New language commissioner under fire from campaigners
CAMPAIGNERS have raised concerns after a significant drop in the number of formal investigations into alleged infringements of Welsh speakers’ rights since a new Welsh Language Commissioner took over the role.
Former Liberal Democrat AM Aled Roberts succeeded Meri Huws as the Commissioner in April.
According to figures disclosed by Mr Roberts’ office to Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, the Welsh Language Society, the new Commissioner decided to investigate only 26% of complaints received during his first month in post – a much lower figure
than any month in the last three years. By comparison, Ms Huws investigated 75% of the complaints received during April 2018.
In his first two months as Commissioner, Mr Roberts refused to investigate more than half the complaints received – a far higher proportion than any corresponding period when Ms Huws was in charge.
Cymdeithas yr Iaith claimed that correspondence between the Commissioner and Eluned Morgan, the Minister for the Welsh Language, shows that Mr Roberts has changed his policy on dealing with complaints following pressure from the Welsh Government.
Cymdeithas yr Iaith spokeswoman Tamsin Davies said: “The concern we hear from many of our members is that they don’t feel the complaints procedure, since Mr Roberts was appointed, always gives priority to the interests of Welsh speakers. These statistics show there are grounds for their concerns.
“Refusing to open investigations into so many complaints will weaken our language rights if this trend continues. There is a danger bodies will get the message that it is OK for them to ignore the law. There is also a danger that the public will lose faith in the Commissioner to deal with their complaints seriously.
“It is appalling that the government has put pressure on the Commissioner to take an approach that favours organisations and companies. It is totally unacceptable also that, as a result of this, the office of the Commissioner has conceded and adopted a new policy to deal with complaints.”
Mr Roberts responded: “Each statutory investigation takes approximately six months to complete. Of course there are cases where a full investigation is the most appropriate route to take, using my powers to enforce improvement. I have followed this route with almost half of the cases I am able to investigate.
“Historically, a full investigation was opened when dealing with nearly every complaint where there was a suspicion of failure.
“Full investigations were taking place even when organisations were already taking steps to rectify matters and put arrangements in place to ensure they did not happen again.”