Q. 1 The requirements for Welsh language provision under the Welsh Language Scheme are resourced from within existing budgets and incorporated into the costs of various provision detailed within the scheme. It is therefore impractical to disaggregate the actual amount.
However, during 2014-15 £20,000 was specifically allocated to translation provision in order to better prepare the local authority for the implementation of the Welsh Language Standards.
Q. 2 Welsh Language speaking skills of Newport City Council Employees at 31.03.15.
We have 194 with Intermediate Welsh language skills and 175 with Advanced Welsh Language skills. This is fair in relation to the proportion of Newport residents that speak Welsh and adequate to meet the requirements of the Welsh Language Scheme. We are currently assessing the staffing requirements of the implementation of the Welsh Language Standards.
Q. 3 Newport City Council has a Workforce Plan 2015 for ‘building and developing our workforce.’ The 7th key objective is ‘Promoting and facilitating the use of the Welsh language’. Under this objective we will be looking to improve the information we have on our Welsh speakers, their skills, location, roles and how we can best utilise their skills to meet the requirements of the Standards.
Any grading implications will be subject to the agreed job evaluation methodology through Total Reward. We will have a requirement to assess the Welsh language skills needed for new posts and some posts may be denoted as ‘Welsh essential’.
In Newport we have a range of potential employees within half an hour’s travelling time, many of which have Welsh language skills. In some fields such as HR we’ve often attracted Welsh speakers but in others we’ve had difficulties. We will be utilising all available mechanisms to inform Welsh speakers of opportunities at Newport City Council and looking to inform children and young people that this is a valued skill worth considering when they make choices about education.
Q. 4 We have been issued with draft Standards and are waiting for the Compliance Notice and final Standards in late September. In the draft Standards there are various requirements regarding public documents and the website. There are significant cost implications associated with some of these Standards and we have argued against these within our consultation response. However, the key principle of the Standards is that Welsh should be treated no less favourably than English, so we are assuming we will have increased translation requirements and we are working with neighbouring authorities to develop the most cost effective response.
Date issued: 10 September 2015
Member Question: Councillor Ferris
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Subject: Telford Street Depot
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Dear Gail, can you confirm or deny that all or part of the Telford street depot is to be sold for housing in the near future? Yours Faithfully, Charles Ferris.
Date received: 4 March 2016
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Response:
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Dear Cllr Ferris, thank you for your question. There are no confirmed plans in place for the sale of Telford Street Depot at this point in time.
Date issued: 22 March 2016
Member Question: Councillor Ferris
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Subject: Telford Street Depot (Question 2)
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Dear Gail, Thank you for your answer informing me that there are no plans in place for the sale of all or part of the Telford Street Depot but can you confirm or deny that this has or hasn’t been proposed and whether or not informal or exploratory conversations have been held towards this end? Best Wishes, Charles.
Date received: 29 March 2016
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Response:
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Dear Councillor Ferris, thank you for your question. No proposals have ever been put to me for consideration. All Councillors would be consulted if any such report was ever prepared.
Date issued: 18 April 2016
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