Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Contents Page 1

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W ELSH L ANGUAGE

B OARD Q UINQUENNIAL

R EVIEW

Draft Final Report

Prepared for

T HE N ATIONAL A SSEMBLY FOR

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Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Contents Page 1

CONTENTS

1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY...... 1 1.1 Introduction ...... 1 1.2 Strategic Planning, Priorities and Targets...... 2 1.3 The WLB’s internal organisation and operations...... 4 1.4 Corporate Governance ...... 7 1.5 Overall conclusion ...... 8

2 INTRODUCTION ...... 10 2.1 Background...... 10 2.2 Terms of reference...... 10 2.3 Methodology...... 11 2.4 Structure of the report...... 12 2.5 Acknowledgements ...... 13

3 STRATEGIC AND CORPORATE PLANNING FUNCTIONS ...... 14 3.1 Statutory framework ...... 14 3.2 Organisation and structure...... 14 3.3 Functions and activities...... 15 3.4 Strategy and policy framework...... 16 3.5 Planning processes...... 21 3.5.1 Inclusiveness of the planning process 22 3.5.2 Relationship of strategies to implementation activities 24 3.5.3 Actions and effects 26 3.5.4 Responsiveness of WLB strategies to those of the National Assembly 27 3.5.5 Contribution of research and evaluation to strategy 27 3.5.6 A holistic approach 29 3.6 Summary of conclusions...... 31

4 INTERNAL ORGANISATION AND OPERATIONS ...... 32 4.1 Organisational framework...... 32 4.2 Policy and Planning ...... 35 4.3 Marketing and Communications ...... 36 4.4 Public and Voluntary Sector Department...... 37 4.4.1 Resources 39 4.4.2 How important is this work? 40 Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Contents Page 2

4.4.3 Other demands on the department 42 4.5 Education and Training Department...... 43 4.5.1 Strategic overview of Welsh language education 43 4.5.2 Language schemes in the education sector 45 4.5.3 Increasing numbers 46 4.5.4 Continuity in provision of bilingual education 47 4.5.5 Higher Education 48 4.5.6 Welsh for adults 48 4.5.7 Grants for the promotion of Welsh language education 49 4.5.8 Other initiatives 50 4.6 Grants Department...... 50 4.6.1 Large grants 51 4.6.2 Other grants for facilitating the use of Welsh 53 4.6.3 Small grants 54 4.6.4 Mentrau Iaith 55 4.7 Other issues ...... 57 4.7.1 Regional presence 58 4.7.2 WLB and the economy 58 4.7.3 The National Lottery 59 4.8 Summary of conclusions...... 59

5 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE ...... 62 5.1 The framework...... 62 5.2 Assessment of compliance...... 63 5.3 Implementation of the Management Statement...... 63 5.3.1 Annual reporting and audit 63 5.3.2 Relationship with the National Assembly 64 5.3.3 Internal financial management control and audit 66 5.3.4 Compliance with standards of conduct 71 5.3.5 Openness 71 5.3.5 Efficiency and value for money considerations 72 5.4 Summary of conclusions...... 73

APPENDIX 1 : SUMMARY OF STAGE 1 REPORT ...... 74

APPENDIX 2 : TERMS OF REFERENCE...... 77

APPENDIX 3 : CONSULTATIONS AND SUBMISSIONS ...... 80 Public Sector...... 80 Voluntary / Third Sector...... 81 Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Contents Page 3

Private Sector ...... 81 Education Sector...... 81 Legal Sector ...... 81 Others...... 81 Individuals...... 82

APPENDIX 4 : BIBLIOGRAPHY AND DOCUMENTS CONSULTED ...... 83 Welsh Language Board Documents ...... 83 Other documents ...... 84

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 1

1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 Introduction This Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board (WLB) has been conducted in two stages. The first examined whether there is a continuing need for the functions of the body. The first stage draft report was presented to the National Assembly’s Culture Committee on 28 March 2001. It concluded that there was a continuing need for the body and its functions. The executive summary of the first stage review is at Appendix 1 of this report.

This second stage of the Review considers what improvements might be made to its strategic effectiveness and accountability. The review has concentrated on three key aspects of the WLB’s work: • Its strategic planning and the setting of priorities and targets

• Its internal organisation and operations

• Its corporate governance

The review identifies areas where there is scope for improving the WLB’s effectiveness but does so in a context which recognises the achievements of the WLB to date. As we said in the first stage report, the Board can justifiably claim credit for its contribution to the positive changes in attitude to the Welsh language during the past few years and for undertaking its mission in a strategic and professional way.

The recommendations cover issues raised in the course of the review, both by the review team and those who were consulted as part of the review or who submitted observations in writing. Some are minor, others had been anticipated by the WLB before the review and some Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 2

are already being dealt with by the WLB after having been discussed during the course of the review. They are nevertheless all included for the sake of completeness and to provide a checklist of action points for the WLB and the National Assembly to consider.

1.2 Strategic Planning, Priorities and Targets

Conclusions

The WLB has a coherent planning framework, with its corporate and business planning clearly linked to long-term strategic plans. It has a good record in meeting the targets it sets. The framework needs to be strengthened in two ways: • The plans and targets are highly focused on activities rather than impacts and it is therefore difficult to track the effectiveness of some of the WLB’s actions in relation to its statutory duty of promoting and facilitating the use of the Welsh language;

• The strategic plans seek to address a very wide range of issues, perhaps because the WLB has until now been the only source of national strategy for the language. However, with a budget of £6m and a staff of 34, the WLB is one of the smaller executive ASPBs and it has to confront some hard choices about how to make the maximum impact with the resources available to it.

The National Assembly is itself reviewing its policy towards the Welsh language. We believe that this provides an excellent opportunity to adopt a strategy which clearly defines the WLB’s functions and those of other public bodies whose activities impact on the Welsh language and sets clear and achievable targets for increasing usage of the language. However, this may not avoid the need for hard choices; the resource implications of delivering a fully bilingual Wales could be substantially in excess of current provision.

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Recommendations

1. That the WLB review its strategy in the light of the National Assembly’s current review of its own strategy for the Welsh language and produce a revised planning document which sets out concrete targets on a five-year basis for the increased use of the Welsh language in defined sectors and identified communities. 2. That the WLB’s strategy should clearly indicate the specific measures proposed for increasing language use in relevant sectors and geographic areas, for example, the measures for supporting new Welsh speakers leaving full-time education in predominantly English-speaking areas will differ materially from measures to support established Welsh-speaking communities. 3. That the WLB invite a bottom-up contribution to policy and strategy development by involving partner organisations (such as those which it grant aids) and key sector representatives (such as young people and the private sector) in the development process. 4. That this strategy be supported by a detailed rolling action plan with provision for regular monitoring of performance and for refinement of actions in the light of the results of monitoring. 5. That the National Assembly’s Culture Committee, in the course of its current policy review, take this opportunity to consider developing an inclusive strategy for the Welsh language which recognises the impacts of other public bodies on the language, sets out how actions in support of the language are to be co-ordinated and identifies mechanisms by which the language may be brought increasingly into the mainstream of public administration in Wales. 6. That the WLB request other agencies to provide impact assessments of their own forward plans on the Welsh language in order to enable the WLB to make relevant provision in its own plans to develop complementary projects or take mitigating action. Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 4

7. That the WLB publish research studies and results on its website, indicating what action it proposes to take and inviting public comment. 8. That the WLB consider indicating in its corporate and operational plans the proposed activities and impacts expected of the organisations which it supports by grants, the anticipated impact of the language schemes and the relative priority attached to its activities and expenditure. 9. That the WLB, in its Operational Plans, base policy direction and target setting on the anticipated effects of interventions rather than on the actions themselves. 10. That the WLB devise a method for recruiting strategically- placed panels of Welsh speakers/learners to establish how and to what extent various influences affect their use of the language and thereby to measure the impact of activities undertaken by the WLB. 11. That the WLB develop an evaluation and scoring scheme for determining value for money and priorities for resources in its interventions in support of the Welsh language. 12. That the WLB review its organisational structure to reflect a more holistic and co-ordinated approach to its primary function of promoting and facilitating the use of the Welsh language. 13. That the WLB exercise caution in using technical language planning terms in communicating with non-specialists.

1.3 The WLB’s internal organisation and operations

Conclusions

The WLB’s internal organisation reflects the functions which it has under the Act, together with specific duties that it has acquired since its establishment. This has resulted in a departmental structure which divides its 34 staff into seven different departments. There is a danger Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 5

that the departments will develop a silo mentality and action should be taken to deliver a more holistic approach to the promotion and facilitation of language use.

All departments function under pressure because of the wide-ranging nature of their responsibilities and an increasing workload, particularly in the Public and Voluntary Sector department because of the constant enlargement of their responsibility to initiate and monitor public sector language schemes. The Education and Training Department suffers because of a lack of definition by the National Assembly of the WLB’s obligation to maintain an overview of Welsh language education and training.

Even so, much has been achieved. There has been a very visible improvement in the status of the Welsh language in public and legal administration. Advances have been made in the provision of bilingual education and training. Many more services are now available through the medium of Welsh. Encouraging initiatives have been developed to encourage language transmission within families and to develop the use of Welsh in business and commerce. The structure of the language has had to adapt significantly to the new demands on it made by progress in these areas and the WLB has taken a lead in encouraging the development of new terms, developing translation competence and introducing the language to the emerging fields of information and communications technology.

Much of the WLB’s support for and action within communities in Wales is delivered through the widely-acclaimed Mentrau Iaith (Language Initiatives). These have recently been the subject of independent evaluation and some important issues have emerged. While Mentrau Iaith offer many advantages for the WLB in delivering support for the language at grass roots level, there is a danger in viewing them as a solution rather than as a mechanism. They need to be set specific action targets and be provided with training and other practical support measures, including the encouragement of innovation and the dissemination of good practice.

Other WLB objectives are delivered through its provision of grants for partner organisations. Within these are large annual grants to Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 6

specified organisations previously assisted directly by the Welsh Office. There are issues of responsibility and of targeting of assistance to WLB priorities with these organisations.

Other grants allow the WLB to develop purposeful relationships with other bodies and extend the range of the WLB’s functions and influence beyond the capacity of its own hard-pressed staff to deliver.

Recommendations

14. That the WLB discuss with the National Assembly the degree to which it can continue to initiate and monitor public body Welsh language schemes and explore ways of devolving aspects of the monitoring process to other appropriate auditing bodies. 15. That the WLB and National Assembly work closely together to develop a positive culture of support for the Welsh language in all areas of public administration and development. 16. That the National Assembly agree with the WLB the full extent of its responsibility for maintaining an overview of Welsh language education and training and the respective roles of the other organisations and agencies involved. 17. That the National Assembly explicitly recognise the limitations on the WLB maximising the strategic benefit from its grants to national cultural bodies inherited from the Welsh Office. 18. That the WLB consider how it may intensify its encouragement of greater use of Welsh in the private sector. 19. That the WLB review its expectations of the bodies which it supports through grant aid, in particular the Mentrau Iaith, in the light of recent evaluation studies and relate its support more specifically to activities designed to encourage greater use of the Welsh language. 20. That the WLB, subject to the above, consider how it may best support the work of the Mentrau Iaith beyond the provision of grant aid, for example through the provision of training, Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 7

improved coordination and central applications for additional funds from other sources to support their work. 21. That the WLB consider how it may strengthen its regional presence in Wales, possibly by arrangement with other organisations and Mentrau Iaith. 22. That the WLB seek opportunities to work in conjunction with other development agencies and Lottery Boards to develop joint projects for the benefit of Welsh-speaking communities in all parts of Wales.

1.4 Corporate Governance

Conclusions

The WLB is one of the smaller ASPBs. This means that the resources available to it for administration are limited in comparison with the ASPBs with considerably larger annual budgets. Nevertheless, it is a well-run organisation with robust control systems and a record of competent administration as evidenced by annual internal and external audit reports. The WLB has a properly constituted Audit Committee, comprising non-executive members of the Board, which is both internally and externally seen to be effective. Its relationship with the National Assembly at executive level in terms of reporting and working arrangement are positive and productive.

The increased sophistication of controls and reporting over the last decade or so calls into question some of the older restrictions on non- departmental bodies and we query the continued relevance of some time-consuming and relatively arbitrary limitations on the WLB’s freedom to administer the resources made available to it by the National Assembly.

On the other hand, we see the current move towards risk assessment as a potentially valuable tool for the WLB in evaluating the effect of its interventions in support of the Welsh language.

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The WLB has a culture of responsible administration which extends to the regular evaluation, both internal and external, of its main activities and expenditure. We would, however, like to see the evaluation process embedded more overtly into the policy-development process.

Recommendations

23. That the National Assembly reviews the current delegated authority limits, particularly in respect of the annual large grants to designated organisations, expenditure on evaluation and similar studies and restrictions on conditions of employment. 24. That increased use be made of exception reporting by the WLB executive to the Board to ensure that best use is made of Board members’ time by concentrating attention on matters which need Board level decisions and issues where Board members may add value to the policy-making process from their individual geographic and sectoral standpoints and areas of expertise. 25. That WLB Board members, staff and key partner organisations receive thorough briefing on the implications of risk assessment and ensure that it becomes embedded in all aspects of the WLB’s work. 26. That the WLB devise a dynamic role for its Board members in developing strategy to take full advantage of their sectoral expertise and personal knowledge of the different regions of Wales. 1.5 Overall conclusion This Review quickly established that there were no concerns among stakeholders about the past performance of the WLB that were in any way serious enough to call its continued existence into question or to suggest radical changes to its operation. Our consultations have revealed extensive support for the WLB but have also highlighted sensitivities and potential tensions that condition its approach to its mission. There are those whose dissatisfaction with progress to date derives from disappointment that the Welsh Language Act was not as powerful a measure as some European examples, notably those in the Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 9

Basque region of Spain and in Catalunya. Others feel, with obvious justification, that progress could have been faster had the resources available to the WLB been greater. A small but vociferous element resents the WLB’s existence and goes as far as to suggest that the Act jeopardises the civil liberties of non Welsh-speakers. In general, there is a consensus that the WLB has made a major impact in raising the status of the Welsh language, maintaining high levels of public support, even among those who do not speak it and in developing cogent strategies for its future development.

