Aled Roberts, Welsh Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for the Welsh Language is calling on the Welsh Government to use Equality Impact Assessment Guidance to check how its policies are impacting on the Welsh language.
Commenting, Aled Roberts said:
“The Welsh Liberal Democrats have tabled an amendment to today’s Plaid Cymru debate, and we are calling for a more holistic, comprehensive approach to Welsh Government policies so that their impact on the Welsh language can be formally assessed.
“The Welsh Government’s own Equality Impact Assessment Guidance provides the ideal vehicle for this assessment, and I would like to see all government policies assessed in this way with regard to Welsh.
“A recent report by a Task & Finish group set up by the Economy Minister has recommended that her department should review the way it monitors equality issues and take a more strategic approach.
“This is something I would heartily endorse and which I believe should be applied to all Welsh Government departments so that any benefits or threats to the Welsh language are identified as quickly as possible.
“The Welsh Labour Government has been lamentably slow in implementing language policies so far, and they have an opportunity now to show their commitment to the Welsh language through speedy publication of their TAN 20 regulations, robust assessment of the Welsh in Education Strategic Plans and comprehensive Welsh Language Standards.“
