Welsh Language Advisory Group: Minutes 2 September 2019

Gethin was welcomed to the group for the first time.

Everyone was satisfied with the minutes of the last meeting and there were no amendments.

Some actions required further consideration: 

The group had not received a response from the Cabinet Office on the forms and the Forms Order.

It was noted that Mailmark has not received much use because it has proved to be complicated to use, 

The group was unsure whether a response had been received from the Royal Mail on using a slash (/) to separate multiple languages. 

The names of the deputies, Glynis Davies and Raymond Harvey, were noted by GE and AO. 

It was noted that GH will attend the AEA meeting on 3 September 2019. 

It was agreed that BM will update the WCEB (2 September 2019) with the points noted above.

The Electoral Glossary was discussed and it was agreed that it is valuable.

It was noted that any words and terms are added as necessary.

It was agreed that GR will update the Glossary regularly, every 3-6 months.

It was agreed that authorities will have one month (depending on any possible electoral activities that may arise) to send comments on the glossary to the group.

The electoral forms for the Police and Crime Commissioner were discussed briefly, and it was agreed that the work will be a priority for the group moving forward.

It was agreed that it would be beneficial to consult with all of the authorities and Returning Officers on their experience with the forms, especially those who deal with nominations, to provide comments on any difficulties they have faced or anticipate in terms of bilingualism.

The Franchise and Canvas Reform were discussed, and it was noted that it will be important for the group to keep abreast of the updates, and to stay in regular contact with Welsh Government.

Following GJ's retirement, it was noted that a new Returning Officer would need to be nominated for the group. 

The next meeting was discussed, and it was agreed that a face-to-face meeting would be necessary in the future, in a location that would be convenient for everybody. 

It was agreed that the next meeting could be held online again (or by conference call), and GR will look into the best system to do this.