Group 13. Welsh language provision (Amendments 64, 65, 66)

Part of the debate – in the Senedd at 6:45 pm on 21 November 2017.

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Photo of Darren Millar Darren Millar Conservative 6:45, 21 November 2017

Can I also speak in support of the amendments that have been tabled by Llyr Gruffydd? We did have a Bill that was quite short, actually, in terms of the aspirations of everybody in terms of the Welsh language provisions in it at the outset, but through collaboration with the previous portfolio holder and the current Cabinet Secretary, I think there is a set of amendments here that will go significantly towards ensuring that we have a system that is robust and which has the capacity to meet the demands of learners.

Like Llyr, I've experienced déjà vu on many occasions in this Chamber when we've looked at the insufficiency of workforce planning, not just in education services, not just in health services, but in all sorts of other public service areas. We need to crack this nut once and for all, and I think that these amendments—certainly amendment 64—give us the opportunity to do that with this requirement to assess likely demand and then to ensure that the capacity is there to deliver services to meet that demand.

I think it's also obviously absolutely essential that people can access advocacy services in the language of their choice. Very often, when people are trying to articulate arguments, it's difficult to do so in a second language. I think it's absolutely right that, always, we should have the language choice of the learner and of the parents as paramount in these decisions, and amendments 65 and 66 seek to deliver on those principles. So, I urge all Members to support all three amendments in this group.