The first stage of this Quinquennial Review supported the continued existence of the WLB and pointed to its achievements to date. This stage necessarily points to areas where it is felt that there is some room for improvement in the WLB’s procedures. These have been discussed during the conduct of the Review with officers of the WLB, the National Assembly and others. In all cases, we have been impressed by the receptiveness and goodwill shown by all towards anything that will help the WLB in pursuing its objectives.

We trust that the National Assembly and the WLB will find within the recommendations some practical suggestions for assisting the WLB in fulfilling its challenging mission within the constraints imposed by the resources available.

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2 INTRODUCTION

2.1 Background On 10 May 2000, the National Assembly for Wales’ Minister for Finance, Local Government and Communities announced a forward programme of Quinquennial Reviews of fourteen Assembly Sponsored Public Bodies (ASPBs). The guidelines for these reviews, also issued in May 2000, required them to examine:

• whether there was a continuing need for the functions of the body under review and, if so,

• what improvements might be made to its strategic effectiveness and accountability.

The Welsh Language Board (WLB) was selected for review in 2000- 2001 and Newidiem’s consultant team was appointed to undertake the review by the Minister for Culture, Sport and the Welsh Language together with the Minister for Finance, Local Government and Communities. It was stipulated that the review be conducted in two stages, the second stage to be dependent on the outcome of the first.

The first stage draft report was presented to the Committee on 28 March 2001. The Executive Summary of this report is at Appendix 1. The Minister for Culture, Sport and the Welsh Language subsequently authorised Newidiem to proceed with the second stage of the review. This report summarises the outcome of this work.

2.2 Terms of reference The terms of reference of the review are at Appendix 2. The second stage is concerned with the strategic effectiveness and financial management of the WLB.

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 11

2.3 Methodology In common with all quinquennial reviews of ASPBs, this review has been commissioned by the National Assembly for Wales with a view to strengthening the Assembly’s relationship with its sponsored bodies and working towards the delivery of better, simpler government.

With the agreement and co-operation of the Review Steering Committee, the consultants employed the following methodology for the two stages in the review process: • a review of relevant documentation, including internal and public WLB documents; National Assembly policies, transactions and minutes; publications and reports on matters relevant to the study by independent experts, consultants and commentators;

• an extensive public consultation exercise to invite comments from approximately 400 bodies with a potential interest in the WLB or which might be affected by its functions; face-to-face interviews with a selection of key organisations and individuals; and an open invitation to members of the public to submit comments on the WLB’s work and responsibilities;

• a review of policies adopted by states and regional governments elsewhere in the world for the preservation and development of ‘minority’ languages;

• an assessment of the language planning needs of Welsh in Wales and the relevance of other countries’ practices to the domestic situation, with particular reference to those that could influence the future development of the WLB’s powers and methods;

• an assessment of the options suggested by the consultation process and the review of overseas practices for possible changes to language planning responsibilities and functions in Wales, within the current statutory framework.

This review of the WLB is being conducted at a time when the National Assembly has set in motion a separate wide-ranging review of Welsh Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 12

language policy in Wales. This has been borne in mind in framing certain conclusions and recommendations.

2.4 Structure of the report This second phase of the Review considers what improvements might be made to the WLB’s strategic effectiveness and accountability. The review has covered the following three aspects: • The WLB’s strategic and corporate planning functions • The WLB’s organisation and operations • The WLB’s corporate governance

In each case, the report sets out the context, provides an analysis and gives conclusions and recommendations based on the analysis. This summary gives a synopsis of the conclusions and details the recommendations. Chapter 3 reviews the WLB’s strategic and corporate planning processes. Chapter 4 review its internal organisation and the activities that it undertakes in meeting its statutory and strategic objectives. Chapter 5 reviews corporate governance issues.

The appendices contain the following: Appendix 1: a summary of the conclusions of the first stage of the review; Appendix 2: the terms of reference of the review; Appendix 3: a list of persons/organisations consulted and who proffered observations to the review team; Appendix 4: a bibliography and list of documents reviewed.

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2.5 Acknowledgements The consultant team wishes to record its gratitude to the many people who gave freely of their time and expertise in the course of the extensive consultations undertaken during the two stages of this Review. We have sought to reflect the views expressed in as balanced a way as possible.

We are conscious of the demands that the review process has made on members of the staff of both the WLB and the National Assembly and in particular on Mr Gwyn Jones of the WLB and Mr Michael Trickey and Mrs Anne Morris of the National Assembly. We have greatly valued their assistance and unfailing courtesy throughout the study.

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 14

3 STRATEGIC AND CORPORATE PLANNING FUNCTIONS

CONTEXT 3.1 Statutory framework The WLB was established as a non-departmental statutory body on 21 December1993 under the terms of the Welsh Language Act 1993, with responsibility for ‘promoting and facilitating the use of the Welsh language’.

Since 1 July 1999 the WLB has been accountable to the National Assembly for Wales and has the status of an Assembly Sponsored Public Body – a national and regional public body operating independently of Ministers but for which Ministers are ultimately responsible. The WLB obtains most of its funds by means of a National Assembly for Wales grant.

The WLB operates within a financial management and planning framework which has been developed by the Assembly. As specified in Section 4 of the Welsh Language Act 1993, the WLB ‘must comply with any general or specific directions given to it by the Secretary of State [from 1 July 1999 by the National Assembly], and shall give him such information about the exercise of its functions as he may require’.

The Assembly is empowered to transfer and abolish one or more of the WLB’s statutory functions under Section 28 of the Government of Wales Act 1998. Similarly, the Assembly may transfer to the WLB one or more of the statutory functions of other public bodies listed in Parts I and II Appendix 4 of the Act.

3.2 Organisation and structure The Welsh Language Act empowers the Secretary of State (now the Minister for Culture, Sport and the Welsh Language) to appoint up to 15 members (including a Chairman) to the Welsh Language Board. Appointments are for terms of three years, which may be extended by Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 15

the Minister. Members are remunerated for their work and are expected to devote on average two days a month to the WLB. The Chairman is expected to devote an average of two days a week to the WLB.

The Board’s present complement is eleven members, including the Chairman. Members are selected to ensure a reasonable representation of the various parts of Wales and of sectors of relevance to the WLB’s functions.

The WLB’s Chief Accounting Officer is its Chief Executive. The staff complement is agreed with the National Assembly and is capped in the Management Statement at a maximum of 43. The WLB has never had the necessary financial resources to reach this number of employees. It currently (June 2001) employs 34 staff, of which four are part-time. The staffing structure is organised along departmental lines broadly aligned with the WLB’s statutory functions.

3.3 Functions and activities The WLB’s main function, in accordance with section 3 (1) of the Act, is ‘to promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh Language.’ In fulfilling this function, section 3 (2) defines three primary responsibilities: • ‘advising the Secretary of State [now the National Assembly] on matters relating to the Welsh Language’

• ‘advising persons exercising functions of a public nature on the ways in which effect may be given to the principle that, in the conduct of public business and in administering justice in Wales, the Welsh and English languages should be treated on the basis of equality’;

• ‘advising those and other persons providing services to the public on the use of the Welsh language in their dealings with the public in Wales.’ Under section 4 (1) of the Act, the WLB has been given specific functions, which derive from Government directives. It is on this basis that the WLB was given by the then Secretary of State for Wales the responsibility for maintaining a strategic overview of Welsh language education and training, and from 1 April 1997, the WLB was given Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 16

responsibility for distributing grants to the National Eisteddfod, Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin, the Welsh Books Council and for the promotion of Welsh language education.

Part II of the Act details the process of preparing and reviewing language schemes in order to implement the principle that public bodies which provide a service to the public or who exercise functions of a public nature in Wales, including those that are located outside Wales, should treat the Welsh and English languages on the basis of being equal as far as is ‘appropriate in the circumstances and reasonably practicable’. As education authorities are public bodies, they are also requested to present a Welsh medium education development plan. The aim of this is to broaden the provision of Welsh language education and to ensure that it is as easily available as English medium education.

Thus, the WLB describes its five core functions as follows: • Promoting and facilitating the use of the Welsh language;

• Advising on and influencing issues relating to the Welsh language;

• Initiating and overseeing the process of preparing and implementing language schemes;

• Distributing grants to promote and facilitate the use of the language;

• Maintaining a strategic overview of Welsh language education.

3.4 Strategy and policy framework The Welsh Language Act does not specifically charge the WLB with responsibility for language planning as the term is now understood, but section 3 (3) states that ‘the Board may do anything which is incidental or conducive to the performance of its functions’. On the basis of this clause, and in order to set a policy framework for its activities and corporate financial priorities, soon after its establishment the WLB set Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 17

about the task of formulating a comprehensive strategy for the Welsh language.

In December 1995 it published An Outline Strategy for the Welsh Language as a consultation document. After a wide and well-conceived programme of consultations it produced A Strategy for the Welsh Language, which was published in December 1996.

This document provides a sound strategic framework for the WLB’s activities. It sets out four ‘main challenges’: • Increasing the number of people who are able to speak Welsh;

• Providing opportunities to use the language;

• Changing habits of language use and encouraging people to take advantage of the opportunities provided;

• Strengthening Welsh as a community language.

The strategy document goes on to detail the implications of these challenges in various sectors and to list 20 Objectives, some of which have more than one component. It proposes specific measures for meeting each Objective and thereby meeting the four challenges.

This strategy is intended to cover the period until production of 2011 census data. It is wary of setting quantitative targets. It maintains that ‘it is difficult to do so meaningfully for three out of the four main challenges’. It points out that language use can be affected by socio- economic factors which are beyond the WLB’s capacity to control. Therefore ‘in relation to Welsh as a community language, the Board cannot set a target at present’.

The WLB, of course has functions under the Act and others delegated by the Secretary of State (and not withdrawn by the National Assembly), such as the requirement to administer language schemes and to make particular grants. In contrast with some of the Objectives within the Strategy, they are capable of expression in terms of the performance of specific activities rather than impact on language use. The WLB’s Corporate and Operational Plans similarly express Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 18

outcomes and targets largely in terms of activities, which, in turn, form the basis of the annual remit letter on which annual National Assembly funding is allocated to the WLB.

In October 1999, the WLB produced The Welsh Language: A Mission and Vision for 2000-2005, for presentation to the National Assembly in November 1999. This, although primarily an advocacy document designed to advance a case for substantially increased funding, has since been represented as the WLB’s strategy (notably in its evidence to the Culture Committee on 2 May 2001, where it is described as ‘[the WLB’s] comprehensive strategy document’). This document mentions the 1996 Strategy only in passing and describes itself as ‘an evolution … of previous Corporate Plans’. It is significant in that it redefines the WLB’s functions in terms of language planning and identifies four distinct strands:

• Acquisition planning which is concerned with the processes by which language skills are acquired (by transmission within families, through education, etc);

• Usage planning which is concerned with opportunities for using language (in social situations, at work, in the family, etc);

• Status planning which is concerned with the ways in which a language is used, for example, in government and official administration;

• Corpus planning which is concerned with the development of the language itself (for example, the introduction of new terminology and the standardisation of terminology in official usage) and also encompasses development of the quality of translation services and the provision of information technology support for the language through spelling and grammar checkers, etc.

The document sets out 12 targets. These are specific, costed and prioritised. They are also related to Corporate Plan targets. The Vision Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 19

argued the need for an effective doubling of resources for community activities, notably support for the Language Initiatives (Mentrau Iaith), from the third year of the five year plan.

The (then) Post-16 Education and Training Committee received the Visioning document with the following comments:

‘The Committee welcomes the Welsh Language Board’s document The Welsh Language: A Vision and Mission 2000-5 as a major contribution to the task of drawing up a strategy for the continued revitalisation of the Welsh language and the creation of a bilingual Wales. The Committee agrees that the four main challenges are those noted in the "Summary of the Welsh Language Board’s Position" and strongly supports the emphasis on Welsh-medium education as the basis for growth.

The Committee notes that achieving such an ambitious task as the creation of a truly bilingual Wales must involve a co-ordinated strategy, with targets, of the kind described in the Board’s document.

The Committee strongly supports the aim of creating a bilingual Wales as an achievable national aim, and wishes to see the implementation of an effective strategy to ensure that this aim is achieved.

The Committee welcomes the fact that the Executive accepts the Board’s document as an important contribution and guide to determining priorities for the future work of the Board within the resources voted by the Assembly’.

The National Assembly’s remit letter to the WLB for 2001-02 indicates that the Executive has welcomed this document ‘as a guide to establishing priorities for the Board’s future work, within the resources provided by the Assembly.’ It authorises the WLB to refer to the document in its corporate and business plans. It also provides substantial increases in funding for specific activities in 2001-02, including a 50% increase for Mentrau Iaith for the second year in succession.

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 20

The Corporate Plan 2000-01 to 2002-03 focuses on activities capable of being performed within agreed baseline budgets for the three-year period.

The annual Operational Plans are based on Corporate Plan priorities and targets and are agreed annually with the National Assembly.

All ASPB strategies are required to take account of the National Assembly’s strategic plan, published in May 2000 as www.betterwales.com. This sets out the Assembly’s long-term vision for providing better services, economic performance and quality of life in Wales and details the main actions and targets set for achievement of the vision. It has three major themes: • Sustainable development;

• Tackling social disadvantage; and

• Equal opportunities which are expected to guide the planning and implementation process.

