Welsh not essential (or barely desirable) in Wales!

Welsh not essential (or barely desirable) in Wales!
Rhyfedd bod y Cynulliad yn ariannu'r gwasanaethau cyhoeddus ond does dim ymgais i hybu'r Gymraegyn yr NHS yng NgymruI Dyma dyfyniad o'r ffigyrrau diweddaraf (awst 2009) am Cymraeg yn Hanfodol - DIM allan o 84 swydd. Cymraeg yn werthfawr 13/84. Dim angen o gwbl 71/84. Dyma'r prif swyddi yn y system iechyd. Dyma'r dyfyniad llawn (o safle we y cynulliad)

"I am able to provide you with the following information for NHS Public Appointments and for key executive appointments where the Welsh Assembly Government has had direct involvement.

NHS Public Appointments:
Essential: 0
Desirable: 13
None: 15

Executive Appointments:
Essential: 0
Desirable 0
None: 56 *

* This figure includes the Chief Executive posts for the seven new Local Health Boards. The personal specification with regard to language for these positions was as follows:

“…the new Chief Executive will be expected to ensure that their organisations meet the requirements of the [Welsh Language] Act. In some parts of Wales, in particular the north and west, Welsh is the first language of a significant proportion of the population.

Though Chief Executives of the new LHBs will not be required either to speak or learn Welsh they will need to display real empathy towards the language and demonstrate leadership on this issue, in order to strengthen bilingual services within the NHS in Wales. This might, of course, include making efforts to learn the language”
Under the Welsh Language Act 1993, public organisations are required to draw up Welsh Language Schemes. The schemes cover the provision of services to the public in Wales by public bodies and this would also include Local Health Boards. The schemes must, so far is both appropriate in the circumstances and reasonably practicable, give effect to the principal that in the conduct of public business in Wales the English and Welsh languages should be treated on the basis of equality. This is also supported by the Government of Wales Act 2006, which provides that Welsh Ministers must adopt a strategy setting out how they propose to promote and facilitate the use of the Welsh language.

The legislation does not require any person appointed by way of public sector recruitment to be able to speak Welsh.

Any information released under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 or Environmental Information Regulations 2004 will be listed in the Assembly Government’s Disclosure Log (at www.information.wales.gov.uk).

If you believe that I have not followed the relevant laws, please contact me to request a first stage review. If, after that, you are still not satisfied you may request a second stage review by the Assembly Government. When dealing with any concerns, we will follow the Assembly Government’s Code of Practice on Complaints which is available on the Internet at www.wales.gov.uk or by post.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner. Normally, however, you should pursue the matter through our internal procedure before you complain to the Information Commissioner. The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 01625 545 745
Fax: 01625 524 510
Email: enquiries@ico.gsi.gov.uk

Also, if you think that there has been maladministration in dealing with your request then you may make a complaint to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales who can be contacted at:
Public Services Ombudsman for Wales
Ffordd yr Hen Gae
Pencoed
Bridgend
CF35 5LJ
Tel: 0845 601 0987

Yours sincerely,


Ian Owen
NHS – Human Resources
Department for Health and Social Services