“Steady progress” on Welsh language standards as Rob & Ryan civic video remains unpublished due to non compliance

“Steady progress” is being made in improving Welsh language standards in Wrexham Council, a senior councillor has said.

The local authority is required meet the criteria of 171 Welsh Language Standards, which were adopted in 2016.

This criteria aims to ensure that Wrexham Council “treats the Welsh and English languages on a basis of equality and respects the rights of Welsh speakers.”

A report due before executive board members on Tuesday 11 June highlights the progress made in the last 12 months in improving Welsh language usage within the county borough and the local authority.

It notes that whilst there has been “good progress in complying with the Standards and promotion of the Welsh language and culture in Wrexham” there are still areas of improvement around recruitment and workforce development.”

The report also highlights the now usual progress in promoting the Welsh language, including at Focus Wales, the St David’s Day Parade and workshops emphasising the advantages of bilingualism in work.

Speaking at a media brief earlier this week, Councillor Hugh Jones, said that “steady, rather than dramatic progress” is being made in implementing the standards.

Cllr Jones said: “We’ve been able to recruit more Welsh speaking staff, we’ve now got some six Welsh speakers in Ty Pawb and our Contact Centre is able to answer calls in Welsh more efficiently.

“All in all, I would say that the report shows steady progress, which is probably what you would expect, given that where Wrexham is situated.

“We’re a border county and we’ve got some strong pockets of Welsh speaking, but the vast majority of the county borough is not.

“So I’m pleased that we are making steady progress.”

Cllr Jones also noted that long-running issues around a lack of Welsh language swimming lessons had finally been addressed.

The local authority came under fire in 2022 amid claims of a three-year waiting list for Welsh medium children’s swimming lessons.

Despite a duty to provide swimming lessons in Welsh, persistent issues with recruiting a Welsh language swimming teacher – despite multiple attempts – had made doing so not possible.

In February of this year Wrexham Council confirmed that was finally able to provide Welsh language swimming lessons.

Cllr Jones said: “We had a we had a requirement to deliver them.

“And the question is, are we able to comply with the Welsh language standards and the answer was in terms swimming lessons – no we weren’t, but now we are.

“I think what we managed to do is a pragmatic solution, which satisfies those who desire.

“And swimming it was a particularly difficult one, because obviously, you can understand the skills necessary to both be able to teach and also to be able to teach swimming in particular made a very small cohort from which we were able to recruit.

“We are required to comply with Welsh language standards and we are able to do so.”

Over the last 12 months Wrexham Council received zero complaints from the public over Welsh language compliance but was subject to four investigations by the Deputy commissioner.

These included:

• A lack of Welsh-English interpreter at a meeting
• Council Tax online payment system – addressed in English only
• Non domestic rates demands non-compliant templates and imported unique information in English only
• School admissions portal – English words on Welsh version and parent ‘document download area’ in English only

Wrexham.com also asked the lead member whether the Welsh language was at the heart of the council or whether it was simply addressing the Standards.

We citied a video which was commissioned apparently by senior officers, rumoured to be for a four figure sum, for the Freedom of the City Wrexham presentation last year for Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney.

The video has never been released by Wrexham Council due to it not being compliant with Welsh Language Standards as it is in English only with no subtitles.

Due to the query on the video we are told there is a reluctance to now spend further money on it to get the video subtitled and therefore compliant.

As a result, the video appears to remain gathering dust on a virtual shelf, despite it documenting arguably the highest profile visit to the Guildhall ever, and a civic event on behalf of the people of Wrexham.

Cllr Jones defended the actions of senior leadership, and said regardless of the video: “We do have the Welsh language at the heart.

“In terms of culture when you look at the amount of work that goes on in Ty Pawb for instance, the work we do in Focus Wales, the invitation to hold the National Eisteddfod came from this council.

“Also as part of our City of Culture bid, we are hopefully again the only Welsh authority that will be bidding.

“And it’s more than just the language isn’t it is about culture, and heritage.

“When you look across our services, our library services, our education services, we are very proactive in terms of the promotion of Welsh language and culture.

“I tend to think of them together because I think they are equally important because we have to recognise there are a significant number of people who can’t speak Welsh but they identify themselves as Welsh and they are proud Welsh people

“We have a duty to respond to that and support them.

“The Welsh language is an important part, but it is only one part of our Welsh culture and heritage that enhances what Wrexham is.”

The report will be considered for approval by executive board on Tuesday 11 June at 10:30am. The meeting will also be webcast on the Wrexham Council website.