth.

We move on now to the next item on the agenda, which is the debate on the Welsh Language Commissioner's annual report for 2015-16, and I call on the Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language to move the motion—Alun Davies.

Motion NDM6117 Jane Hutt

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

Acknowledges the Welsh Language Commissioner's Annual Report for 2015-16, which details the work undertaken by the Commissioner to promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language.

Motion moved.

Thank you very much, Deputy Presiding Officer. It's a pleasure to lead this discussion this afternoon on the commissioner's annual report. I want to start, of course, by thanking Meri and her team for the very hard work that they’ve done over the past year in leading on this work. Very often, the Welsh Language Commissioner’s role is a thankless one, and I'm very eager that Members this afternoon have the opportunity to discussion the commissioner's work, but also to thank her for the way that she has fulfilled her duties.

But we’re very aware that, this time next year, we’ll have a new strategy for 1 million Welsh speakers by 2050, and that will call for an ambitious package of policies and legislation, and the commissioner, of course, will be an important part of whatever emerges over the coming months and years.

And I’m very eager that we do consider the commissioner’s report in a very wide-ranging way to look at how she has achieved her work. The commissioner is a very familiar figure for us here, who comes to committee meetings, who is part of discussions on the Welsh language, and she has also responded to complaints by the public to ensure that individuals can demand justice in their use of the Welsh language. All of this work across Wales is vital for all of us who use the Welsh language and speak it.

On top of that, the commissioner has published a five-year report, which, amongst other things, reports on the Census results from the point of view of the Welsh language, and we will be considering this report as we devise the new strategy. Of particular interest too is the ‘Time to set the standards’ report, which portrays people’s experiences in using the Welsh language with public institutions,. Very often the picture that we see is something that we all recognise from personal experience and the experience of our families, and I thank the Commissioner for the work that she has done in putting together an image of inconsistent provision across the public sector, which demonstrates why we need the standards.

In terms of standards, as we perhaps should have expected when a challenging new regime is established, we know that the feedback has hitherto been mixed. Despite this, in addition to the rights that these standards give us as users, matters such as policy development standards are starting to show their potential. The ethos of workforce planning for the future to ensure that we can meet the demand for the Welsh language and Welsh language services have started to take root.

I think we need further discussion with the commissioner about certain issues. For example, there are institutions that say that they need to understand the standards better, and that they need support in getting to grips with some requirements. These are early days, but it’s important that we see the process of creating standards and Welsh language services as something that we work together on.

We have introduced four sets of regulations to ensure that standards are applicable to different bodies. The Welsh Government, local authorities and national parks are already compliant with standards, and the commissioner has introduced compliance notices for over 50 other bodies. We’ve just finished consulting on draft regulations for the health sector. I will be considering the responses that we’ve seen before tabling regulations before the Assembly early next year. My intention is to present a written statement to Members over the coming weeks giving a timetable for the introduction of further regulations, and I very much hope that we can have agreement on how we move forward from where we are today.

Members will also be aware that, over the coming period, we will also be looking again at the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 in order improve the legislation that we have. It’s too soon at the moment to give details about what that will mean—whether we’re going to amend the current Measure or create a new language Bill. But one thing that is certain is that the challenge of creating 1 million Welsh speakers and 1 million users of the Welsh language does demand significant change, and that is true in all areas related to the Welsh language. Thoughtful planning is such an important part of the draft strategy, because, through planning, we will ensure that the foundations are laid. So, I want the strategy for the Welsh language to come first and, on the basis of that strategy we will discuss legislating and what kind of legislation we need in future.

At present, we are starting to conclude the process of consulting on the strategy that we launched in the Eisteddfod. I am very grateful to everyone who has been part of the discussion process and who has responded to the debate and the consultation. We have set an ambitious target because we want to change the way that we support and promote the Welsh language. I very much hope that every Member in all parts of the Chamber will share the vision that we have and will feel that they can all contribute to the vision in different ways. But, I very much hope that the strategy, when it is published in spring, will be one that does receive support in all parts of the Chamber.

