National Assembly Committee agrees general principles of the Official Languages Bill

8 May 2012

A report by a National Assembly scrutiny committee has backed the general principles of the National Assembly for Wales (Official Languages) Bill.

The Bill, put forward by the Assembly Commission, the body charged with supporting Assembly Members in their duties, would enshrine in law that Welsh and English are the official languages of the National Assembly.

But the Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee, which scrutinised the Bill at this, the first stage of the legislative process, has recommended that the provision of a fully bilingual Record of Proceedings be included in the Bill, instead of being a part of the Assembly’s Official Languages Scheme.

“The Committee agreed with the general principles of the Bill and saw a need for it, given that the National Assembly is not covered by the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure which was passed in 2011,” said Ann Jones AM, Chair of the Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee.

“By recommending changes to the Bill, the Committee proposes to set in stone the Assembly’s commitment to producing a fully bilingual Record of proceedings. Making further changes to this position would require the introduction and approval of another Bill.”

The Bill is at Stage One of the legislative process. Guide to a guide to the legislative process.