Gwynedd’s Plaid Councillor Hefin Williams
A Plaid Cymru Councillor is celebrating a Welsh language victory as Judges at the High Court in Cardiff agreed that National Savings and Investments (ns&i) had acted illegally in bringing its Welsh language service to customers to an end back in April 2013.
“I’m absolutely delighted,” explains Plaid Councillor Hefin Williams from Rhiwlas near Bangor, one of the customers who made the original complaints to the agency and the Welsh Language Commissioner back in April 2013.
“I am so pleased as a customer and a Plaid Cymru representative. Common sense has prevailed and the Welsh Language Commissioner’s work has paid dividends. I am proud to have been able to bring this issue to the fore and fight for what is right here in Wales. I would like to thank the Commissioner and her team for their work and to the Barrister, Gwion Lewis who represented the case so magnificently at Cardiff’s High Court in February.
“I presented my complaints both as a Plaid Cymru Councillor and on behalf of chapels and chapel members in our area. We were treated with complete disregard and disrespect by ns&i when they ceased to accept our correspondents through the medium of Welsh at a drop of a hat. I look forward now to ensure a full co-operation from the agency and equality for Welsh language customers.”
Councillor Hefin Williams who represents Penisarwaun Ward on Gwynedd Council concluded: “This is an opportunity for us as Welsh speakers in Wales and beyond to remind one another to click on that Welsh language button at bank machines, in the post office at supermarket paying tills and similar places. Also we need to support one another as we continue to ask organisations and businesses for a Welsh language service in all aspects of our professional and personal lives on a daily basis.”
