So, we move to the motion to note the annual report of the Assembly Commission's official languages scheme for 2018-19. I call on Siân Gwenllian to move the motion.

Motion NDM7126 Elin Jones

To propose that the National Assembly for Wales, in accordance with paragraph 8 (8) of Schedule 2 of the Government of Wales Act 2006:

Notes the Annual Report on the Assembly Commission’s Official Languages Scheme, laid before the National Assembly for Wales on 10 July 2019.

Motion moved.

Thank you very much, Llywydd. It gives me great pleasure to introduce this annual report on the Assembly Commission's official languages scheme. It's wonderful to have an opportunity to share an update on our work over the past year. Now, the report celebrates successes, but also notes those occasions when we have not always succeeded in meeting the high standards set by the scheme.

I would like to begin with the themes that provide the structure for our work for the fifth Assembly. Last year saw a great deal of debate on our ambitious plans to transform the recruitment system in order to improve the process of defining and setting language skills levels for posts, introducing a requirement for basic language skills for every post advertised. The revised system has now been in place for a year, and the report includes details on the number of posts advertised at different levels, and in annual reports from this point on we will be able to compare those figures.

Now, with regard to the language skills theme, the language skills team has continued to provide bespoke training to Assembly Members and their support staff as well as Assembly Commission staff. Over 150 learners are now receiving training from the team. This year, thanks to the dedication of our learners and the team's innovative training methods, 11 learners have sat WJEC exams on the access, foundation and intermediate levels, with many more climbing the skills ladder but choosing not to sit an exam.

On the whole, the official languages team's work this year has focused on linguistic planning, which is the third theme, following the implementation of the new recruitment system. Heads of service and official languages co-ordinators are currently amending the language schemes of their respective services, noting the language skills requirements of each post. And, in tandem with this work, we're in the process of recording the language skills of all members of staff. This work is being done by each service in turn on a self-assessment basis, and the language skills team will be providing support to individuals and teams as necessary. All of this will provide certainty for the chief executive, and for me as commissioner with responsibility for official languages, that we are planning the organisation’s bilingual capacity appropriately to provide excellent bilingual services at all times.

Now, the Assembly’s proceedings are the fourth theme. Our work has focused on supporting Assembly Members to work and participate in proceedings in their chosen language. This year, the survey of Assembly Members and their staff yielded particularly good results in terms of their ability to work in their chosen language. However, we must not rest on our laurels, and nor will we do so. We will continue to listen to feedback from Members and their support staff to ensure that we maintain these high standards.

Unfortunately, there was no improvement in the number of monolingual documents laid in the Table Office, which means that it's difficult for Members to prepare for proceedings in their chosen language. However, we continue to work with the Welsh Government to seek opportunities to improve their provision. We welcome the commitment made by Shan Morgan, the Permanent Secretary, last week, during the Culture, Welsh Language and Communications Committee’s scrutiny session, to increase the number of documents laid bilingually, and it would be good to be able to report on progress on this matter in next year’s report.

The fifth theme is the most wide-ranging with regard to targets, and, even though they are reasonably simple in nature, taken together they will make a major difference to the culture and ethos of our organisation. These are the targets that will enable us to make the changes required to ensure that we achieve our ambition of being recognised as an innovative and proactive organisation in the provision of bilingual services.

In terms of the service standards, you will remember that we included a number of statistics on elements of the services that we provide last year, and this year we have added to those tables to allow comparisons to be made between years. During last year’s debate, Members requested details about the number and nature of the complaints received. It's heartening to note that only a small number of complaints were received and that we successfully resolved the majority informally without the need for a formal inquiry. However, I would like to assure you that we will use any feedback to learn and to improve our services. Positive feedback is also important, and the report includes a number of quotes from individuals, which will, again, assist us to learn lessons and to share good practice across the organisation. I look forward to hearing your response to the report. 

May I thank you, Siân, and members of the official languages scheme team, for this report? Once again, it reflects an organisation where increasing numbers of people feel comfortable working and being included in a bilingual environment. But this is the first time that I've felt that it's actually captured the perspective of our learners. 

Yes, the scheme has always been clear about the bespoke training available to Members and their staff and to Commission staff, and many of us have been delighted to be fortunate enough to benefit from this service. However, if you're learning the language of your own nation, you're in a unique situation that doesn't always emerge in policy discussions, be that about adult learners or Welsh language rights, perhaps because learners haven't always been involved in shaping those policies.

To be fair, the 'dysgwr' or 'learner' lanyards were an early development. When I was wearing my ‘iaith gwaith’ lanyard, learners wouldn’t necessarily speak to me, but when I wore my ‘dysgwr’ lanyard, they were willing to speak to me in Welsh, and I was, perhaps, also less intimidating to them.