On page 1 its vision statement includes a commitment to ‘fostering [Wales’] unique and diverse identity, and the benefits of bilingualism, while looking confidently outwards and welcoming new cultural influences’. None of the twenty specific actions in the strategy mentions or specifically involves the Welsh language. On page 22 the 27 ‘Wales 2010’ benchmarks contain their sole reference to the language, ‘The proportion of the total population who can speak Welsh should have grown, with the sharpest rise having been among young people’. On page 31, among the results wanted by March 2003, in the section devoted to ‘Better Quality of Life’ it gives as an aim to ‘extend access to and awareness of the Welsh language, our culture, heritage and sporting opportunities’ and as an objective ‘to stabilise the proportion of Welsh speakers; sustain the growth in the number of young people who speak the language and support adult learners’.

Betterwales sets specific targets, some to be achieved within three years (2000-2003) and others over ten years. The targets for the Welsh language are as follows: Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 21

24. To increase (from a baseline of 43.8% in 1996/97) the proportion of children, assessed by head teachers, who speak Welsh at all. 25. To stabilise/increase (from a baseline of 18.7% in 1991) the percentage of people aged 3 and over speaking Welsh (all residents). The former is capable of annual measurement through the Statistics of Education in Wales (SETW) but the latter relies on Census data analysis and so the results available by 2003 will reflect the situation as at May 2001.

ANALYSIS 3.5 Planning processes The Welsh Language Act gave the WLB wide scope for interpreting its role in promoting and facilitating the use of the Welsh language. It was prescriptive only in requiring the WLB to administer Welsh language schemes for public sector bodies.

Against this backdrop, the WLB deserves credit for producing a consensual strategy which nevertheless sets out a realistic framework for preservation and development of the language. While the WLB did not introduce the concept of language planning to Wales, its existence has certainly accelerated the study of minority languages and the processes by which their fortunes are determined. The Board has among its members two of the country’s foremost experts in this field. Their influence on evolving strategic thinking within the WLB is evident in recent strategy documents and other publications.

The most recent strategy document, The Welsh Language: A Vision and Mission for 2000-2005, is the first major revision of the original strategy, although it is intended to augment rather than displace the original. It is based on the four distinct types of language planning described in section 3.4 above (Acquisition planning, Usage planning, Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 22

Status planning and Corpus planning). Actions are proposed within each of these strands, targets are set and timescales proposed.

This strategy is clearly well grounded in sound analysis of language planning needs. However, several concerns have been raised in our consultations about the nature of the WLB’s strategic planning processes.

3.5.1 Inclusiveness of the planning process The WLB called its 1996 document A Strategy for the Welsh Language. The Strategy makes it clear that, as it stands, it is a strategy for the WLB, but that it is the WLB’s hope that it will develop increasingly into a strategy for the language as others cooperate both with the WLB and with each other to achieve its aim. For example, it states in relation to socio-economic policy that it ‘will seek to use every opportunity to bring greater influence to bear on those who formulate and put into effect economic and social policies’.

The WLB also delivers its strategy in conjunction with a number of partners, including the key organisations for which it provides regular funding and the network of Mentrau Iaith, which are viewed as its main agents for policy implementation at community level.

We accept that the Vision and Mission document was primarily intended as an advocacy document for additional National Assembly funding. Nevertheless, it is felt that the WLB should, by the fifth anniversary of publication of its original strategy, be in a position to provide a major revision in consultation with partners, other agencies and representative stakeholders. It may be that the current National Assembly review of its Welsh language policy will be a useful catalyst for the WLB to review its own role and functions in this way.

Notwithstanding this opportunity for a thoroughgoing reappraisal of strategy, we feel that the corporate and operational plans should include the activities, targets and objectives of the grant-aided organisations, together with Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 23

indications of the impact of the activities of other major agencies and key players on the likely outcomes.

This might meet the frequently expressed aspiration of representatives of partner and other organisations to play a more active role in helping to formulate WLB policy. It might also assist in countering perceptions in certain quarters of the WLB’s remoteness from the day-to-day concerns of grass roots language issues.

Influences such as inward and outward migration, economic factors and so on, which are beyond the Board’s power to regulate, are capable of producing more rapid and dramatic changes than the Board’s own incremental processes. We feel that it might also help to ensure that language planning aspects become increasingly embedded in the strategies of other ASPBs, local authorities and similar bodies if they were invited to provide an annual assessment of the ways in which their activities were likely to impact on the Welsh language so that the WLB may take account of significant developments in its own forward planning processes. This may be an issue that the Assembly’s review of its Welsh language strategy may care to address in greater detail.

Recommendations

3. That the WLB invite a bottom-up contribution to policy and strategy development by involving partner organisations (such as those which it grant aids) and key sector representatives (such as young people and the private sector) in the development process. 4. That this strategy be supported by a detailed rolling action plan with provision for regular monitoring of performance and for refinement of actions in the light of the results of monitoring. (See also section 3.5.5.) 5. That the National Assembly’s Culture Committee, in the course of its current policy review, take this opportunity to consider developing an inclusive strategy for the Welsh language which recognises the impacts of other public bodies on the language, sets out how actions in support of the language are to be co-ordinated and identifies mechanisms by which the language may be brought increasingly into the mainstream of public administration in Wales. (See also sections 4.7.2 and 4.7.3.) 6. That the WLB request other agencies to provide impact assessments of their own forward plans on the Welsh language in order to enable the WLB to make relevant provision in its own plans to develop complementary projects or take mitigating action. 7. That the WLB publish research studies and results on its website, indicating what action it proposes to take and inviting public comment.

3.5.2 Relationship of strategies to implementation activities The WLB’s corporate and operational plans are punctilious in referring all proposed activities to the relevant objectives of the original strategy. However, the linear progression from strategy to implementation is not quite as clearly documented.

Three of the original strategy’s four main themes involved increasing use of the language in various ways. The Vision and Mission identifies four types of language planning, of which only one is primarily concerned with usage. The WLB’s internal Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 25

organisational structure is more closely aligned to the latter strategy than the former. This has led some consultees to observe that the WLB is more concerned with attitudes towards the language than with its use. Much of the emphasis on usage appears to have been delegated to Mentrau Iaith and other partner organisations such as Urdd Gobaith Cymru and the National Eisteddfod.

As a consequence, the impression can be conveyed of dislocation, or at least a lack of continuity, in certain of the implementation activities. For example, the WLB is rightly pleased with its imaginative initiative to encourage language transfer from parents to children by the involvement of midwives and postnatal information in the promotional process. This action has been prompted by research findings that there is a very real risk of loss of language use between generations, particularly in mixed-language households.

However, research also indicates other important stages in individuals’ development where language loss is of great concern, for example among teenagers and those leaving full- time Welsh medium education in predominantly English speaking areas. There are also well-documented influences that result in significant language loss in communities.

The WLB’s research indicates that census data showing relative stability in language capability among residents of Wales masks a significant decline in usage because successes in increasing language acquisition, primarily through the Welsh- medium schools, has not been matched by similar success in usage planning.

The Vision and Mission states (4.2.8) that ‘The theory of minority language maintenance implies that a minority language requires reserved functions and usage. For example, when in times past Welsh had a reserved place in chapels and churches, maintenance occurred.’ However, it does not offer replacement reserved functions and usages but suggests, with little hope of success, competing with global media influences and proposes marketing Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 26

activities to identified target groups to help offset these influences.

Mentrau Iaith are put forward as ‘the most exciting of recent language planning developments’ but the document is largely silent on the expectations of the Mentrau in increasing language usage and no specific targets are proposed.

It would be helpful to the presentation of its strategies to, for example, the National Assembly and the public if the rationale for the activities and expenditure proposed were to include commentary on their relative importance and priority. At present, in corporate and operational plans, activities are presented in a thematic sequence as though they were of equal significance. The presentation would also benefit by establishing clearer linkages between the WLB’s strategic objectives and the activities by which it proposes to meet them.

The contributions to strategic objectives of the major grants (and, by implication, the activities supported by these grants) should also be brought into clearer focus, as should the impact of ongoing work on language schemes.

Recommendation

8. That the WLB consider indicating in its corporate and operational plans the proposed activities and impacts expected of the organisations which it supports by grants, the anticipated impact of the language schemes and the relative priority attached to its activities and expenditure.

3.5.3 Actions and effects The WLB’s corporate and operational plans set clear targets for the actions proposed. The Board monitors progress against targets regularly and has a good record of meeting the targets set.

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 27

However, these targets are almost invariably expressed in terms of actions to be taken (‘to present information …’, ‘to produce a pack …’, ‘to develop and distribute promotional information …’). We believe that it would be more meaningful in strategic terms to relate targets increasingly to the effect of actions rather than to quantitative elements of the actions themselves. In our view this would give greater pertinence to measures of efficiency than some current indicators. We make some suggestions as to how the effects might be identified at 3.5.5 below.

Recommendation

9. That the WLB, in its Operational Plans, base policy direction and target setting on the anticipated effects of interventions rather than on the actions themselves.

3.5.4 Responsiveness of WLB strategies to those of the National Assembly The WLB has carefully referenced its 2001-2002 Operational Plan to betterwales objectives (see section 3.4 above).

There are other areas where development of the language may be expected to assist in the realisation of the strategy but these are not explicit and have to be inferred. Obvious examples include community development, social inclusion and equal opportunities. It might be instructive to discover whether there are links between language loss and breakdown in social cohesion in communities where Welsh is in decline.

3.5.5 Contribution of research and evaluation to strategy The WLB has undertaken and commissioned much valuable research into, and evaluation of, its various activities. The planning documents indicate that research and evaluation are part of the WLB’s culture and not simply undertaken for corporate governance purposes. However, more could be done to ensure that lessons learned from evaluations lead to Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 28

modifications to strategic planning as well as to operational techniques.

A valuable study into aspects of the National Eisteddfod’s operation led to a reduction in the WLB’s level of grant aid to the event but there is no evidence in the planning documentation of any significant reappraisal of the Eisteddfod’s contribution to meeting the WLB’s strategic objectives.

Similarly a recent study of the Welsh Books Council raised important issues but has been effectively left on the shelf pending a decision from the National Assembly on future funding arrangements.

It is to be hoped that the recent study of the Mentrau Iaith, which raised important issues of performance, strategy and direction, will inform the future development of this most vital of the WLB’s initiatives in the community sector. Similarly a recent study of the WLB’s work with language schemes has important implications for policy and resource allocation.

Vital though these studies and evaluations are, they cannot be conducted sufficiently frequently to guide action planning at an operational level. We believe that it would be possible to develop a system for monitoring the effect of various influences on language use on a continuing basis, perhaps by establishing panels of Welsh speakers/learners in strategic locations who would record their use of the language in a manner similar to that used for monitoring television and radio audiences. This would allow tracking of the effect of specific actions at a very local level and enable initiatives to be piloted, assessed, modified and then rolled out to other areas with greater confidence and with shorter lead-in times.

We would also suggest that the most important barometer of achievement by the WLB in realising its overall mission is the total number of person/hours of engagement with the Welsh language by the country’s residents. This might be qualitatively prioritised in terms of Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 29

• Hours spent in speaking the language (in social intercourse, work and activities);

• Hours spent in speaking the language in the course of education;

• Hours spent in passive engagement with the language (watching television, listening to the radio, reading, attending concerts, etc). This might provide a basis for scoring possible interventions and of guiding relative value for money judgements.

Recommendations

10. That the WLB devise a method for recruiting strategically- placed panels of Welsh speakers/learners to establish how and to what extent various influences affect their use of the language and thereby to measure the impact of activities undertaken by the WLB. 11. That the WLB develop an evaluation and scoring scheme for determining value for money and priorities for resources in its interventions in support of the Welsh language.

3.5.6 A holistic approach Since the production of the original strategy document, the WLB has been given additional functions, for example the administration of the former Welsh Office’s large grants to key organisations. The importance of these grants to the continued existence of the organisations concerned clearly limits the WLB’s freedom of action in terms of reallocating the funding to other priorities. Nevertheless, they represent a substantial proportion of the WLB’s annual grant in aid.

Similarly, the education grants that the WLB administers account for a large percentage of the expenditure for which the WLB is responsible. It is arguable that, as they are primarily directed towards language acquisition, their impact on language use has not been sufficiently well established. Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 30

The work on public sector language schemes is a statutory function and consumes a substantial amount of staff time. A recent independent survey of the schemes raised important issues which have a bearing on the overall impact of this activity on the WLB’s strategic objectives.

There is a danger that these major spheres of activity, which have influenced the WLB’s organisational structure, will increasingly function on a silo basis. It is important that all WLB functions and activities be viewed on a holistic basis for strategic planning purposes and that the WLB’s organisational structure allow for the formation of circles of responsibility within the present columnar departmental structure to encourage multidisciplinary approaches to sectoral and regional opportunities and challenges.

A minor related point concerns the semantics of language planning. This relatively new area of academic activity has developed its own vocabulary for the purpose of describing concepts in linguistic development. It is clearly important that experts should employ appropriate terminology in the interests of precision in developing policies but the use of familiar words with new meanings in unfamiliar contexts can be a barrier to effective communication of intentions to lay audiences. The unexplained use of terms such as ‘corpus’, ‘domain’, ‘normal’ and ‘normalise’ could lead to confusion and, at worst, alienation among members of the non-expert community.

Recommendations

12. That the WLB review its organisational structure to reflect a more holistic and co-ordinated approach to its primary function of promoting and facilitating the use of the Welsh language. 13. That the WLB exercise caution in using technical language planning terms in communicating with non-specialists.

