Bethan Jenkins AC/AM Blog

Dyma’r araith wnes i yn y Senedd yr wythnos diwethaf ar y mesur iaith. Os oes gennych unrhyw sylwadau eraill plis cysylltwch a mi.

Here is the speech I delivered last week at the Senedd on the Welsh Language measure. If you have any additional comments on this issue, please feel free to get in touch.

Bethan Jenkins: Yr wyf yn diolch i’r Gweinidog am ei datganiad heddiw, ac yn croesawu’r datganiad hwnnw, sy’n rhoi mwy o eglurder ar y sefyllfa o ran statws swyddogol i’r iaith. Yr wyf yn credu ei bod yn bwysig inni ganolbwyntio ar y ffordd ymlaen ac ar sut y gallwn sicrhau nad oes unrhyw anghydraddoldeb rhwng y Gymraeg a Saesneg yn ein cymdeithas. Ar ol gwrando ar y Gweinidog, yr wyf yn gobeithio y bydd yn derbyn y gwelliannau sy’n deillio o’r cam nesaf yn y broses deddfu. Dyna pam yr ydym ni, fel grŵp, wedi cael ein siomi gan agwedd y Toriaid heddiw. Mae’n amlwg nad ydynt yn deall y broses fel y mae, ac maent yn ceisio chwarae gemau gwleidyddol gyda’r iaith Gymraeg.

Yn y drafodaeth hon, mae angen inni ganolbwyntio ar hawliau oherwydd bod llawer o bobl a grwpiau pwyso wedi mynegi eu consyrn am hyn i Aelodau. Yn ol y grwpiau hyn, y prif bwynt yw nad yw’r Mesur arfaethedig yn rhoi hawliau i unigolion, er bod hawliau yn cael eurhoi i gwmniau. Er enghraifft, byddai gan gwmniau yr hawl i apelio yn erbyn safonau a gweithredu’r safonau. Yr wyf yn deall y pwynt am hawliau torfol a chynrychiolaeth i unigolion gan y comisiynydd ond, Weinidog, a ydych yn derbyn bod y Mesur arfaethedig fel y mae ar hyn o bryd, yn sgil cyfyngiadau y Gorchymyn cymhwysedd deddfwriaethol gwreiddiol, yn galluogi busnesau i apelio yn erbyn penderfyniadau sy’n eu hymrwymo i ddefnyddio’r Gymraeg yn eu gwaith, er nad oes hawl ar hyn o bryd gan unigolion? Er enghraifft, nid oes darpariaeth cyfrwng Cymraeg ar hyn o bryd ar gyfer pobl i fynnu gwersi nofio yn y gymuned. Felly, a fedrwchystyried y posibilrwydd o osod hawl cyfreithiol yn y Mesur arfaethedig i sicrhau hawliau unigolion a chryfhau hawl moesol sydd yn bodoli o dan Ddeddf 1993?

Bu llawer iawn o bwyslais ar rol y comisiynydd fel eiriolwr dros yr iaith Gymraeg yn yr hyn sydd wedi cael ei drafod hyd yn hyn. Fodd bynnag, mae rhai pobl wedi dweud bod angen gwahanu’r rol hyrwyddo oddi wrth rol rheoleiddio y comisiynydd. Fel yr ydym wedi gweld gyda hanes Bwrdd yr Iaith Gymraeg, efallai ei bod yn beryglus inni ddibynnu ar un corff neu unigolyn. Yr ydym wedi gweld enghreifftiau lle nad ywrhai cwmniau a busnesau wedi glynu at eu cynlluniau iaith, a rhaid inni sicrhau bod hyrwyddo a rheoleiddio ar wahan, ac felly, byddwn yn croesawu eglurhad cryfach o sut y gellir sicrhau hwn.

Fel cadeirydd y grŵp trawsbleidiol ar hawliau dynol, ceiswyr lloches a ffoaduriaid, y mater arall sy’n bwysig imi yw’r ffaith nad yw’r Comisiwn Cydraddoldeb a Hawliau Dynol wedi rhoi tystiolaeth i’r pwyllgor a oedd yn trafod y mater hwn. Deallaf nad yw’r iaith Gymraeg yn un o’i brif feysydd o ddiddordeb ochr yn ochr a meysydd fel hawliau i bobl sydd ag anableddau, a materion yn ywneud a rhywioldeb a hil. Fodd bynnag, yn fy marn i, mae’r ddadl am hawliau ieithyddol yn cydymffurfio a’i rol fel corff sydd yn amddiffyn hawliau dynol. Felly, dylai’r iaith fod yn rhan o hynny. Hoffwn gael mwy o eglurder ynglŷn a rol y sefydliad yn hynny o beth: pa un ai a fydd yn gweithio gyda’r comisiynydd neu bellach yn gweld nad oes rol iddoo ran amddiffyn yr iaith. Gallwn longyfarch y Llywodraeth am ddod a hyn yn ei flaen. Croesawaf fwy o drafodaeth yn y dyfodol a gobeithiaf y gwneir newidiadau cadarnhaol i’r Mesur arfaethedig er mwyn inni hyrwyddo’r iaith Gymraeg yng Nghymru.

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Bethan Jenkins: I thank the Minister for this statement today, which I welcome. It gives more clarity on the situation with regard to official status for the language. I believe that it is important that we concentrate on the way forward and on the way in which we can ensure that there is no inequality between the Welsh and English languages in our society. Having listened to the Minister, I hope that he will accept the amendments emanating from the next stage of the legislative process. That is why we, as a group, have been disappointed by the Tories’ attitude today. It is obvious that they do not understand the process as it stands, and they are trying to play political games with the Welsh language.

In this discussion, it is necessary for us to concentrate on rights because many people and pressure groups have been communicating their concerns about this to Assembly Members. According to these groups, the main point is that the proposed Measure does not give rights to individuals, while they are provided to bodies and organisations. For example, companies would have the right to appeal against standards and the implementation of standards. I understand the point about collective rights and representation for individuals by the commissioner, but, Minister, do you accept that, as it stands, the proposed Measure, given the limitations of the original legislative competence Order, would enable businesses to appeal against decisions that require them to use the Welsh language in their work, while this right does not currently exist for individuals? For example, there is no Welsh-medium provision for those wishing to learn to swim. Therefore, can you consider the possibility of placing a legal right in the proposed Measure to ensure the rights of individuals and to strengthen the moral right that exists under the 1993 Act?

There has been a great deal of emphasis on the commissioner’s role as an advocate of the Welsh language in the discussionso far. However, some people have stated that we need to separate the promotional and regulatory roles of the commissioner. As we have seen with the history of the Welsh Language Board, it is perhaps dangerous for us to depend on one organisation or individual. There have been examples of companies and businesses not adhering to their language schemes, and we must ensure that promotion and regulation are separate, and I would therefore welcome a stronger explanation of how that can be secured.

As the chair of the cross-party group on human rights, asylum seekers and refugees, the other issue that is important to me is that the Equality and Human Rights Commission has not given evidence to the committee that dealt with this issue. I am given to understand that it does not define the Welsh language as being part of its main areas of interest alongside areas such as disability rights or matters relating to sexuality or race equality. However, in my opinion, the debate on language rights complies with its role as a body that protects human rights. Therefore, language should be a part of that. I would like more clarity about the role of the organisation in that regard: whether it will work with the commissioner, or whether it no longer sees that it has a role in protecting the language. We can congratulate the Government for taking this forward. I welcome further discussion in the future and I hope that positive changes are made to the proposed Measure in order for us to promote the Welsh language in Wales.