WIREDGOV

The Minister with responsibility for the Welsh Language, Leighton Andrews, has decided upon the terms of Ofcom’s Welsh language scheme.

He has decided to impose a scheme which includes a measure about Ofcom considering the use of the Welsh language when carrying out its functions involving services to the public.

The decision was referred to the Minister after the Welsh Language Board and Ofcom failed to agree on a Welsh language scheme.

The Minister has informed Ofcom and the Welsh Language Commissioner that he has exercised the Welsh Ministers’ powers under section 14(5) of the 1993 Act.

The measure reads as follows:

We Ofcom will give appropriate consideration to the use of the Welsh language in carrying out our functions involving services to the public.

Those services include:

the drawing up and issuing of our Localness Guidelines, and

the carrying out of our licensing functions in a way which seeks to  ensure inclusion in licensed broadcasting of local material, including  material of particular linguistic content and/or presentation, where necessary by the imposition of licence conditions.

The responsibilities for Welsh language schemes transferred from the Board to the Welsh Language Commissioner on 1 April 2012. As such, the Minister’s decision in relation to this referral has been issued to Ofcom and the Welsh Language Commissioner.