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 31

CONCLUSIONS 3.6 Summary of conclusions The WLB has a coherent planning framework, with its corporate and business planning clearly linked to long-term strategic plans. It has a good record in meeting the targets it sets. The framework needs to be strengthened in two ways: • The plans and targets are highly focused on activities rather than impacts and it is therefore difficult to track the effectiveness of some of the WLB’s actions in relation to its statutory duty of promoting and facilitating the use of the Welsh language;

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 32

4 INTERNAL ORGANISATION AND OPERATIONS

CONTEXT 4.1 Organisational framework The WLB is internally organised into seven departments:

1. Policy and Planning Department Headed by the Deputy Chief Executive, who also oversees the work of the Administration and Personnel Department (see below) the department’s main responsibilities include: • Co-ordination of policy development, including production of Strategic, Corporate and Operational Plans and the WLB’s participation in the EU’s Structural Funds programmes;

• Development of the WLB’s corpus planning functions.

2. Marketing and Communications Department Under the Head of Marketing, the department is responsible for: • The WLB’s marketing and public relations work in support of increased language use;

• Language development initiatives in the private sector;

• The maintenance of the WLB website and helpline.

3. Public and Voluntary Sector Department Under the Head of the Public and Voluntary Sector Department, responsibilities include: • The administration of the public body language schemes function under Part II of the Welsh Language Act; Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 33

• Dealing with complaints and providing advice on statutory and practical issues involving the Welsh language;

• Co-ordinating the WLB’s response to various statutory instruments, consultation papers, etc.

4. Education and Training Department Under the Head of the Education and Training Department, principal responsibilities include; • Maintaining a strategic overview of Welsh medium education and training in Wales;

• Co-ordinating the process of introducing language schemes into the education sector;

• Administration of the WLB’s education grants;

• Promotion of the teaching of Welsh to adults;

• In conjunction with the Marketing Department, the introduction of promotional and marketing initiatives into schools and colleges;

• Liaison with Welsh education advisory and pressure groups.

5. Grants Department Under the Head of the Grants Department, principal responsibilities include: • Administration of the WLB’s large grants to organisations previously supported by the Welsh Office;

• Administration of the small grants scheme to encourage the introduction of bilingual practice in the private and voluntary sectors;

• Administration of the WLB’s financial support for the community-based Language Initiatives (Mentrau Iaith). Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 34

6. Finance Department Under the Chief Financial Officer, the department is responsible for; • The management of the WLB’s finances in accordance with the Financial Memorandum;

• Management accounting functions, including reporting to the Board and sponsoring Department;

• Administration of payments, receipts and subcontracted financial services.

7. Administration and Personnel Department Ultimately responsible to the Deputy Chief Executive, the department is run by the Chief Administrative Officer and is primarily responsible for: • Office management, establishment and personnel matters;

• Servicing Board and Management Committee meetings.

The WLB’s budgeted expenditure in the current financial year is shown in the table below, analysed by function and by department:

Budgeted expenditure by function 2000-2001 £000

Acquisition Planning (including grants to local education 2,917 authorities) Usage Planning (including grants to third-party 1,878 organisations Status Planning 162 Corpus Planning 126 Sub-total 5,083

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 35

Budgeted expenditure by department 2000-2001 £000 (Core Costs) Education and Training 231 Public and Voluntary Sector 282 Grants 126 Private Sector and Marketing 179 Policy 166 Chief Executive’s department 131 Members 112 Sub-total 1,227

In addition to the above, £20,000 has been allowed for capital costs, bringing the WLB’s total annual budgeted expenditure to £6,330,000.

ANALYSIS The analysis follows the WLB’s activities as carried out by the organisation’s departments.

4.2 Policy and Planning The policy and planning functions of the department have been fully reviewed in Chapter 3. The department has an additional function in respect of Corpus Planning.

The Welsh language has for centuries not needed to respond to the complexities of administration of a modern state but as Welsh becomes increasingly used in public administration and in the legal system, there is an increasing need for new terminology and for that terminology to be consistently applied and widely understood. The WLB has taken the lead in responding to this need by helping to establish standards among the increasing number of translators, by working with academic and professional bodies to develop terminology, by establishing a telephone helpline to deal with queries and by a number of other initiatives such as support for Cymraeg Clir (Clear Welsh), which is analogous to the Plain English campaign. A Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 36

widely appreciated element of this work has been the introduction of a Welsh language computer spelling and grammar checker which has led to increasing confidence in the use of the language at work in many environments. This will be built on by its adoption and development by Microsoft for inclusion in its Office suite of programmes in the near future.

Much remains to be done and we would like to see a special initiative to develop the flexibility of the Welsh language in new areas, such as e-mail and text messaging by children and young people.

4.3 Marketing and Communications This department’s title is possibly misleading, suggesting as it does that its responsibility is confined to the promotion of the WLB itself. Its actual role is the promotion of the Welsh language, particularly in those critical areas of usage where it is subject to competitive pressures from other cultural influences. Its annual budget is comparable with the advertising budget of a medium sized tourist attraction. It has to compete in target market areas such as teenagers and young adults who are subject to the blandishments of a global private sector where the marketing budget of a single website or computer game can exceed the WLB’s entire annual expenditure.

It has responded by producing well targeted campaigns, like the initiative to encourage bilingualism in design, the morale-raising poster campaign in schools and resource packs to encourage school leavers to conduct some of their new lifestyle activities, such as opening a bank account, through the medium of Welsh.

It has also spearheaded the WLB’s work in the private sector by seeking agreements with high street multiples to provide adequately for their Welsh-speaking customers.

There is evidence that these initiatives have been well received and have reflected credit on the WLB for innovation. However, in view of the importance of the private sector to on-the-ground language usage, particularly in the fields of retailing and entertainment, it will be difficult to measure the effect of these small-scale interventions.

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 37

Given the gap between the WLB’s marketing resources and the impact necessary to make a nationwide impression, the department might consider that pilot initiatives, for example with a major retail outlet or complex, a hotel or leisure complex in an area where Welsh is extensively spoken might gain enough publicity to encourage the private sector to take up the methodologies on a wider scale. The fact that bilingual signage is now part of the design brief for all major supermarket chains in Wales is a testimony to the power of such persuasion.

A low cost measure that could help reinforce the impression that the WLB has a role beyond the public sector and education might be to add links to the WLB’s website home page to other organisations, companies and consortia that use the Welsh language for marketing and activities (for example S4C, Urdd Gobaith Cymru, the National Eisteddfod, tourism organisations and operators, etc).

The expertise of the marketing department would be valuable in many multidisciplinary projects. The WLB might care to consider how it might be used to sharpen the work of Mentrau Iaith and the focus of some of the grant-assisted bodies.

4.4 Public and Voluntary Sector Department The most substantial power granted to the WLB by the Welsh Language Act 1993 was to notify public bodies of their duty under Part II of the Act to prepare ‘a scheme specifying the measures which it proposes to take … as to the use of the Welsh language in connection with the provision of … services’. On its establishment the WLB produced draft guidelines for the preparation of language schemes, consulted widely and then, in March 1996, published Welsh Language Schemes: Their preparation and approval in accordance with the Welsh Language Act 1993.

It was never assumed that ‘one size would fit all’ in the level of service that the bodies concerned would be expected to supply through the medium of Welsh. Section 5(2) of Part II of the Welsh Language Act states that ‘the purpose … is that of giving effect … to the principle that in the conduct of public business and the administration of justice in Wales the English and Welsh languages should be treated on a basis of Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 38

equality’. However, the above sentence contains the following significant limitation: ‘… so far as is both appropriate to the circumstances and reasonably practicable…’. This caveat was somewhat limited during the second reading of the Welsh Language Bill by Earl Ferrers, speaking for the Government, as follows: ‘… public bodies will not be able to take a subjective view of what they believe to be appropriate in the circumstances and reasonably practicable. The interpretation will need to be objective in every case. It will need to have been agreed by the Welsh Language Board, and public bodies must be able to demonstrate that they have had regard to the Board’s guidelines’.

This indicates how difficult it has been for the WLB to steer a course between what Welsh speakers might regard as a basic right of citizenship and what public bodies long used to functioning solely through the medium of English might regard as ‘inappropriate and impracticable’. It is therefore unsurprising that this department is both responsible for one of the most visible achievements of the WLB since its establishment and the butt of most of the criticism levelled at the WLB in our consultations.

Public sector administration and the functioning of legal processes arguably represent the most important barometer of the status of a language. Despite previous language acts, until the Welsh Language Act of 1993, the Welsh language’s status in relation to English was extremely low. While there is still a mountain to climb before the Welsh language becomes embedded in the culture of public administration and the courts of law in Wales, there has been clear and valuable progress to date.

The WLB has attempted to be fair and pragmatic in its approach to language schemes, requiring significantly higher performance from, for example, a local authority in a predominantly Welsh-speaking area to one in a predominantly English-speaking area. By and large, the public sector bodies have responded adequately to the WLB’s notices to prepare and implement schemes. The WLB estimates that, of a total of some 3,300 public and Crown bodies that could fall within the ambit of the Act, around 350 are a priority because of their functions or ongoing contact with Welsh speakers. By the end of 2000-2001, 157 schemes had been approved, with a further 45 schemes in course Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 39

of preparation for submission to the WLB. Of the 157 approved schemes, 51 were over 3 years old and required updating and review. The WLB estimates that the number of approved schemes could grow to around 250 within the next two or three years, given adequate resources to continue issuing notices to further bodies to prepare schemes.

A recent study, Monitoring the Implementation of Welsh Language Schemes M E Kermode January 2001, dealt comprehensively with the issues raised in our own research. Its recommendations are currently under consideration by the WLB and there is therefore no need to reproduce them in detail in this review. However, the following broad themes have implications for the future strategic effectiveness of the WLB :

4.4.1 Resources Much of the frustration evident in our consultations on this matter resulted from delays in the administration of the scheme, particularly in monitoring and responding to annual reports from the ‘client’ bodies. This is compounded by the fact that these bodies expect a high level, authoritative response. The advice and guidance of senior members of the department was much valued. Lower grade officials entrusted with implementation of language schemes in certain bodies felt that they needed the high level support of WLB officers to ensure that sufficient regard was paid to their work within their own authorities.

A recent study concluded, inter alia, that ‘there are significant difficulties being encountered regarding the Board’s capacity to provide meaningful and speedy feedback to public bodies regarding their annual Monitoring Reports. These difficulties are counter-productive to the excellent work undertaken by the Board’s officers in developing and approving Schemes and of their ongoing implementation. The main causes of these difficulties are the number of Monitoring Reports (200/250 pa), the size of the workforce (4 at present) [January 2001] and the workforce’s other responsibilities and competing priorities’.

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 40

The report goes on to conclude that ‘the present resources allocated to the Public and Voluntary Sector Department are insufficient to meet all of their responsibilities, especially regarding the monitoring of Schemes and the provision of effective and speedy feedback. The potential for additional resources in the budget for 2001-2002 will still leave the Department in a situation where they are unlikely to meet all of their responsibilities. The priorities, workloads and operational structure of the Department will need to be reviewed and considered carefully when setting the detailed aims and targets for 2001-2002’.

We concur with all the other conclusions of this valuable report. It clearly indicates that present resources are inadequate and that the demand will increase as more language schemes are approved. It also points out that the situation is counter- productive in that it jeopardises the carefully developed cordial relationship between the WLB and the bodies whose schemes it monitors. It also means that departmental staff are increasingly forced to be reactive in a fire-fighting situation while they are considerably more effective in a pro-active role.

The study had a limited remit in respect of the overall responsibilities of the Public and Voluntary Sector Department, which has other important functions in the area of public policy. There are no indications at present that adequate resources will be made available for this function and so invidious decisions will be required of the WLB to maintain credibility and effectiveness in these areas.

4.4.2 How important is this work? There is a clear consensus that the work on introducing language schemes has produced visible and valuable results, both in term of lifting the status of the Welsh language and providing additional opportunities for its use. There are two schools of thought about the value of continuing development of existing language schemes.

The first holds that there are diminishing returns from continued engagement. The initial benefit of the introduction of Welsh Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 41

medium services is unlikely to be matched by increasingly minor improvements over time.

The second maintains that continued pressure is necessary to avoid diminution or abandonment of the progress so far achieved. This school also maintains that many of the language schemes have hitherto concentrated on internal processes within the bodies concerned and have not sufficiently developed the roles which many public bodies have in wider support and development of the Welsh language. Continued work by the WLB in partnership with such bodies could have significant additional impact on language usage and the support of Welsh- speaking communities.

There is a clear case for the WLB to review the areas in which there may be diminishing returns from its efforts in respect of language schemes and to identify the more potentially useful public sector partners where continued and intensified effort may pay dividends.

In the case of the former, it may be worthwhile for the WLB to consider coming to an arrangement with another recognised auditing regime, such as the Best Value initiative, to provide basic monitoring of the Welsh language schemes in association with its other functions, which already include an element of auditing compliance with the schemes.

We realise that this is not necessarily a cost-saving measure as work has to be paid for, whoever undertakes it. However, it might make better use of scarce speciality staff resources to concentrate on areas where more significant additional progress might be made than on revisiting past successes with limited scope for further development. Another option would be to limit monitoring to a small sample of schemes each year.

It should also be noted that the ultimate objective of language schemes is not simply to provide a given level of service to Welsh speakers. In the words of the study already quoted above, it is to ‘”mainstream” language equality as part of the Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 42

planning and delivery of services’. In this regard, there is a clear responsibility on the National Assembly to take a lead in embedding the Welsh language in its administration to set an example of best practice for other public bodies in realising its goal of achieving a truly bilingual Wales.

4.4.3 Other demands on the department Our consultations have identified other areas within public administration where it is felt that the WLB should be making greater impact. Other agencies spend significant sums of public money on measures that affect the sustainability of the Welsh language. An obvious case is the Welsh Development Agency, which has specifically targeted Welsh speakers and rural communities for assistance aimed at developing their economic potential. Practically every other similar body is capable of affecting Welsh language development in some form or another by its publicly-financed activity.

