Thank you. It’s a great pleasure to open this discussion on the Welsh Language Standards (No. 7) Regulations 2018. The regulations allow the Welsh Language Commissioner to place standards on health boards, health trusts, community health councils and the Board of Community Health Councils in Wales. These are organisations that provide crucial services to the public and are among the leading employers of Wales. These standards will build upon 'More than just words', the Welsh Government’s strategic framework for Welsh language services in health, social services and social care.

The framework introduces the principle of the active offer, that one should be offered a Welsh language service without having to request it. 'More than just words' recognises that care and language go hand in hand with the importance of ensuring the dignity and respect of Welsh speakers. It is more than complying with legal requirements and maintaining professional standards. It relates to providing quality public services that focus on the individual.

The regulations build on the firm foundations that the language schemes and 'More than just words' have created within the sector. The most important thing about the policy of creating standards and extending it to new organisations and bodies is to ensure that more bodies provide Welsh language services for their users and their staff. But there's a great deal of capacity-building work to be done, and these standards reflect that.

Everyone uses health services at some point or another, and therefore I'm pleased to be able to introduce these standards, which have the potential of improving the experiences of Welsh speakers as they access these services.

In preparing the regulations, we have been aware that some of these bodies run services 24/7 every day of the year, and I've also considered the broad range of services that they provide in a range of locations, from the commonplace to heart surgery, from emergency care to end-of-life care. Ensuring that the Welsh language is at the heart of all of these services is challenging, and there is an understanding that it won't happen overnight. If we're to succeed, the bodies will have to change the way they work, and we will ensure that the support is available to them to improve Welsh language services.

In preparing these regulations, I have listened and considered the responses received to the consultation, and I accept that the timetable for scrutiny has been tight, but I do think it's important that we make progress. A number of consultations have taken place, and I think it is now time to start this journey. Given the evidence received, I have amended some of the draft standards, and I believe that these standards assist bodies in planning and increasing their capacity to provide Welsh language services. The ultimate aim is that everyone will be able to access services in the language of their choice.

These regulations are part of the jigsaw. If we're to deliver that aim of providing more Welsh language services, it makes sense to support these regulations, which will put foundations in place for actions with other interventions in order to build the capacity required within the sector to provide services through the medium of Welsh. For example, through the Welsh Language in Business project, officials are working with businesses to increase their use of the Welsh language, and we will be running a pilot project with some GP clusters in the Hywel Dda and Aneurin Bevan areas to increase and enhance their use of the Welsh language. There will also be a toolkit developed for independent providers of primary care on how to operate bilingually.

A new pilot scheme has been launched by the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol in partnership with the universities of Cardiff and Swansea to increase the number of Welsh-speaking students who study medicine. Over 50 year-12 pupils have joined this pilot, and I saw an excellent example at Cardiff School of Medicine of a lecture being presented through the medium of Welsh to a lecture theatre full of students, most of those students listening via headphones. The National Centre for Learning Welsh is developing courses that are specifically designed for the health sector. The regulations before you are a key part of this jigsaw, which will lead to improved services in the health sector over time.