8. 7. Debate: The White Paper on Proposals for a Welsh Language Bill

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:51 pm on 3 October 2017.

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Photo of Mr Neil Hamilton Mr Neil Hamilton UKIP 6:51, 3 October 2017

Well, it might be. It’s not something as yet I’ve been convinced on. I would like to consider that in greater detail. I do think that there should be some sort of de minimis test, whether that’s by reason of the size of the company, whether that’s measured in terms of number of employees or turnover or whatever. I don’t personally believe that the Government has any intention of embarking upon two draconian set of obligations at all. But I would hate to think that we would create antagonism where it needn’t exist by adding fuel to people’s fears that are unnecessary.

We had a most unfortunate situation in Llangennech last year in the school, and what I saw there worried me a great deal, because I do want to see more bilingual education and I do want to see more Welsh language-medium education, but the parents of that school were not convinced that this was the right thing to do, and the policy of the county council was creating a real antagonism there, which I think actually would set the language back rather than take it forward. So, I’m in favour of an evolutionary approach to this. I do believe the Government has to lead and I do think it should nudge heavily in the right direction, but I do think that we need to be very clear, before we pass motions, exactly what obligations we’re imposing. Broad, general-terms formulations that might be misinterpreted in a way that is disadvantageous to the achievement of the objective that we all share I think would be a retrograde step.