It would clearly be advantageous to develop joint initiatives with such agencies to ensure a joined-up approach to the deployment of public funds and to maximise the effect of public fund investment in targeted areas.

It has been pointed out in our consultations that the WLB might have taken greater advantage of opportunities offered by EU structural funds to advance its mission during the next quinquennium. The WLB is also disappointed that its efforts in this direction have not met with better success.

The WLB should consider whether the work of the Public and Voluntary Sector Department might be usefully restructured to make the best use of its very limited resources in priority areas.

Recommendations

14. That the WLB discuss with the National Assembly the degree to which it can continue to initiate and monitor public body Welsh language schemes and explore ways of devolving Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 43

aspects of the monitoring process to other appropriate auditing bodies. 15. That the WLB and National Assembly work closely together to develop a positive culture of support for the Welsh language in all areas of public administration and development.

4.5 Education and Training Department This department has the least clearly defined function under the Act. The Act gives the WLB power to make grants and to require language schemes of public bodies, including education funding bodies, education authorities (as part of the function of county and borough councils) and individual schools and colleges. However, the WLB was given a further function under the powers given by the Act to the Secretary of State ‘to maintain an overview of Welsh language education’. This responsibility has never been fully defined and no additional powers or funding have been allocated to the WLB to enable it to discharge it. In 1996-97 the WLB was given the function of administering a former Welsh Office grant for aspects of Welsh language education, along with major grants to key organisations (which are discussed in greater detail later in the report).

4.5.1 Strategic overview of Welsh language education It is clearly necessary for the WLB to maintain an overview of Welsh language education in the same way as it is necessary for it to maintain an overview of all sectors affecting the use of the Welsh language in order to develop its own strategic planning. The way in which this was made a specific additional function implied a role in influencing the way in which other education bodies in Wales approached the provision of Welsh, Welsh medium and bilingual education. Logically, those other bodies should have had their own arrangements suitably modified by direction of the Secretary of State to specify their responsibilities to the WLB in respect to Welsh language education.

This lack of clarity in the extent of its power and the scope of the directive has made it difficult for the WLB to exercise control Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 44

or even significant influence over the direction of Welsh language education although education is possibly the most significant element in language planning and certainly one where the largest element of public funding is deployed.

It is an important point, not only because the betterwales targets depend to a great extent on the success of language acquisition through education but also because the growth of Welsh medium education in primarily English speaking areas adds to the WLB’s responsibility for encouraging increasing language use outside the formal education environment. Indeed, in many cases, the reasons why parents choose Welsh medium education for their children have as much or more to do with its excellent record in delivering the National Curriculum as with its efficiency in language acquisition.

This places a greater responsibility for providing additional services to this growing group of Welsh citizens not only on the WLB itself but also on its partner organisations such as Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin, Urdd Gobaith Cymru and the Mentrau Iaith. This added responsibility has significant implications, particularly for manpower planning for the future development of Welsh language services in these areas, not only in further and higher education but in the wider community. There is a possible tension with resourcing aspects of language acquisition such as the teaching of Welsh in English medium schools and the teaching of Welsh to adults, where major efforts are needed to improve efficiency; hence the need for an overview to inform policy making in this vital field.

There is a disparity here between the extent of the responsibility and the powers and resources available to the WLB to discharge it. This is a matter that cannot be resolved in isolation by the WLB. It will be very helpful to all the agencies concerned if it can be resolved in the context of the National Assembly’s current review of its policy towards the Welsh language.

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 45

Recommendation

16. That the National Assembly agree with the WLB the full extent of its responsibility for maintaining an overview of Welsh language education and training and the respective roles of the other organisations and agencies involved.

4.5.2 Language schemes in the education sector The WLB had received Welsh language education development schemes from 11 education authorities by March 2000 with others in the pipeline. The delivery of these schemes follows a process of negotiation with the authorities, who, in turn, consult interest groups such as Rhieni Dros Addysg Gymraeg (RHAG) [Parents for Welsh Medium Education] and Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin. There is evidence that the WLB’s statutory role in this area has encouraged education authorities to design good Welsh language education development policies and to be more responsive to the demands of parents.

There is, however, a difficulty with some Welsh language education development schemes in that they are intended to cover a three-year period but the consultation process has taken up to two years in some instances. This means that the schemes may be obsolete, or have too little time to achieve objectives, by the time they are approved. It might be better to align these schemes with the betterwales 10 year timescale, where specific targets would be provided for the first three years and indicative measures thereafter.

For Welsh language education development schemes to be fully effective, there should be a system of monitoring performance on the ground in delivering the objectives of approved schemes. At present there are significant gaps in the monitoring process which can only be filled by appropriate allocation of powers and resources.

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 46

4.5.3 Increasing numbers The Welsh language education development schemes are primarily concerned with meeting demand as distinct from setting an agenda for increasing the numbers of children reaching fluency in Welsh.

The WLB’s remit, in approving local education authority Welsh language education development schemes, does not extend to insistence on a proactive attitude on the part of the authority to increasing Welsh language education provision. The WLB’s original strategy for the Welsh language contains various objectives under the banner headline of Increasing Numbers. They generally consist of expanding choice for parents by extending the number of schools offering bilingual education and increasing awareness of the provision as a means of stimulating demand.

The more recent Vision and Mission statement has an appendix entitled A Strategy for Pre-16 Bilingual Education in Wales, which sets out targets for growth by stimulating pre-school Welsh medium provision and ensuring that this growth feeds through into primary education. The vision and mission document goes into some detail about reducing the ‘drop-out’ effect in bilingual education where provision at increasingly higher levels of education fails to keep pace with entrants into the system at lower levels. Betterwales contains a clear injunction to increase numbers.

The targets set in recent documents fail to take account of demographic trends which could see numbers grow in certain areas while proportions fall and the reverse situation in areas of declining school populations. There is a perceived need for greater consistency in planning across the spectrum of education provision for the Welsh language. Unless this is achieved, there may well be constraints on meeting demand at lower levels because of failures at higher levels to train sufficient teachers, inspectors and administrators.

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 47

Despite the efforts of the WLB there is evidence of some stagnation in the provision of Welsh-medium education during the past decade. The high levels of growth in the previous 20 years have now levelled out and imaginative and creative intervention is now required if past successes are to be replicated in the future.

These issues are discussed here because they reveal the potential tensions implicit in the WLB’s strategic objectives in respect of growth in the number of Welsh speakers and its remit to maintain an overview of Welsh language education and training (see recommendation 16 above) while its powers of intervention in the field are limited. There needs to be detailed discussion between the WLB, the National Assembly and other key players on the way in which powers and resources are best allocated to respond adequately to this unfulfilled demand.

4.5.4 Continuity in provision of bilingual education The WLB has been instrumental in pointing out the need for greater continuity of provision between the various sectors in education. The 1999 publication Continuity in Welsh language education (Colin Baker and Meirion Prys Jones) traces the significant reductions in numbers receiving Welsh medium education between the primary and secondary sectors and the further losses through further and higher education. Research has been commissioned to establish the reasons for losses between primary and secondary education (Hallam and Gruffudd, Incomplete Bilingualism) and the WLB has discussed these findings in conferences and with individual authorities.

While the WLB can exert influence through the Welsh language education development schemes and via its education grants on local education authorities, it has found the going much more difficult in respect of post 16 education. The numbers of students on Welsh medium courses in further education colleges throughout Wales are very low and the WLB has generally failed to exert significant influence on this vital sector despite the fact that the situation has been the subject of conferences and papers. Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 48

The independent nature of the organisations responsible for post 16 education and their funding regimes, which operate without reference to the WLB, add to the problems of securing a homogenous and forceful policy for Welsh medium education development in this sector. The WLB needs to be given a more clearly delineated role in relationship to bodies such as the Further Education Funding Council for Wales, ACCAC, the Welsh Joint Education Committee and ELWa. It may well be necessary for the National Assembly to give specific guidance in this matter and arbitrate on the respective roles and responsibilities of the bodies in respect of Welsh medium education provision.

4.5.5 Higher Education The provision for Welsh medium further and higher education is generally acknowledged to be inadequate. Various bodies are charged with responsibility for improving matters but resources are a perennial constraint. Although the WLB has the power to require language schemes from the bodies concerned, they can take a long time in preparation and often deal with external aspects rather than the provision of Welsh medium education. It is unlikely that the WLB’s efforts will be able to effect significant improvements without additional funding through the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales.

As with the Further Education sector, progress in achieving systematic improvements is complicated by the fact that several bodies are involved, in this instance, the Higher Education Funding Council, the University of Wales and the WLB. Such progress as has been achieved in this sector is attributed to good working relationships between WLB officials and those responsible for the co-ordination of higher education through the medium of Welsh.

4.5.6 Welsh for adults The figures for adults enrolled on Welsh language courses have fluctuated somewhat over recent years, but it is generally acknowledged that there has been some progress in the field. There have been moves to avoid duplication of provision Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 49

between the University and local authorities. The Welsh Joint Education Committee has taken the lead in developing examinations and the University has offered accreditation procedures. The WLB has included adult education within its overview role and is working to strengthen the system. The WLB has no mechanism for taking an active role in developing the provision but it seeks to provide leadership and focus by organising and co-ordinating.

The WLB’s role is appreciated by those involved in the provision of Welsh language courses for adults but, once again, the case is forcefully made that greater powers of intervention and significantly increased funding are necessary to see a step change in provision and effectiveness.

Envious eyes are cast at HABE, the Basque organisation charged with language acquisition among adults, with its £35 million per annum budget and 200 centres. Without a forceful strategy for language acquisition for those beyond school age, there is a danger that adult Welsh language courses do not make a widespread impact on usage.

4.5.7 Grants for the promotion of Welsh language education Over one-third of the WLB’s annual budget (£2.052 million, 34.67% of total expenditure of £6.104 million in 1999-2000) is ring-fenced for the provision of grants for the promotion of Welsh language education. This is a function devolved to the WLB from the former Welsh Office. The grants are made to local education authorities and are used to encourage specific initiatives in the teaching of Welsh, such as immersion teaching centres for incomers to areas where Welsh is the main medium of instruction in local schools, athrawon bro (peripatetic Welsh teachers) to assist in delivering National Curriculum requirements for the teaching of Welsh and for developmental schemes.

This is something of an anomaly in that these grants are applied largely for mainstream education purposes and are not materially different from other funds spent directly by education authorities in meeting National Curriculum requirements. They Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 50

impose an additional administrative burden on the WLB and add significantly to the apparent funding for promotion and facilitation of use of the Welsh language. However, the funds are ring-fenced for the purpose prescribed and cannot be applied to other WLB priorities.

However, the WLB does not resent this imposition and sees it as a positive measure allowing it to enter into creative dialogues with the education authorities concerned. In this sense there is some value added by the process of routing these grants through the WLB and we cannot see that there would be significant material benefits from changing the system.

4.5.8 Other initiatives The Education and Training Department has designed and implemented other initiatives including the acclaimed language transfer project aimed at using midwives and post natal information packs to encourage new parents to bring their offspring up in a Welsh-speaking environment. This was piloted in Carmarthenshire and is being rolled out to Denbighshire and Conwy and maternity wards in hospitals throughout Wales.

They have also produced promotional packs to encourage parents to choose bilingual education for their children, an information technology project and various initiatives to support Welsh medium education in all sectors from pre-school to adult learning.

The department’s work and expertise is generally highly regarded among those who come into contact with it.

4.6 Grants Department The Grants Department is responsible for the WLB’s grants to third- party bodies, with the exception of the education grants discussed above. Again, they represent a significant proportion of the WLB’s annual expenditure (a total of £2.341 million, 38.35% of gross expenditure in 1999-2000). These grants fall into four distinct categories: Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 51

• Large grants to bodies previously funded directly by the former Welsh Office;

• Other grants given at the Board’s discretion to organisations and for purposes linked to the WLB’s strategic objectives;

• Small grants to the voluntary and private sectors for promotion of the use of the Welsh language within the applicant organisations;

• Grants to Mentrau Iaith (Language Initiatives) for work at community level.

4.6.1 Large grants These are paid annually to four key organisations that have been considered worthy of direct government support for a number of years because of their contribution to Welsh language and culture. In 1999-2000, the sums paid to these organisations were as follows: £623,704 to the Welsh Books Council; £268,911 to Urdd Gobaith Cymru; £326,523 to the National Eisteddfod of Wales; £557,626 to Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin (the Welsh medium pre- school playgroup and nursery school movement).

Responsibility for the administration of these grants was transferred to the WLB in the 1997-98 financial year, after its adoption of A Strategy for the Welsh Language in the previous year. As a result they have been a somewhat anomalous addition to the WLB’s armoury. While, in theory, the Board has discretion to vary or even to discontinue these grants, they represent structural funding for the organisations concerned. Thus the WLB has had to accommodate these substantial support measures whether or not they represent a true reflection of the WLB’s strategic priorities.

They also represent a significant overhead in terms of administration, not only in the time spent in discussion and negotiation with the organisations concerned but also in respect of the WLB’s duty of accountability for public expenditure Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 52

whereby it conducts an independent review every six years of all grants over £200,000 a year. During the 1999-2000 financial year the WLB commissioned a review by Grant Thornton of the WLB’s grant to the Welsh Books Council and during 2000-2001 a review by Cwmni Iaith Cyf of the WLB’s support for the Mentrau Iaith. Independent studies have also been commissioned in the past to guide the Board’s decisions on grant aid to the National Eisteddfod of Wales.

There are other anomalies in the system, notably the fact that some of these organisations receive funding from other ASPBs and/or the National Assembly itself. A particular case in point is that of the Welsh Books Council (WBC), where the WLB’s support is targeted at support for publishing Welsh language books, CD Roms etc, while the WBC receives core funding from the National Assembly as a legacy from Section 26 of the Development of Rural Wales Act.