Before I conclude my initial comments, Deputy Presiding Officer, I will turn to the amendments that have been tabled in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth. I will say at the beginning that I and the Government intend to accept all of the amendments and, clearly, we’re very pleased to accept the first amendment with regard to the importance of workforce planning to provide Welsh-medium services. Planning and workforce planning particularly is a central part of the draft strategy and is a central part of the work that we’ve been leading on over the past few weeks and months. It’s true in the area of childcare, it’s true in terms of education, it’s true about bodies that provide services and it’s also true about businesses.

That’s why I’m also willing to accept the second amendment, which deals with working with the commissioner to introduce a Welsh language strategy for the workplace. It’s important to remember that several bodies funded by the Government are already operational in this area, including the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol and the National Centre for Teaching Welsh, which has also noted in its strategic plan that it will be working in partnership with the commissioner to develop a strategy for the Welsh language in the workplace. But, this amendment also talks about promoting people’s rights to receive services through the medium of Welsh. This of course is already one of the commissioner’s functions, but I’m very happy to accept the amendment.

In turning to amendment 3, the Welsh Government’s official response to the Welsh language and local government taskforce’s report will be published over the next few weeks. I don’t want to predict what will be in that response that is published, but it is fair to say that the standards that are already placed on local authorities place a statutory duty on them to plan for the workforce in terms of the language and to provide appropriate training in that regard.

I have made it clear that I don’t want to make any specific commitments from a legislative point of view, because I want the final strategy to drive the work of developing that. But, I am willing to accept the amendment because it’s part of the wider package of things that we will need to consider to ensure that we can move on in a genuine manner in terms of the Welsh language and the workplace. I hope that the Members will accept that we are willing to accept that amendment but we’re doing that recognising that we will need to discuss how we move on in future.

Deputy Presiding Officer, I believe that the report is an important one and a valuable one. I do hope that Members will have comments to make on the report, but I also hope that Members will join me in thanking the commissioner and her team for their work over the past year.

Thank you very much. I have selected the three amendments to the motion. I call on Sian Gwenllian to move amendments 1, 2 and 3, tabled in the name of Rhun ap Iorwerth. Sian.

Amendment 1—Rhun ap Iorwerth

Add as new point at end of motion:

Notes the importance of workforce planning to provide services through the medium of Welsh as a central aspect to the efforts of government to reach the target of a million Welsh speakers by 2050.

Amendment 2—Rhun ap Iorwerth

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to work with the Welsh Language Commissioner to present a national Welsh language strategy in the workplace in order to increase the use of Welsh in the workplace and promote and raise awareness of the right to receive services through the medium of Welsh.

Amendment 3—Rhun ap Iorwerth

Add as new point at end of motion:

Calls on the Welsh Government to work with the Welsh Language Commissioner to implement recommendation 4 in the report of the Working Group on the Welsh Language and Local Government: Language, work and bilingual services, to place a statutory duty on local authorities, including in their role as local education authorities, to undertake workforce planning in terms of linguistic skills, and to provide suitable training to meet those needs.

Amendments 1, 2 and 3 moved.

Thank you very much and thank you for the opportunity to contribute to this debate in order to discuss the Welsh Language Commissioner’s annual report. I would also like to thank the commissioner and her team for their work during the year.

This is a report looking back, and, as important as that is, we were eager to move the debate forward. That is why Plaid Cymru tabled a number of amendments to this motion, based specifically on the need for the Government to take action in terms of workforce planning policy. I am very pleased that you are willing to accept those amendments. It is a clear signal of your commitment in this area. If we are to increase the use of the Welsh language as well as the number of Welsh speakers then we do need to take action in a number of different areas, and education will be a core element, if the Government is to achieve its target of a million Welsh speakers by 2050. The lack of progress in Welsh-medium education is a cause of increasing concern and is an issue that will have to be taken into account when the Government sets specific targets in order to implement and achieve its strategy.

The amendments that we’ve tabled today relate to workforce planning in order to ensure that provision is available to offer services through the medium of Welsh, including education. Clearly, we will need to significantly increase the number of teachers and early years practitioners as a starting point to achieve that target of a million Welsh speakers, and there are a number of opportunities that do arise in order to do that—for example, extending free childcare to 30 hours, which would provide an opportunity, reforming teacher training and the Donaldson reforms. These are all opportunities for the Welsh language. Other issues that we could look at are financial incentives and extending the sabbatical scheme for teachers.

