Thank you very much, Llywydd. It’s important for us in Wales that we have the ability to use the language of our choice in our everyday interactions with public services. Not only is it a basic right, but it’s crucial to building our sense of self and community.

The Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011 was an important milestone in the history of our language. The Measure, for the first time, declared the official status of the Welsh language here in Wales. It also clarified the expectations for the provision of Welsh language services for speakers and service providers.

So, our inquiry looked at the perceived successes and limitations of the Measure, and we asked whether it supports Welsh language promotion, which is an issue that we felt has not received the attention it deserves. We heard, as a committee, that the Measure is an improvement on the previous system of publishing language schemes. And we were told that moving from schemes to a standards regime has provided clarity and has established rights for Welsh speakers. The majority of witnesses told us this is a positive step for both the public and the bodies that serve them.

However, there was some frustration about the complexity of the standards. In assessing whether to continue with the current system or to simplify aspects of the legislation, we recognised as a committee that the majority of the organisations currently implementing the standards have only been doing so for a year or two. The committee therefore agreed with the Welsh Language Commissioner in post at the time who told us, and I quote, that

'it's much too early to decide that the legislation needs to be amended wholesale' on this point. She said that there has already been a positive change on the ground in a number of county councils that had changed people’s lives. So, as a committee, we want to see that being rooted and embedded in our communities before there is great change.

Now, clearly the Welsh Government heard the weight of evidence being presented to the committee and responded by withdrawing their proposed Welsh language Bill in February.

In terms of streamlining the standards, there are, however, a few issues that still need to be addressed in the absence of new legislation. We recommended that the current standards are streamlined, by combining ones with similar aims. The Welsh Government have accepted this recommendation and I would like to see more detail on the Minister’s plans to consider how this can be done.

I'm pleased that the Government has accepted our recommendation to speed up the introduction of standards for those sectors that are not already subject to the Measure. Again, I would like to ask the Minister to publish details and a timetable for this work.

We want to see the next set of regulations for water companies and health regulators being introduced urgently. I am disappointed that the Government can't say more on this other than noting that the standards are being developed. They have already been delayed for far too long in our opinion as a committee. We need a firm date for their introduction.

We also recommended revising the complaints procedure as the current process does not allow for complaints to be resolved without a full investigation. Amending the complaints framework was one of the proposals in the Welsh Government’s withdrawn Bill, of course. So, in the absence of a new Bill, we are pleased to see that the commissioner has taken steps to alter the investigation procedure along the lines of our recommendation as a committee. But when the commissioner came to committee recently, there was a lack of detail about how that was going to be done, and I think that the public in Wales, who are perhaps going to put forward a complaint, need to know with certainty what is going to happen and who they are complaining to. So, I would urge the commissioner and the Government to collaborate on that.

One issue that I believe hasn't received the attention it deserves is the promotion of the Welsh language. That hasn't received much attention: how we promote the language. When the Welsh Language Board was abolished, the responsibility for promoting the language was transferred to the Welsh Government, and a great deal has been done. We have to acknowledge that. But many people have said to us that we need to establish a new arm's-length body to promote the language. But, bearing in mind the consideration we gave to it as a committee and certainly in terms of the resources available, we felt that perhaps it would be better to see how we can use what we already have, and how we can use those processes that we already have to do this.

I understand that work on a memorandum of understanding between the Welsh Government and the commissioner has been started, and I would like to have more information about how that is going to work. For example, is the commissioner going to receive additional resources to do that promotion work, which might perhaps add to their remit? Or will they be expected to do the same thing with the same amount of budget? I would be interested in knowing what your opinion is on that.

I would also like to know a little bit more about the status of the Welsh language unit in the Government. The Government announced a new delivery unit called Project 2050, and even though we welcome that, it is crucial for it to have the necessary resources and expertise to succeed. If it's going to look at the Welsh language across everything that happens in Government, it's very important that that unit is supported.

So, I certainly believe that this work has been very useful for us to look back at the Measure, which was put forward in 2014. A great deal has changed since then, and a lot of opportunities have been given to organisations to change what they are doing, and there's been a great deal of culture change. That was what I was pleased to hear. Even in those areas perhaps that we would believe would be traditionally English-speaking areas, they have made more of an effort to change what happens in terms of their processes.

What perhaps we need to improve still is the use of the language and how people can develop their confidence to think that that is part of their everyday lives. It's not just a challenge for the Measure, but a challenge for us all in terms of strategies and how we do our everyday work, and how we promote the language as Assembly Members. So, I would urge people to get involved in this debate and to realise how important this element of our work is as Members.