There would appear to be a need for greater clarity in responsibility for the WBC. While WLB support is ostensibly targeted at the WBC’s contribution to the development of the Welsh language it undertakes other activities, which include a substantial quasi-commercial distribution business, which supports a large number of publishers and booksellers in Wales. The scale of WLB grant clearly makes it a structural element in the overall funding of the WBC and thus limits the WLB’s capacity to direct the funding towards specific measures aimed at increasing use of the Welsh language. This may account for the vagueness of the WLB’s 2000-2001 Operational Plan reference to the WBC, where it simply sets a target of supporting the publication of 175 new books. This is also reflected in a poorly- defined relationship between targets, deadlines and payments.

The Grant Thornton report raises these concerns but the WLB feels unable to respond in isolation. The issue requires joint resolution by WLB and the National Assembly.

There are similar concerns with both the National Eisteddfod and Urdd Gobaith Cymru. In principle, the WLB’s support for both Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 53

organisations is justified on the grounds that the grant aid levers considerable volunteer effort with extensive implications for the promotion of the use of the Welsh language at community level and with important target sectors such as teenagers and young adults. However, in practice, the WLB’s support is linked to vague and sometimes inappropriate performance targets (eg the attraction of 165,000 visitors to the National Eisteddfod at Llanelli – surely more appropriate to the Wales Tourist Board).

It would be administratively more convenient and arguably more cost-effective if support for these bodies were delivered from a single source. If that were to be the WLB, it would no doubt enable the WLB to achieve greater focus on language support but the organisations concerned might well argue, with some justification, that they have other priorities which might conflict with those of the WLB.

Another anomaly in the administration of these large grants is that they are subject to a delegated limit which requires the WLB to seek prior National Assembly approval to all grants over £300,000. This seems an unnecessary constraint which is wasteful of both WLB and National Assembly resources in view of the history of substantial support for these organisations over a number of years.

Recommendation

17. That the National Assembly explicitly recognise the limitations on the WLB maximising the strategic benefit from its grants to national cultural bodies inherited from the Welsh Office.

4.6.2 Other grants for facilitating the use of Welsh These grants are provided in accordance with the WLB’s power to make grants under the Welsh Language Act. In contrast with the large grants discussed above, these are made in pursuance of WLB strategic priorities and are generally directed towards establishing meaningful partnerships which lever volunteer effort and relevant expertise in the promotion and facilitation of the Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 54

use of Welsh. Assisted bodies and projects under this heading include support for Welsh language local newspapers and voluntary organisations, the Association of Welsh Translators who work with the WLB on corpus planning and specialist bodies such as Cwmni Iaith Cyf and Canolfan Bedwyr.

There is evidence of care by the WLB that assisted bodies do make relevant contributions to the WLB’s strategic objectives and that the Board has taken difficult decisions in the past to discontinue grant aid to organisations such as Canolfan Iaith Nant Gwrtheyrn and CYD when their efficacy was in doubt. However, we would have liked to see more detail in the WLB’s annual operational plans about the specific targets agreed with these organisations, some of which receive high levels of funding in comparison with some of the WLB’s internal projects. As a corollary, there should also be more detailed analysis of their performance against targets. The 1999-2000 Annual Report, which introduced a report on performance against targets simply records that 88% of assisted organisations met their targets during the financial year against a target of 90%. This could imply that 12% of the grant expenditure of £2.32 million (ie £278,400) was wasted. While clearly this is not the case, the WLB should avoid making itself a hostage to fortune in this way.

4.6.3 Small grants These grants are given on application and approval to private and voluntary sector bodies to encourage greater use of the Welsh language in such areas as marketing, publicity and signage. The total allocated in 1999-2000 was £13,075, to a total of 52 private and voluntary sector bodies.

These grants are seen as an important link with the private sector. They are not unduly onerous to administer and are probably considerably more effective than, for example, a press or television marketing campaign aimed at encouraging similar developments in the private sector.

Our only concern in this regard is that this, taken in conjunction with our remarks on the WLB’s Marketing and Communications Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 55

Department above, represents a very low level of activity in the private sector in view of its impact on the everyday use of Welsh at grass roots level.

Recommendation

18. That the WLB consider how it may intensify its encouragement of greater use of Welsh in the private sector. (See also 4.3.)

4.6.4 Mentrau Iaith While these grants strictly fall into the same category as those discussed above, the WLB views them as a discrete initiative. Although 12 such grants were made in 1999-2000, ranging from £6,666 to £65,000, the WLB considers them to be generic and has commissioned research into their impact as part of its programme of independent reviews of all grants over £200,000.

The Menter Iaith concept predates the WLB but the WLB has been responsible for the development of the initiative and for rolling it out in a total of 21 areas as its main technique for community level development of the Welsh language. By now, only 6 of the 22 county boroughs in Wales do not have a Menter Iaith active in their territory.

WLB financial support for these initiatives has now risen to £½ million a year, with 75% of this assistance earmarked for the support of the equivalent of around 33 full-time staff.

The process of development has been informed by regular and structured research, for example The Community Research Project report by Colin H Williams and Jeremy Evas (1997); Annual Reports by the Mentrau Iaith; the eponymous report of a workshop held in May 1998 and, most recently, the Review of the Mentrau Iaith in Wales by Kathryn Jones and Gareth Ioan, 2000. Other bodies have contributed to the process, for instance Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 56

Gwynedd Bilingualism Forum’s 1995 report, Towards a Language Strategy for North-west Wales.

The rationale for support of Mentrau Iaith as community initiatives is contained in the WLB’s strategy documents which emphasise the importance of maintaining viable communities where Welsh is the main language of the great majority of the population. However, Mentrau Iaith are also seen to have a valuable role in stimulating the development of new opportunities for wider use of the Welsh language in predominantly English speaking areas where the majority of Welsh speakers have gained their fluency in the language through Welsh medium education.

The support of the Mentrau Iaith is reckoned to be cost-effective in that they mobilise significant volunteer effort, attract additional funding from other sources such as local authorities and the national Lottery and have a locus at a local level in areas where the Act does not empower the WLB to impose language schemes, for example in the private and voluntary sectors. They are capable of being innovative and responsive to the needs of the communities which they serve. They are also more concerned with the indefinable concept of ‘Cymreictod’ (the wider cultural connotations that influence people who can speak more than one language to elect to use Welsh as frequently as possible) than is possible for the WLB itself and are more capable of responding to regional and local variations in circumstances and needs.

There are deficits to this approach, however. The Mentrau have no assured continuity of funding from year to year and are constrained in forward planning. Some have to devote much time and energy to fundraising to maintain their activities and there are concerns in certain areas about their capacities and professionalism. The recent review commissioned by the WLB makes 5 main recommendations and 59 specific recommendations for improvement. The study on which the report is based was comprehensive and well researched. We see no reason to replicate or discuss its conclusions in detail in Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 57

this review, except to endorse its main recommendations in respect of the need for greater direction and support for the Mentrau from the WLB.

We understand that the WLB has already reacted by reallocating responsibilities within the organisation to ensure that the activities of the Mentrau and other partners dovetail more closely with those of the WLB itself. The WLB is also experimenting with direct intervention at a community level and this should have benefits for the future operation of the independent Mentrau.

In this context, the WLB might care to explore the possibility of making central applications for additional funds from sources such as the Lottery Boards, local authorities and EU structural funds to support the work of the Mentrau Iaith in order to relieve their staff and members of some of their responsibilities for constant fundraising and thereby allowing them to devote more time to achieving core objectives.

Recommendations

19. That the WLB review its expectations of the bodies which it supports through grant aid, in particular the Mentrau Iaith, in the light of recent evaluation studies and relate its support more specifically to activities designed to encourage greater use of the Welsh language. (See also 4.6.1.) 20. That the WLB, subject to the above, consider how it may best support the work of the Mentrau Iaith beyond the provision of grant aid, for example through the provision of training, improved coordination and central applications for additional funds from other sources to support their work.

4.7 Other issues The work of the Finance and Administration Departments is discussed in the context of the Corporate Governance Review (Chapter 5).

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 58

4.7.1 Regional presence As intimated in the first stage of this Review, there is a widely- held perception that the WLB is in danger of becoming detached from the day-to-day concerns of its stakeholders at regional and community level. There is no doubt good reason for maintaining its head office presence in Cardiff because of its need to establish close working relations with the National Assembly and other key agencies. Nevertheless this, and the fact that the majority of the WLB’s staff live in Cardiff, can lead to perceptions of remoteness.

There are clearly significant budgetary implications as well as issues of co-ordination in dividing the WLB’s small staff complement around regional offices but the WLB takes the issue seriously and is currently actively examining the possibility of developing regional presences on a part-time or occasional basis in Carmarthen and Porthmadog. The situation will no doubt be kept under review and subjected to fuller evaluation in due course.

Recommendation

21. That the WLB consider how it may strengthen its regional presence in Wales, possibly by arrangement with other organisations and Mentrau Iaith.

4.7.2 WLB and the economy Several studies and the WLB’s own strategy documents have demonstrated the vital relationship between economic conditions and the fortunes of the Welsh language. The Act gives the WLB no specific power to intervene in economic planning matters, except possibly at a micro level through its community initiatives. Nevertheless, it is a matter which the WLB needs to address seriously in order to be consistent with its own analysis of influences on language use.

The WLB should seek to work more closely with agencies such as the Welsh Development Agency, the Wales Tourist Board, the Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 59

National Assembly agriculture department, the Countryside Council for Wales and the private sector to develop joint initiatives, particularly in those areas where the Welsh language remains relatively strong, to work towards sustainable futures for these communities.

4.7.3 The National Lottery The Lottery now produces funds for various causes on a scale that can dwarf that of grant-making public bodies. To date, it would appear that certain Mentrau Iaith have been beneficiaries of Lottery assistance. However, the Lottery is capable of making very large investments which could have a significant influence on Welsh language development and usage in a locality (for example the National Botanic Garden). The WLB might care to consider how it might develop a co- operative relationship with the main Lottery Boards to develop joint initiatives of benefit to the Welsh language and Welsh- speaking communities.

Recommendation

22. That the WLB seek opportunities to work in conjunction with other development agencies and Lottery Boards to develop joint projects for the benefit of Welsh-speaking communities in all parts of Wales.

CONCLUSIONS 4.8 Summary of conclusions The WLB’s internal organisation reflects the functions which it has under the Act, together with specific duties that it has acquired since its establishment. This has resulted in a departmental structure which divides its 34 staff into seven different departments. There is a danger that the departments will develop a silo mentality and action should be taken to deliver a more holistic approach to the promotion and facilitation of language use. Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 60

All departments function under pressure because of the wide-ranging nature of their responsibilities and an increasing workload, particularly in the Public and Voluntary Sector department because of the constant enlargement of their responsibility to initiate and monitor public sector language schemes. The Education and Training Department suffers from a lack of clarity in the meaning of its obligation to maintain an overview of Welsh language education and training.

Other WLB objectives are delivered through its provision of grants for partner organisations. Within these are large annual grants to specified organisations previously assisted directly by the Welsh Office. There are issues of responsibility and of targeting of assistance to WLB priorities with these organisations.

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 61

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 62

5 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

CONTEXT 5.1 The framework Schedule 1 of the Welsh Language Act sets out certain requirements for the corporate governance of the Welsh Language Board but, in common with other ASPBs, the WLB is subject to a much more detailed regime to ensure compliance with evolving standards in such areas as probity, transparency, accounting, best value, risk management and so on in the conduct of public bodies and the administration of public funds.

The WLB’s main responsibilities in respect of its relationship to its sponsoring department and the National Assembly for Wales are set out in a Management Statement and Financial Memorandum. These were recently revised to take account of the transfer of powers and responsibilities from the Welsh Office to the National Assembly and the opportunity was taken to update them in other respects. The current version is dated September 2000.

The Management Statement (which now subsumes the Financial Memorandum) draws together the various statutory instruments and other regulations that set out standards and expectations of the conduct of the WLB’s affairs. It covers such aspects as: • The legal context

• Responsibilities and accountability

• Policies and priorities

• Compliance and monitoring

• Staffing and personnel management

Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 63

ANALYSIS 5.2 Assessment of compliance Our assessment of the extent to which the Management Statement was understood, respected and implemented by the WLB took the following form: • Discussions with the Chief Executive, as Chief Accounting Officer

• Discussions with the Chief Financial Officer and Heads of Departments

• Examinations of internal documentation, including Codes of Practice and procedures for induction of new Board Members and staff

• Examination of internal and National Audit Office (NAO) audit reports

• Discussions with representatives of the National Assembly Internal Audit service and the NAO.

5.3 Implementation of the Management Statement We have looked at the following aspects of compliance with the Management Statement: • Annual reporting and audit

• Relationship with the National Assembly

• Internal financial and management control and audit

• Compliance with standards of practice expected of public bodies

5.3.1 Annual reporting and audit The WLB presents its annual report and statements of accounts to the National Assembly annually in the form of a bilingual public document, which is also posted on the WLB’s website, www.bwrdd-yr-iaith.org.uk. The report is promptly produced – the Chairman’s Introduction and Chief Executive’s Report on the Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 64

year ended 31 March 2000 are dated April 2000, the Chief Accounting Officer signed the financial statements on 19 May and the audit certificate was signed by the Auditor General for Wales on 1 June.

The WLB’s Annual Reports for the past five years have been comprehensive and readable and the financial information supplied gives a member of the public an appropriate level of detail to establish whence the WLB’s income has originated and to which activities its expenditure has been applied.