The other report that you mentioned, ‘Time to set the standard’, by the Welsh Language Commissioner, is another important report, and the commissioner in that report states that institutions need to change gear and to provide public services of a high quality that would enable Welsh speakers to increase their use of the Welsh language in their daily lives. The commissioner does believe that a number of organisations have flatlined in terms of growth in Welsh language services while others have taken significant retrograde steps in providing Welsh language services over the past few years.

Indeed, the report that we’re discussing today does note that even the Government has failed to implement some aspects of its own Welsh language policies. In May of last year, a statutory inquiry report on the implementation of the Welsh Government’s Welsh language scheme was published. The inquiry was held on the basis of doubts that the commissioner had in terms of linguistic requirements in recruiting the new Children’s Commissioner for Wales and the consideration given to the Government’s Welsh language scheme in revising the original job specification. The commissioner came to the conclusion that the Government had failed to implement two clauses of its own Welsh language scheme as part of that recruitment exercise, and I’m sure that you would agree with me that, if the leadership is to come from Government, then those issues cannot continue to arise.

We have discussed the report of the working group on Welsh language and local government, namely ‘Language, Work and Bilingual Services’, in the Assembly already and some sections of that report do make specific reference to the need for the Government to ensure that there is a statutory duty on local authorities, including in their function as a local education authority, to plan the workforce in terms of linguistic skills and to prepare appropriate training to meet those demands. As you mentioned, we are still awaiting the outcome of the consultation on the recommendations of this working group, but I’m pleased that you have said that this is in the pipeline. Some of the points that Plaid Cymru would want to see the Government taking action on are as follows: we need to provide Welsh language lessons for staff through plans such as Welsh in the workplace; we must include linguistic requirements in recruitment policies; we need to conduct an audit in order to see what the skills gap is, particularly in front-line posts; and we need to plan the workforce in a meaningful way. If the rights of Welsh speakers that are established through the standards are truly to take root, then we must plan the workforce that can provide those services in full.

So, this is a report that we welcome, but it does also highlight some of the problems. The problems have been known for some time, and the Government does now need to take action. The information, the policies and the expertise is available in order to achieve success in this area, and the Government must show the desire and the political leadership to implement this. I do know that you, as Minister, are sincere in your commitment to the Welsh language. The small increase in funding for plans to support the Welsh language that has been secured by Plaid Cymru in the budget is a step in the right direction, but in the words of the Welsh Language Commissioner—and I return to what she said—we must see a change of gear. I would add that that has to happen as a matter of urgency. So, I do hope that everyone can support these amendments so that we can concentrate on action. Thank you.

May I start by endorsing what the Minister and Sian Gwenllian have said in thanking the commissioner for her work in putting together this report? I welcome the report, and I welcome the opportunity to discuss the report, and I welcome the amendments that have been tabled by Plaid Cymru.

The report has been put together from the point of view of the user, that is, the person who requests the service, and that’s one of the strengths of the report in my view—that it sees Welsh-medium services and the provision through the medium of Welsh from the point of the user outwith the institution.

I asked the commissioner, when she came to give evidence before the committee last week, whether she was surprised by any of the conclusions or findings in the report, and she said that she wasn’t surprised. But, from reading the report, it’s clear that we do have a long way to go to reach where we want to be. For example, in only 21 per cent of receptions was it possible to use the Welsh language; 37 per cent were offered a service without asking on the phone; looking at websites, 19 per cent of websites promoted the language choice between Welsh and English. She also drew attention to the UK Government website specifically, mentioning that, since they had become under the umbrella of gov.uk, the quality of Welsh language provision had declined significantly. She said that it’s not just been a slowdown, but a galloping backwards in provision stemming from Westminster. So, we do need to look at that in the context of the Wales Bill, and I would ask the Minister to consider this issue and to communicate with the Secretary of State, if it is appropriate to do so, to move the discussion forward and to see what we can do in relation to the Bill.

