Senedd Reception Desk

Senedd Reception Desk

Official Languages

Published 01/11/2020   |   Last Updated 09/08/2023   |   Reading Time minutes

English and Welsh are official languages of the Senedd, and the Senedd Commission gives strong and ambitious leadership through its delivery of bilingual services.

The Official Languages Scheme for the Sixth Senedd was formally adopted by the Senedd on 28 September 2022.

Previous Official Languages Scheme

Fifth Assembly

The Official Languages Scheme for the Fifth Assembly was formally adopted by the Assembly on 12 July 2017.

As well as outlining the service standards that we already deliver, the Scheme highlights five themes that we will be focusing on, namely:

  • recruitment;
  • language skills;
  • language planning;
  • Senedd proceedings;
  • developing the bilingual ethos of the organisation.

Annual reports 

An annual report is published that outlines the ways in which the Senedd has realised its aspirations under the Scheme. It also notes any breaches of the Scheme. The report is submitted before the Senedd and is the subject of a Plenary debate.

Official Languages Scheme: Annual report 2022-23 (pdf: 1MB)

Fifth Senedd

Fourth Assembly

The Official Languages Scheme for the Fourth Assembly was formally adopted by the Assembly in July 2013 and was based on the National Assembly for Wales (Official Languages) Act 2012.

The Official Languages Scheme for the Fourth Assembly (pdf: 2.13MB)

Annual reports during the Fourth Assembly

These are the annual reports on the Official Languages Scheme during the Fourth Assembly.

Bilingual Skills Strategy

In April 2015, we published our Bilingual Skills Strategy. The strategy outlines what the Commission will do in order to provide outstanding parliamentary support in both official languages. It notes four areas for action: raising awareness; existing skill levels; language skills for delivering bilingual services; and learning Welsh or improving Welsh language skills.

Memorandum of Understanding between the Senedd Commission and the Welsh Language Commissioner