Council Defends New Welsh Language Policy Amid Negative Coverage
A council has defended a recently approved policy designed to increase the use of Welsh among its staff and councillors, following what it described as "negative" press coverage.
A report from Denbighshire Council outlined how the authority aims to double the use of Welsh in the workplace and contribute to the national goal of reaching a million Welsh speakers by 2050.
According to the approved plans, all internal communications will be bilingual, with Welsh presented first. Staff will be encouraged to learn and use the language, and departments with lower Welsh language performance may be identified through "mystery shopper exercises" to receive targeted training.
Policy Intent and Implementation Details
During a council cabinet meeting, members discussed how the five-year plan had been "misunderstood" and emphasized that its purpose is to "upskill" staff rather than impose compulsory requirements.
The council report stated the authority would "create and maintain a database showing the level of Welsh required for each role and the current skills of staff, as a basis for planning, learning, and training."
Councillors Respond to Media Coverage
Speaking at the cabinet meeting where the policy was approved, Councillor Julie Matthews addressed the negative media portrayal.
"What it is actually doing is offering an opportunity to staff to upskill," she said.
Matthews suggested that some of the negative coverage stemmed from misconceptions that speaking Welsh would be compulsory for council employees.
"But this isn't what the policy is doing. It is just trying to encourage staff and members to use Welsh as widely as possible."
Councillor Rhys Thomas also commented on the media response, expressing surprise at the inaccuracies he observed.
"And I was a bit surprised to see what was in that article in the press, because it wasn't what I had read in this policy of the intention of the policy.
"But I've got to start being concerned with the literacy levels of some of our local reporters, if they can misunderstand, as they obviously have done, about the report in front of us this morning. When I read this – and I do approve the policy – I have no problems with it."
He added that the policy should help raise confidence among staff using Welsh.
Councillor Emrys Wynne highlighted the policy's alignment with broader Welsh language initiatives.
"It is an essential part of the Welsh Language Commissioner's policy, and that is why Denbighshire County Council is strengthening this.
"It has existed in Denbighshire for a number of years, but we are strengthening it now to give the same opportunity to all members of staff to master Welsh language at a level they are comfortable with."