But what’s important, on the basis of this report, is what happens next, and we discussed in the committee the specific steps that are under way to understand the analysis and to take constructive steps on that basis. I understand that general workshops are being undertaken to discuss the findings with the institutions that have been the subject of the report, and institutions more widely, to provide specific feedback and a library of resources to support the bodies and organisations to improve their provision. But I would also see a hand-in-hand working with the organisations. I think there needs to be a revolution, if truth be told, within these institutions to change culture so that the institutions and bodies understand the why and the how so that we can move forward. So, I would like to see a creative look being taken at ways of supporting these institutions to do that, as well as regulation.

But if a great leap forward is a needed in terms of culture within these bodies, then there’s also a leap forward needed in terms of increasing demand for the services that we are discussing today. To endorse Sian Gwenllian’s words in mentioning how important the education workforce is, it’s vital to deliver the objectives in the Welsh language strategy, and workforce planning in that regard specifically is also vital. And that’s why the Welsh language strategy is so vital. By increasing the number of Welsh speakers, we’re going to increase demand, and that’s what will ensure, in my view, the transformation in the kind of services that we’re discussing today.

I would also like to thank the commissioner for her report, and I’d like to start by congratulating her for keeping within her budget, saving money on almost every line in her budget. Her office’s settlement last year was particularly difficult, and this year has been no different. I look forward to the details in the draft budget.

We welcome that efficiency, of course, but the fact that the First Minister had to find an additional £150,000 specifically to enforce standards, which are one of the core functions of the office of the commissioner, suggests that the stone has virtually been bled dry. You’re right, Minister, to seek savings, of course, but I wonder whether we have reached a point where substantial further cuts will cross the line and restrict the commissioner’s ability to do her work to an unacceptable extent.

Having said that, of course, the commissioner was told in February that this additional funding was on its way. It could have been useful—I agree with Jeremy Miles on this—in this report, to give an idea of the way that that funding is being spent, so that, next year, we can look back at this year’s report to trace how her objectives are developing.

I’m certain that the demand on the commissioner’s time will increase, and with each set of standards, it appears that we will face a new set of appeals. And even with a simplified process and a decreasing number of appeals in future, enforcement costs will continue to be a challenge for this year’s budget and beyond. The Government’s long-term target for a million Welsh speakers will demand a long-term approach from the commissioner’s office.

Last year, I asked where the second round of standards was. The year before that I asked where the first round of standards was. I don’t know what ‘groundhog’ is in Welsh, but there is no surprise as to what my question is for this year. Even though I’m sure that you will say that you’ve been focusing on bringing amended standards forward, you have had the report on the inquiry into the third round of standards since July. It would be worth having some kind of statement on the timetable soon, I think.

However, looking back can be a good thing sometimes, and it would have been interesting to see in this report some kind of reflection on the matters raised last year on progress made in the meantime. The Planning (Wales) Act 2015 and the Welsh in education strategic plans appear in both reports and essentially cover the same period. But we see nothing new on the controversial subject of post-16 education. If truth be told, we see very little detail on education at all, considering the fact that the Diamond review was such a major topic last year. That’s why we’re willing to support the amendments to the debate today. And perhaps we will, of course, see more about that in next year’s report.

Once again, I thank the commissioner for meeting party spokespeople on a regular basis to keep us up to date and to share concerns—a two-way process, by the way. Influencing and shaping policies can be done in many ways after all, and speaking to all parties might be something that the Government itself may want to consider before agreeing its draft budget. It is likely, even though this doesn’t have to be the case, that the commissioner is more open with the Assembly than the Government.

But you, as Minister, to be fair, are willing to discuss your priorities for the Welsh language, and I appreciate that. We most probably agree that the daily use of the Welsh language is our major aim as a nation, and our project for the high street, Tipyn Bach, contributes to the same agenda. The language, in truth, lives beyond the school gates, but all of our ambitions regarding the future of the Welsh language in education will count for little unless those who were let down by it in the past are included in attempts to ensure that the Welsh language is a living language now.

I’m pleased to see the report referring specifically to the soft diplomacy, if I may put it that way, deployed by the commissioner to create a new mindset, which will be vital in the workplace and the workforce. The need for this is still clear, because nobody wants to see another complaint such as the one made against Swansea council.

