Survey: 'unsatisfactory' Welsh language delivery by south Wales councils

CARDIFF is the top-rated council in south Wales for its support of the Welsh language, while Merthyr Tudful is the worst, according to a survey commissioned by language campaigners.

Earlier this year, the twelve local authorities in south Wales were asked a series of questions about their Welsh language policies such as standards of service, education, and staff language skills by members of the pressure group. Newport and Merthyr scored worst with only a 20% rating, while Cardiff was in front with a mark of 64%.

However, not a single one of the councils will meet standards expected under new legislation, according to Marc Phillips ,former Chair of the Welsh Language Board, who analysed the local authorities' answers on behalf of local members of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg.

Language expert Marc Phillips commented:

"It's fair to say that there's substantial variation from authority to authority, and although one shows a stronger performance that the others in a number of ways, not a single one offers a performance which is likely to satisfy the new standards which will eventually expected of them by the Government, through the [Welsh Language] Commissioner."

"Six of the councils sent specific answers to the questionnaire. The other six chose not to answer directly, but rather to send a copy of their Language Scheme monitoring reports, as had been sent to the Language Board. ... responding in that way means that some of Cymdeithas' questions have not been answered, and makes it very difficult to ensure a fair and consistent comparison between the different authorities in the same way as was possible with the other six."

Commenting on the local member-commissioned survey, Ceri Phillips, rights spokesperson for Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg said it showed councils need to up their game following the local elections:

"There needs to be significant improvement by all councils following the elections. The survey by our members highlights the very mixed standard of services provided by local councils in the south. Cardiff is the best and on the right track, but they still have a long way to go, while Merthyr is truly hopeless.

Radio Beca licence - good news says Cymdeithas

Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg has welcomed the news that Radio Beca has received a licence to broadcast radio in Carmarthenshire, north Pembrokeshire and Ceredigion

Adam Jones, Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg broadcasting spokesperson said:

"I'm delighted Radio Beca has got this new licence. It's a very significant development. We met Ofcom [the broadcasting regulator] officers yesterday to discuss the decline in Welsh language output in the media and the situation in the West in particular.

"Although this is important news, we can't avoid the fact that there are a number of radio companies who have cut back substantially on the number of hours they broadcast in Welsh and are trying to go further. We hope that the Welsh Language Commissioner will look very closely at this worrying situation. We will be protesting outside Town and Country Broadcasting's offices in Arberth on the 8th of May to draw further attention to the problem."

S4Craffu - new group to monitor Welsh TV

THE relationship between S4C and the BBC will be under the microscope following the announcement today (Tuesday, 10th April) of a new alliance between unions and language groups.

The group has been created following the campaigning partnership formed during the battle against the cuts to S4C's budget. The intention of the new group is to continue to defend S4C and it's independence in addition to monitoring standards in the TV industry in Wales. Members of the group include the trade union BECTU, the Writers' Guild and Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg.

Speaking about the new group, Madoc Roberts from the union BECTU: "This new group is a chance to keep a close eye on the standard of the TV industry in Wales and to scrutinise the relationship between S4C and the BBC. This is a positive initiative, with the intention of ensuring that S4C offers the best possible service to its viewers. The group will enable anyone who fears for the future of broadcasting in Wales to raise any concerns they have."

S4C is facing cuts of over ninety percent to its grant from the UK Government, and BBC Cymru-Wales is suffering because of cuts to Welsh services meaning 120 jobs risk being lost at the corporation in Wales. Madoc Roberts added: "The UK Government promised that the BBC would not gobble up S4C and that the relationship between the two broadcasters would not damage production standards in Wales. The two broadcasters are facing big cuts so we are very keen to ensure that this doesn't have a negative effect on the quality of the productions."

Last year, S4C accepted an agreement which meant that the BBC would be the main source of funding for the channel.

Bethan Williams, Chair of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg said that concerns remain about the channel:"Our campaign last year did ensure that there is some type of future for the channel but the future remains uncertain. There was a only a compromise on S4C so the work continues to make sure that S4C continues to contribute to a prosperous culture and creative broadcasting."

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