The WLB’s annual financial statements and its compliance with the financial memorandum are audited by the National Audit Office, whose report and certification are directed to the management of the National Assembly for Wales and the WLB. The report includes a Management Letter, which reports on issues which suggest the need for improved practices but which are not of sufficient concern to qualify the accounts or to call into question the organisation’s compliance with the financial memorandum. The WLB has a good record of dealing with matters brought to its attention in this way and the NAO has no outstanding concern in respect of the WLB’s financial management and compliance with the applicable standards.

5.3.2 Relationship with the National Assembly The National Assembly details its annual financial support for the work of the WLB in the form of a remit letter from the Minister for Culture, Sport and the Welsh Language to the Chairman of the WLB. The letter relates the National Assembly’s grant in aid to the WLB’s business plan, which has previously been submitted following discussions with the Executive. It indicates how the grant should be applied, confirms the WLB’s role in terms of its functions under the Act, its implementation of National Assembly policies and its service to the public. It relates National Assembly support to specific performance targets based on those proposed by the WLB in its business planning documents. The Management Statement agreed between the National Assembly and WLB specifies the frequency and form of monthly, quarterly and annual reports to Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 65

be provided by the latter to the former and the remit letter may request additional reports on specific matters.

From both the standpoints of the WLB and of the National Assembly, this system is well understood and appears to work well.

The Management Statement also contains restrictions on the WLB’s freedom of activity in certain areas. For example, the prior approval of the National Assembly is required before the WLB may change the terms and conditions of appointment of its staff, exceed approved staffing levels, exceed approved expenditure on running costs and exceed delegated limits in specified circumstances.

This is a well-understood element within the panoply of measures designed to ensure that ASPBs operate within the more rigid disciplines of accountability required of the public sector than the sometimes more relaxed and pragmatic systems which may be more familiar to private sector members of their Boards. Nevertheless, they do give rise to value for money and practical concerns.

The increased sophistication of controls and reporting over the last decade or so calls into question some of these older restrictions on non-departmental bodies and we query the continued relevance of some time-consuming and relatively arbitrary limitations on the WLB’s freedom to administer the resources made available to it by the National Assembly, for example: • The need to secure National Assembly approval for exceeding what appear to be arbitrary limits for annual ‘large’ grants and evaluation costs;

• The allocation of grant in aid to specific budget heads (restricting, for example, the use of grant in aid for central costs and the ring fencing of education grants). Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 66

The WLB’s overall budget is smaller than some departmental budgets within larger ASPBs and it seems both pointless and wasteful of scarce resources to impose such restrictions on the WLB’s use of its funds within agreed corporate objectives. A case in point might be the salary structure for a small specialist organisation whose only asset is the expertise and experience of its staff. It cannot offer a career structure and should arguably have greater freedom to reward achievement and retain the services of key staff rather than incur the high costs of recruitment, training and loss of momentum associated with their loss. Another case might be the direct employment of staff currently supported through the Mentrau Iaith to ensure uniformity of competence and purpose.

Recommendation

5.3.3 Internal financial management control and audit The WLB is required to establish an Audit Committee to oversee audit procedures and to deal with matters arising from them.

The Treasury has recently reviewed arrangements for audit and accountability of central government (HM Treasury, 2001). Their recommendations set a standard by which other non- departmental bodies may be judged. The review recommends that audit committees should: • Be chaired by a non-executive director, or by a person from outside the department, appointed solely to chair the audit committee, without a wider role within the organisation (with appropriate support to ensure familiarity with the work of the department); Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 67

• If possible consist solely of independents (or at least have a majority of such people). Committees should not include either the Accounting Officer or the Principal Finance Officer among its executive members, although they should attend meetings;

• Consider whether all risks … not just financial risks have been properly assessed;

• Approve and review internal audit’s work programme and receive internal audit reports;

• Involve the external auditor and ensure that he/she receives all papers and is invited to all meetings;

• Allow for the Chairman of the audit committee to hold private sessions with the internal and external auditors;

• Challenge both external and internal auditors about their assumptions and methodologies;

• Prepare an annual report to the Accounting Officer on their work, which could be published alongside the departmental accounts. The WLB’s audit committee scores well against these criteria. It comprises four independent Board Members and is chaired by a member who is himself an accountant and is not the Chairman of the Board. It currently meets once a year and this has been regarded as sufficient for it to discharge its functions fully and effectively.

The WLB is free to make its own internal audit arrangements, subject to periodic review by the National Assembly’s Internal Audit Service. The WLB does this by tendering the service to external firms of registered auditors. The first such tender covered a period of five years; the second, a period of four years. An element in the WLB’s selection of providers is their ability to audit procedures and documents maintained wholly or largely in Welsh. For the last five years, the period under Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 68

review, the WLB’s internal audit service providers have been PriceWaterhouse Coopers (or their predecessors Coopers and Lybrand) to undertake their internal audit.

As with external audit, internal audits are conducted in compliance with auditing standards. The National Assembly Internal Audit Service has reviewed the process and considers it to be satisfactory in relation to the size and complexity of the WLB. The internal auditors’ annual report reviews a representative selection of the WLB’s activities and reports its findings under three headings: • Significant control weaknesses, whereby the WLB may be exposed to a financial loss, fraud or where potential exists for a material error occurring in the accounts;

• Non-compliance with financial procedures or other control weaknesses, where audit work identifies non-compliance with National Assembly directives or other control weaknesses;

• Value for money consideration, where suggestions are made of ways in which the WLB could be made more efficient or effective, or where the potential for financial savings exists. Where such weaknesses are revealed or where recommendations are made for improvements, each year’s audit reports on progress in responding to such matters arising in previous years’ audits.

During the last five years, there have been no instances of significant control weaknesses. Where recommendations are made under the other headings, the WLB has a good record of prompt attention to the issues identified. It is exceptional for such matters to be carried forward from one annual report to another.

The arrangements for control of public expenditure are constantly under review. A current concern is the management of Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 69

risk. On 22 December 2000, HM Treasury issued a Dear Accounting Officer (DAO) letter, DAO(GEN)13/00, introducing the requirement for government bodies, including executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies, such as the ASPBs in Wales, to include a Statement of Internal Control (SIC) in their accounts. This follows the conclusion of the Turnbull report that a sound system of internal control ‘is to help manage and control risk rather than eliminate it’. The visible impact of this requirement on ASPBs will be a statement by the Accounting Officer (Chief Executive) in the Annual Report on the processes adopted by the organisation for the management of risk, initially in financial decision-taking but immediately thereafter in all aspects of policy implementation.

There have been prior indications of the scope and impact of the above DAO letter and, over the last two years, the WLB has taken steps to consider the implications of this directive on its operations. It has involved its independent internal auditors in the process and expects to be able to introduce the necessary procedures within the timescale indicated by the DAO letter (ie that the Accounting Officer certificates should be applied in financial years following 1 January 2001). Clearly, this requirement is not simply a matter of providing certification. It involves embedding risk assessment techniques within all aspects of an organisation with the intention of focussing the minds of decision makers on the full potential implications of their decisions. It is not intended to make organisations risk-averse. Indeed, it may well have the opposite effect. It simply requires that an additional level of discipline be introduced into the decision-making process.

There is clear evidence of a culture of careful administration and financial responsibility within the WLB and the additional requirements of the above DAO are being viewed with equanimity. However, the potential ramifications of this measure will have implications for the Board as a whole. We believe that it could aid decision-making at a strategic level and would therefore consider it important that Board members (as well as Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 70

staff and representatives of key partner organisations) receive thorough briefing on the subject.

In order for the Board to be able to make full use of the scarce time of its members and still involve them as fully as possible in the strategic direction of the WLB, we suggest that the Board might consider structuring its executive reports to: • concentrate on reporting on the assumption that activities are proceeding to plan unless otherwise indicated;

• highlight areas where board members may add value to policy making from their individual geographic and sectoral standpoints;

• provide fuller information on those areas where board-level guidance and involvement is most important to the organisation.

Recommendations

24. That increased use be made of exception reporting by the WLB executive to the Board to ensure that best use is made of Board members’ time by concentrating attention on matters which need Board level decisions and issues where Board members may add value to the policy-making process from their individual geographic and sectoral standpoints and areas of expertise. 25. That WLB Board members, staff and key partner organisations receive thorough briefing on the implications of risk assessment and ensure that it becomes embedded in all aspects of the WLB’s work. 26. That the WLB devise a dynamic role for its Board members in developing strategy to take full advantage of their sectoral expertise and personal knowledge of the different regions of Wales.

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5.3.4 Compliance with standards of conduct The WLB has Codes of Conduct based on recognised standards, such as the Nolan Committee’s recommendations, and which comply with National Assembly standards, for staff and members and effective means of communicating them. The codes cover areas such as equal opportunities, complaints, openness, tendering, procurement and health and safety.

The equal opportunities policy is aimed at ensuring that all individuals are treated fairly and equally and that all decisions relating to recruitment, selection, training, promotion and career management are taken solely on objective and job-related criteria. The WLB has worked to attempt to place the principle that there should be equality of opportunity to use the Welsh and English languages on the equal opportunities agenda in Wales. The principle has been accepted by the equal opportunity agencies but there is still some work to be done to make it a reality. The WLB raised the matter in a submission to the National Assembly’s Equal Opportunities Committee in October 2000.

Tendering and procurement procedures follow recognised practices in line with National Assembly standards. The fact that the WLB conducts its internal administration in Welsh has not imposed difficulties in procurement of essential services nor added cost to the process.

The WLB takes its responsibility for complaints, against itself and against bodies for which it has a responsibility via language schemes or grant aid, seriously but attempts to resolve them through constructive means. This has generally been effective in resolving issues and our individual and public consultations raised no concerns on this score.

5.3.5 Openness The Board appears to have a genuine desire to act in an open and accessible way. It has a written openness policy. Its annual reports are detailed and readable. Board meetings are open to the public, are held in various parts of Wales and advertised to Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 72

encourage public participation. It organises conferences and consults widely on relevant issues. The only concern that emerged from our consultations was a perception in certain sectors that the WLB was remote from the issues confronting Welsh-speaking areas because of its Cardiff location. The Board had previously relied on its relationships with the Mentrau Iaith to establish its community credentials but we were glad to note that arrangements are now in hand to create a more direct presence in west and north Wales.

5.3.5 Efficiency and value for money considerations The WLB is conscious of the need to control costs, not least because of the pressures it has felt to exist on its resources in relation to the breadth of its remit under the Act. There is a culture of concern for costs within the organisation. It reports on its efficiency in the context of its annual self-assessment process.

The constraints imposed by limitations on its administration costs have resulted in imaginative devolution of some of its core functions to partner organisations, particularly in the voluntary and third sectors. The report deals with some of these issues in greater detail elsewhere.

The WLB does not have a written service delivery plan and has no plans to meet ISO standards because of the varied and often unpredictable nature of the services that it provides. Should the nature of its operations change as a result of the proposals contained in this review, and in particular those consequent on possible changes in National Assembly Welsh language policy, the WLB will inevitably revisit the issue in the context of its ongoing self-assessment process.

We have suggested elsewhere in this report how the WLB might resolve some efficiency issues.

We have sought to compare the running costs of the WLB with those of other comparable ASPBs but the lack of uniformity in the presentation of the annual financial statements of these bodies and the wide disparities in functions and funding make it Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 73

impossible to identify meaningful benchmarks. The exercise indicated that the relationship of administrative costs to total turnover was broadly similar in the comparable ASPBs.

CONCLUSIONS 5.4 Summary of conclusions The WLB is one of the smaller ASPBs. This means that the resources available to it for administration are limited in comparison with the ASPBs with considerably larger annual budgets. Nevertheless, it is a well-run organisation with robust control systems and a record of competent administration as evidenced by annual internal and external audit reports. The WLB has a properly constituted Audit Committee, comprising non-executive members of the Board, which is both internally and externally seen to be effective. Its relationship with the National Assembly at executive level in terms of reporting and working arrangement are positive and productive.

On the other hand, we see the current move towards risk assessment as a potentially valuable tool for the WLB in evaluating the effect of its interventions in support of the Welsh language.

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APPENDIX 1 : SUMMARY OF STAGE 1 REPORT

The interim report considered the need for the WLB and its functions. The second stage of the review focuses on issues of accountability, strategic effectiveness and ensuring continuous improvement.

The study’s conclusions are based on wide-ranging research and a consultative process which included public consultations, face-to-face interviews with a selection of key individuals and organisations and with members and staff of the Welsh Language Board itself. The study has also sought to assess language planning needs in Wales and has reviewed the methods employed in other jurisdictions elsewhere in the world to preserve and develop ‘minority’ languages.

It is our view as consultants that the WLB, which was created as a statutory body by the Welsh Language Act as recently as December 1993, has had very little time to make a significant impact on the wide-ranging responsibilities imposed on it by the Act and required of it subsequently by the Secretary of State for Wales. The Board can justifiably claim credit for its contribution to the positive changes in attitude towards the Welsh language during the past few years, and for undertaking its mission in a strategic and professional way. The Assembly is also a newly-established body and is still grappling with its wide range of responsibilities. We would suggest that more time is necessary for both bodies to consider together the implications of the new structure of government in Wales for policy in respect of the Welsh language.

In the meantime, unless there were major inadequacies in the present structure or a convincing case for transfer of the Welsh Language Board's functions to another agency, it would be reasonable to leave well enough alone. We have found that the Board approaches its mission conscientiously. The Board Members themselves add important regional and sectoral dimensions to its governance. The Board is subject to the external audit procedures common to all such public bodies and also commissions independent reviews of its major policy initiatives. The National Assembly has endorsed its corporate plans and policies.

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Even so, various options for putative changes have been considered, both by the consultants themselves and in the course of an extensive consultation exercise, to assess whether there is evidence of a need or a demand for change. Having diligently undertaken this exercise, we conclude that, while the Welsh Language Act 1993 remains in force, there will be a continuing need for performance of all the Board’s existing functions. We have evidence of a general, though not universal, consensus in favour of retention of the Board in its present form and have not found any case for its abolition, its restructuring or the reallocation of its functions to be compelling at this point in time.