That is why I was also pleased to see a reference to the regulatory framework, section 4 powers to consult, and things like the seminars, quality targets and the various schemes to promote the Welsh language. There are many good things on the website about how to ensure supportive engagement with clubs, societies and civil society in general. But what I’m not quite sure about is how organisations of this kind are going to be drawn to the website in the first place—something that should be considered, perhaps, by any institution that has a duty to promote the Welsh language, including the Government. Thank you very much.

I echo everything that Suzy Davies has just said and I welcome this report. I would also, actually, like to commend the Minister for the drive and vision that he brings to his role and the contribution that he’s made to our committee. I don’t suppose I’d be able to say that to many Ministers in this Government, but that’s a genuine compliment that I pay him.

The report of the Welsh language commissioner is set against the background that the Welsh language should be treated no less favourably than the English language in Wales, and a person in Wales should be able to live their lives through the medium of the Welsh language if they choose to do so. It shouldn’t require effort to be able to do that. That’s the background to this report. As the commissioner says, progress has been made, and certainly Wales today is a world away from where it was 50 years ago when I was growing up and at school. But she says that provision of Welsh language services is making no further progress, and for some time performance has reached a plateau. Well, Welsh-speaking people should not have to persevere to use their native language, and that is, I think, the united view of this Assembly.

What is disappointing about the examples that she gives in her report is that that general aim doesn’t seem to be observed throughout the public sector. Jeremy Miles referred to this in part in his speech, but even providing signs to say that a Welsh service is available is inadequate. There are no Iaith Gwaith signs in 71 per cent of Welsh public sector receptions, and the position is even worse in county councils—76 per cent—and even worse again in the health service, where that figures is 78 per cent. I think that this is a matter of respect, actually—that we should be able to accommodate people’s natural desire to speak Welsh—and it’s a sense of personal embarrassment that I feel that I can’t converse adequately in Welsh so that those who would wish to speak to me in Welsh would be able to do that. That’s something that I’m doing my best to correct, and over the period that I’m allowed to remain in this place, I hope that I will be able to reach perfection, at least in that aspect of life if in no other.

So, it’s something that my party welcomes, and we support the Plaid Cymru amendments to this motion this afternoon as well. The use of Welsh should be seen not just as a matter of choice, in the words of the active offer, but as a question of need, because the language is a pedigree of a nation, and once lost, of course, it can never be properly recovered, as we’ve seen from other parts of the United Kingdom, like Cornwall, where the language has been lost.

There is much to be done—that’s the lesson that we draw from this report. Even matters such as access to the Welsh language on the internet, which you’d think would be pretty simple to provide, is very inadequate. Only 24 per cent of English forms, apparently, are available in Welsh, and even in the case of correspondence with Government departments and other public sector organisations, apparently 26 per cent of letters written in Welsh receive no reply at all, which I think is most extraordinary, and in the health service 35 per cent of letters written in Welsh receive no reply at all, which I think is actually disgraceful.

The other thing that I noted with great interest in the report is the commissioner’s opinion that it’s a myth to claim that one must be able to speak Welsh to work in the public sector. She says that there are a significant number of organisations that provide public services for the people of Wales that need to ensure that they include the Welsh language as a factor when they plan their workforce, and must set out in earnest to increase their linguistic capacity to enable to meet the needs of a bilingual society. That’s an aspiration, again, that I wholly endorse. We are occasionally characterised incorrectly as an English party in UKIP, but we wholeheartedly endorse the aspiration that Wales should become a fully bilingual nation. It would be extraordinary for a nationalist party like us not to take that view, and I’m pleased that this is an opportunity for us all across the Chamber to come together in agreement on what must be done.

So, with that, I’ll just say that we endorse the findings of the commissioner’s report, and congratulate her on her work. Despite what Suzy Davies says, there are reservations that we have to admit exist, and we must all do better. Let’s hope that next year we’ll be able to say that we have done better.

Thank you. I call on the Minister for Lifelong Learning and Welsh Language to reply to the debate. Alun Davies.