So, I welcome very much the new method of setting language skills levels when defining requirements for posts. I rattled a few cages when I tried to raise this in a debate a few weeks ago, in the context of standards, but the principle is the same. But, here, our own Commission admits that people may choose not to apply for posts that are advertised as being ‘Welsh essential’, when the general understanding of the word ‘essential’ doesn’t necessarily accurately reflect what is essential. The same risk applies to bodies that are subject to standards, but the point is, in this place, the Commission has introduced a recruitment process that is far more nuanced, fairer and more accurate, seeking skills levels that are genuinely required from the outset, but also providing opportunities to improve and develop those skills in post. This makes the workplace a place to grow citizens who are increasingly bilingual and citizens who are increasingly confident in using both of their languages.

I will take the example of the new director of communications, which is in the report. The level 3 requirement was noted as the lowest level that was required. Now, working here, in that role, surrounded by fluent Welsh speakers, it wouldn’t be long before a level 3 applicant could develop their skills to reach levels 4 or 5. And I know that someone has now been appointed to that role. But, if that post had been advertised as being ‘Welsh essential’, then perhaps a level 3 speaker wouldn’t have applied, and perhaps they wouldn’t have improved their skills. So, I really do appreciate this as a way forward.

By the way, as we all know, women are less likely than men to apply for jobs where they don’t meet all of the criteria. So, it is possible that this matrix approach will eradicate unconscious gender bias as well as unconscious bias against those who are not wholly confident in their skills.

I was very pleased to see that you have already shared this approach with the National Centre for Learning Welsh, with unions and with some public bodies such as Swansea council. May I recommend that you approach the other two councils in my region too, where there are still problems in terms of culture and misconceptions surrounding the Welsh language?

At the other end of this linguistic spectrum, introducing a requirement for all staff to reach a courtesy level of Welsh has had a clear impact. Almost every day, I will hear at least a ‘bore da’ at the gate, and the majority of staff are not backwards in coming forwards with their new skills when they can. And some, such as a member of the night duty staff last week, are determined to show how much they have developed beyond a simple ‘bore da’ to becoming more fluent in their own particular field. This is another good idea for other public bodies to consider.

Clearly, we have the resources to do all of this. We cannot take for granted that it will be as easy for others to follow suit. But it may not cost that much. Of course, we have the resources to offer an entirely bilingual experience to staff, visitors and anyone who engages with this Assembly. 

Just one other thing, if I may, Llywydd. Other than a continuing problem with some documents not being laid bilingually—and it appears to me the reasons for that haven't changed at all—I don't want us to forget the fact that there is good work being done here. I do hope that this contribution will be a slight nudge to the statistics in terms of the use of the Welsh language in the Chamber and I encourage others to give it a go. Thank you.

As someone whose lack of the Welsh language comes as a direct result of suppression of the language at the beginning of the last century—my mother was actually caned in school for speaking Welsh in school—I wholeheartedly support any moves to increase the use of the language. And where better to promote its use than in this establishment? I therefore welcome all the measures taken by the Commission in these matters. Diolch yn fawr.

Siân Gwenllian to reply to the debate.

Thank you very much. Perhaps I’ll start by responding to that last comment and the fact that you had said, David Rowlands, before the whole Assembly today that your mum indeed had suffered as a result of the historic issues that were happening in our schools, where people were punished physically for speaking Welsh. I’m still incensed about that, but one turns that anger into constructive action and I’m very pleased at the innovative work in this area.

I thank Suzy for her constructive and positive comments here, endorsing and praising the work that has been done in terms of linguistic planning in this workplace. There are people from Norway and Finland who have come here to Wales to see the innovative work that we’re doing on linguistic planning and who are eager to learn from our experiences and from our practices with minority languages in their own nations.

I’m pleased that you agree that getting rid of that ‘Welsh essential’ tag has been a positive step. We know from experience, not just in the Assembly, but in other fields as well, that people choose not to apply for posts because they were concerned about that ‘Welsh essential’ tag. But, since introducing descriptions on different levels of skills, we’ve seen advertisements being developed in terms of the specific needs of posts and we’ve seen an increase in the number of Welsh learners who have been appointed to posts, which shows the value of investing in language skills training for those individuals and for the organisation as a whole.

In terms of the courtesy level Welsh, well it's excellent to see that in practice. I’ll never forget, in the National Eisteddfod, seeing the security officers taking great delight in using Welsh, saying, 'Bore da' and 'Prynhawn da'. One thing that is used often is ‘Popeth mewn trefn’—'Everything in order’. I hear that now, and it’s excellent hearing that courtesy level Welsh being used. I see that I am out of time. So, I’m very pleased to introduce this report. The work will continue. It’s far from being perfect, but we will continue and will maintain momentum.

If I can say just one brief word before concluding, as I wouldn’t like to finish today without naming one official specifically. We don’t usually do this, I know, but I would like to pay tribute to Craig Stephenson, the Assembly Commission’s director of engagement, who is retiring. He has been a tireless champion over the years and a passionate advocate of every aspect of the official languages scheme, thereby ensuring that providing excellent bilingual services is at the heart of everything that the Assembly Commission does. So, thank you very much, Craig, and best wishes for the future.

Indeed. The proposal is to note the report. Does any Member object? The motion is therefore agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.

Motion agreed in accordance with Standing Order 12.36.