However, it is suggested that the Board’s present structure and its ability to perform the functions required of it under the Welsh Language Act could be substantially reinforced if: • the Assembly were to take ownership of the strategy for the Welsh language and were to adopt it, with whatever adaptations it might deem necessary, as a national strategy;

• the Assembly were to define in greater detail how it expects the WLB to 'maintain an overview of Welsh medium education and training', and were to agree specific objectives and reporting structures with the Board in respect of this function. These issues will doubtless be addressed by the wide-ranging review of Welsh language policy that the National Assembly for Wales is due to undertake in the near future.

Issues raised by Culture Committee members on the draft interim report and the consultants’ responses Alison Halford AM focused on the reference in paragraph 6.5 to the WLB’s powers and felt that the matter deserved fuller discussion. We are confident that the opinion expressed in the report is a fair reflection of the broad consensus that emerged from views expressed by those who responded to our invitation to comment and whom we consulted directly. As the report indicates, more extreme views were expressed on both sides of the debate. Perhaps we should have made it clearer that these were limited to a minority of respondents. The majority considered the WLB’s present powers to be adequate and appropriate. The wording of the report did, however, suggest that there might usefully be a wider debate on the issue but concluded that, Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 76

insofar as this debate might call into question the Welsh Language Act itself, it was beyond the terms of reference of the study to pursue it. The Committee’s current review of policy towards the Welsh language might provide a more appropriate platform for such a discussion.

Rosemary Butler AM referred to the statistic quoted in the report that the number of primary school pupils receiving their education wholly or mainly through the medium of Welsh has remained static at around 20% throughout the past decade. This appeared to contradict the evidence provided by the continuing provision and expansion of Welsh medium schools. The reasons for the levelling off in the figure would appear to be partly demographic and partly that the further expansion of Welsh medium education in the predominantly English-speaking areas on the scale experienced in the 1970s and 80s will require the provision of more community-based schools, which is difficult to achieve without a significant programme of new school building.

Lorraine Barrett AM raised an issue that demonstrates the sensitivity of certain aspects of language development in Wales. It is clear that the Welsh Language Act imposes a responsibility on public bodies to provide relevant services in Welsh and it is vital to the status of the Welsh language that the National Assembly be seen to take a lead in this respect. It is also equally clear that this has implications in terms of financial and human resources that have the potential to create tensions between the two main linguistic communities. It is not an issue that can be resolved within the terms of reference of the study but it does underline the importance of the pragmatic and sensitive approach that the WLB has tried to take.

Alison Halford AM referred to the section of the report on which Lorraine Barrett AM’s comments were based and asked for clarification on the evidence for the statements contained in it. The section A1/6 contained a review of the present day state of the Welsh language in Wales and was commissioned from an expert in the field as a part of the study. We believe that the review is firmly grounded in objective evidence gleaned from a number of sources, including the WLB’s own studies. The chapter was included as a context paper among other annexes to the main report to assist readers who were not familiar with the recent history and present state of the Welsh language to understand the extent and nature of the task confronting the WLB in promoting and facilitating the use of Welsh on a number of fronts. Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 77

APPENDIX 2 : TERMS OF REFERENCE

NATIONAL ASSEMBLY FOR WALES WELSH LANGUAGE BOARD QUINQUENNIAL REVIEW – TERMS OF REFERENCE (October 2000)

Introduction

The Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board is being undertaken in the context of the Assembly’s published Quinquennial Review Guidelines. The Guidelines set out the process for conducting the reviews. This includes self-assessment by the sponsored body, discussion with members of the Board and senior managers, inviting views from major stakeholders including staff and their trade unions, partners and customers.

The Terms of Reference sets out the key questions which the Review has to address. The issues common to all reviews are identified in the Guidelines, but the Terms of Reference also take account of issues specific to the Welsh Language Board.

There will be two parts to the Review: the Strategic Review and the Corporate Governance Review.

Strategic Review

The context for the Strategic Review is the Assembly’s strategic plan, betterwales.com.

Stage 1: Functions

In the light of the statutory duties of the Welsh Language Board and the objectives of the National Assembly, is there a continuing need for all the functions of the Welsh Language Board and, if so, is the current organisational framework for delivering those functions the most appropriate?

What is the legal framework governing the Welsh Language Board? Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 78

Are the functions of the Welsh Language Board still necessary? Do the functions make up a coherent whole in terms of influencing the future of the Welsh Language? Do they need to be carried out by an Assembly Sponsored Public Body – are other options for undertaking the functions likely to be more effective? Are they best carried out by a single body? Is there a need to rationalise functions between the Welsh Language Board and the National Assembly or other public bodies?

Output: an Interim Report recommending what changes, if any, are required to current arrangements, what powers the Assembly has to make those changes and what the advantages and disadvantages would be.

Stage 2: Strategic effectiveness

Subject to the findings of the Interim Report: are there improvements which should be made to the way in which the Welsh Language Board’s functions are delivered, taking account of its statutory duties and the values and objectives of the National Assembly, and to the functioning of its relationship with the National Assembly.

This should take account of any independent studies and the other inputs set out in the Quinquennial Review guidelines.

Has the WLB developed a clear and well-grounded strategic direction since 1993 which facilitates language development across all parts of Wales? What have been its main strategic achievements since 1993, to what extent has it met its objectives, what has been its performance against targets, how does its performance compare with other bodies engaged in similar language development elsewhere, are there performance issues which need to be addressed? How effective has been the corporate planning of the WLB in setting priorities and targets and allocating resources accordingly? Does the corporate planning process reflect a comprehensive and integrated approach to the functions delivered by the WLB? How effective are the Welsh Language Board’s arrangements for responding to the National Assembly’s strategic objectives, guiding themes and values (including equal opportunities, tackling social Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 79

disadvantage and sustainable development) in terms of its planning and conduct of business? How might they be improved? Is there an effective mutual understanding of the roles of the members of the Board and senior managers in setting corporate objectives and monitoring their implementation? Is the WLB sufficiently responsive to its partners and customers, does it have their confidence as a body with which they can do business, are there ways in which relationships might be strengthened? Are reporting arrangements adequate between the WLB and the National Assembly, does the Board need different freedoms and flexibilities, is there sufficient public accountability for the Board’s work?

Corporate governance review

Is the Welsh Language Board managing its finances effectively and in accordance with the requirements of regularity, propriety and value-for- money? What progress has the Board made in improving operational efficiency? This should take account of evidence from the existing control framework, as set out in Annex 2 of the Guidelines.

Do the financial and control arrangements between the WLB and the National Assembly meet established requirements? Do internal and external audit reports provide confidence that the Board is managing its finances in line with the Assembly’s expectations of public bodies? Is the Board managing its finances and assets effectively, are value- for-money issues, including policy evaluations, being rigorously pursued? Does the Board’s conduct of business meet the standards of practice expected of public bodies in relation to procurement, openness and the handling of complaints? Are the Board’s running costs and staffing levels being controlled and scrutinised. Can useful comparisons be made with the operating costs of similar bodies? Does the Board have good arrangements for monitoring the quality and efficiency of its service delivery? Does the Board have a good track record and robust plans for improving efficiency? Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 80

APPENDIX 3 : CONSULTATIONS AND SUBMISSIONS

Public Sector 1. Employment Service 2. Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency 3. British Cattle Movement Service 4. Powys County Council 5. Welsh Joint Education Committee 6. UK Central Council for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting 7. Welsh National Board for Nursing, Midwifery and Health Visiting 8. North Wales Fire Service 9. Monmouthshire County Council 10. Home Office 11. Pentyrch Community Council 12. Denbigh Town Council 13. Isle of Anglesey County Council 14. Central Council for Education and Training in Social Work 15. Welsh Funding Councils 16. South Wales Fire Service 17. Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council 18. Inland Revenue 19. Health and Safety Executive 20. Pembrokeshire and Derwen NHS Trust 21. Environment Agency Wales 22. Morgannwg Health 23. Rail Passengers Committee 24. Gwynedd Council 25. Flintshire County Council 26. National Museums and Galleries of Wales 27. Office of the Director General of Water Services (OFWAT) 28. The Planning Inspectorate 29. The Arts Council of Wales 30. Mid and West Wales Fire Authority 31. The Vale of Glamorgan Council 32. North Wales Police 33. Welsh Consumer Council 34. Welsh National Park Authorities 35. Carmarthen Town Council 36. Countryside Council for Wales 37. Local Government Boundary Commission for Wales 38. South Wales Police 39. Ministry of Defence 40. Rhondda Cynon Taf Council 41. Karen Prys Jones, Corporate Support Officer (Welsh Language), Flintshire County Council 42. Steve Eaves, Welsh Language Officer, Conwy County Borough Council 43. Elfrys Jones, Welsh Language Officer, North Wales Health Authority Quinquennial Review of the Welsh Language Board Draft Final Report June 2001 / Page 81

44. Alaw Wyn Jones, Welsh Language Development Officer, Denbighshire and Conwy Health Service 45. Nesta Eluned, Snowdonia National Park

Voluntary / Third Sector 1. Urdd Gobaith Cymru 2. Menter Cwm Gwendraeth 3. Menter Caerdydd 4. Menter Iaith Gwynedd 5. Women’s Institute 6. Merched y Wawr 7. Welsh Language Society 8. Cymdeithas Cyfieithwyr Cymru 9. Menter a Busnes 10. Hywel Jones, Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin 11. Catrin Tomos, Menter Iaith Sir y Fflint 12. Hannah Huws, Chwarae Teg

Private Sector 1. HSBC Bank 2. Nationwide Building Society 3. Deiniol Tegid, BT

Education Sector 1. The Board for Welsh teaching, University of Wales 2. Welsh College of Music and Drama 3. University of Wales Bangor 4. Estyn 5. Coleg Meirion Dwyfor College 6. Dr Cen Williams, Welsh Medium Education Development Officer, University of Wales 7. Steve Morris, Chair, West Glamorgan Welsh for Adults Consortium 8. Geraint Wyn Jones, Canolfan Bedwyr, University of Wales, Bangor

Legal Sector 1. Sir Roderick Evans QC, Liaison Judge for the Welsh Language, Wales and Chester Circuit 2. South Wales Magistrates’ Courts Committee 3. Legal Service Commission

Others 1. Cefn 2. The European Bureau for Lesser Used Languages (Ireland Office) 3. Allweddiaith 4. Clwyd Alyn Housing Association 5. Comunn na Gaidhlig, Scotland

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Individuals 1. Euryn Ogwen, Vale of Glamorgan 2. M Hayes, Swansea 3. Stephen Curry, Neath 4. Penri Williams, Cardiff 5. W C Chilcott, Swansea 6. David Painting, Swansea 7. Councillor Ioan Richard, Swansea 8. K Davies, Swansea 9. Gloria Owens, Swansea 10. C Dawson, Swansea 11. Colin Nalsley, Swansea 12. Brian Jones, Swansea 13. Jack Harris Consultancy, Swansea 14. David Harris, Swansea 15. Peter Smith, Denbigh 16. C Dallimore, Swansea 17. R G Derrick, Swansea 18. Haydn Jenkins, Swansea 19. Dafydd Thomas, Swansea 20. Marc Williams, Llanelli 21. Meurig Williams, Cardiff

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APPENDIX 4 : BIBLIOGRAPHY AND DOCUMENTS CONSULTED Welsh Language Board Documents An Outline Strategy for the Welsh Language (1995) A Strategy for the Welsh Language (1996) Welsh Language Schemes: Their Preparation and Approval in accordance with the Welsh Language Act 1993 (March 1996) The Welsh Language: A Vision and Mission for 2000-2005 (1999) Welsh Language Board Corporate Plan 2001-02 to 2003-04 Welsh Language Board Operational Plans 1999-2000 to 2001-02 Welsh Language Board Annual Reports 1995-96 to 1999-2000 Welsh Language Board Internal Audit Reports 1995-96 to 2000-01 Welsh Language Board Management Statement (including Financial Memorandum), National Assembly for Wales September 2000 Welsh Language Board Quinquennial Review Self Assessment Public Attitudes to the Welsh Language: A Research Report, NOP Social and Political for the Welsh Language Board, November 1995 The Community Research Project, Colin H Williams and Jeremy Evas, University of Wales, Cardiff for the Welsh Language Board, August 1997 The Use of the Welsh Language 2000: A survey of 6th form pupils in Welsh-medium and bilingual education, Welsh Language Board, 2000 State of the Welsh Language 2000: Survey Report, Welsh Language Board, 2000 Linkline to Welsh: An Analysis Of Its Use 1998-2000, Welsh Language Board, 2000 Arolwg Mentrau Iaith Cymru [Review of the Language Initiatives in Wales], Kathryn Jones and Gareth Ioan, 2000 Monitoring the Implementation of Welsh Language Schemes: Project Report for the Welsh Language Board January 2001, M E Kermode, Policy and Operational Reviews, December 2000. Welsh Language Board website: www.bwrdd-yr-iaith.org.uk

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Other documents The Welsh Language Act1993 www.betterwales.com The National Assembly for Wales, May 2000 Reversing Language Shift, Joshua A Fishman 1991 (Multilingual Matters A Geography of the Welsh Language 1961-1991, Aitchison J and Carter H, 1994 (University of Wales Press) Towards a Language Strategy for North-west Wales Gwynedd Bilingualism Forum 1995 Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity, Joshua A Fishman 1999 (OUP) Can Threatened Languages be Saved? Reversing Language Shift Revisited: A 21st Century Perspective, Joshua A Fishman 2000 (Multilingual Matters) Language Planning and Language Use, Glyn Williams and Delyth Morris 2000