I have been hoping to do better next year for most of my life, but I am very pleased that we have struck a note of agreement late on this Tuesday afternoon as we discuss this report. I do welcome and am grateful to all Members who have contributed to this debate.

As we’ve seen on a number of occasions in the past, this debate has come to an agreement on the principle but has also shown us a clear long-term vision. It’s not often that you see Sian Gwenllian asking the Government to change gear, but Jeremy Miles insisting on revolution. I do think that it is important that we do comply with the ambitions of them both in different ways. I tend to agree with another important contribution, made by Suzy Davies, when she sought a simplified process for the standards. I think it is important that the promotion of the Welsh language and the promotion of the use of the Welsh language is something that should happen naturally, and should happen without some of the bureaucracy that we may have created through the current Measure. That’s one of the things that I will be considering when we come to look at what sort of legislation we will need.

In concluding this afternoon’s debate, I will say this: I agree with Sian Gwenllian’s comments on education, Welsh-medium education and post-16 education, as well as how we plan our workforce in order to deliver and provide the kind of services that we want to see in the future. That, of course, is the purpose of having a long-term strategy. It is not sufficient and it isn’t possible to plan the future workforce in two years or in five years. We have to look at this in the long term and look at what we can do for the future. That is the purpose of the debate that we have tried to hold and have tried to lead over the past few months, in order to create a strategy that will assist us in creating 1 million Welsh speakers and people who use the Welsh language over the coming years.

And when Jeremy Miles mentions that the report looks at this through the users’ eyes, that is crucially important, because each and every one of us here who speak and use the Welsh language are users of Welsh language services wherever we are and wherever we live, and we know that there are barriers to using our own language in accessing public services that we want to see in various parts of Wales. I accept the points that have been made that the Welsh Government has to ensure that it responds to its responsibilities, too, and there is a role for the UK Government. Very often, we think that because we have this institution here and other national institutions in Wales, that the UK Government has no responsibilities at all in terms of the Welsh language. I happen to think that it’s important that the UK Government and Ministers in Westminster take their responsibilities for the Welsh language seriously. And I think it’s important that that should be recognised.

In concluding, I just want to say this: there is consensus here and I do hope that it is a living consensus. I accept what Neil Hamilton has said in terms of what we must do for the future, but I also accept his comments on the kind of commitment that he is willing to make and his party’s willing to make in order to secure the future of the Welsh language as our national language. I say this: it is important that the consensus that we have is a living consensus, a consensus that is willing to challenge and which will drive this vision forward. And I hope that if we achieve that, we will have achieved something very special and something that is historic for Wales and for Wales’s future. Thank you very much.

Thank you very much. The proposal is to agree amendment 1. Does any Member object? No. Therefore amendment is agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Amendment 1 agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

The proposal is to agree amendment 2. Does any Member object? No. Right, therefore, that amendment is agreed also in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Amendment 2 agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

The proposal is to agree amendment 3. Does any Member object? No. Therefore, amendment 3 is agreed.

Amendment 3 agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

The proposal is to agree the motion as amended.

Motion NDM6117 as amended:

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales:

1. Acknowledges the Welsh Language Commissioner's Annual Report for 2015-16, which details the work undertaken by the Commissioner to promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language.

2. Notes the importance of workforce planning to provide services through the medium of Welsh as a central aspect to the efforts of government to reach the target of a million Welsh speakers by 2050.

3. Calls on the Welsh Government to work with the Welsh Language Commissioner to present a national Welsh language strategy in the workplace in order to increase the use of Welsh in the workplace and promote and raise awareness of the right to receive services through the medium of Welsh.

4. Calls on the Welsh Government to work with the Welsh Language Commissioner to implement recommendation 4 in the report of the Working Group on the Welsh Language and Local Government: Language, work and bilingual services, to place a statutory duty on local authorities, including in their role as local education authorities, to undertake workforce planning in terms of linguistic skills, and to provide suitable training to meet those needs.

Does any Member object? No. Therefore, the motion as amended is agreed.

Motion NDM6117 as amended agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

That concludes today’s business. Thank you very much.

The meeting ended at 18:30.