Bilingualism costs

19 May 2022

Dear          ,

Complaint in respect of Request for Information – reference ATISN 16107

Thank you for your e-mail which I received on 27 April. You have submitted a complaint in relation to a recent Freedom of Information request that you made. I have considered your complaint in accordance with the procedure outlined in the Welsh Government's Practical Guide for Making Requests for Information which is available by post on request or via the internet.

Your initial request enquired about the additional cost of providing services in Welsh, particularly in the following areas: Education, Health, Social Services, and Transport. You also asked for details of any extra costs for translation, publication and answering services in Welsh for other departments.

The original response drafted by Welsh Government refers to the fact that “the Welsh language is mainstreamed into all policy areas – it is an intrinsic part of what we do”. I can confirm that we do not hold the information described in your request regarding the costs of providing services in Welsh.  

As the Welsh language is mainstreamed across the Government’s work, it is not possible to quantify the total cost of providing services in Welsh. The cost of Welsh language services is not – and cannot be - disaggregated from the total budget.

If you remain dissatisfied with this response you also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner at: Information Commissioner’s Office,

Wycliffe House, 
Water Lane, 
Wilmslow, 
Cheshire, 
SK9 5AF.

Also, if you think that there has been maladministration in dealing with your request, you have the option to make a complaint to the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales who can be contacted at:

Public Services Ombudsman for Wales

1 Ffordd yr Hen Gae, 
Pencoed, 
Bridgend, 
CF35 5LJ

Telephone 0845 6010987 (local rates), 
Email: ask@ombudsman-wales.org.uk

Yours sincerely

Alan Jones

Head of Welsh Language Legislation Branch, 
Welsh Language Division

22 March 2022

Dear

ATISN 16107 - The cost of Welsh in Wales 

Thank you for your request which I received on 23 February.

You enquired about the additional cost of providing services in Welsh, particularly in the following areas: Education, Health, Social Services, and Transport.

You also asked for details of any extra costs for translation, publication and answering services in Welsh for other departments.

Our response

I have structured my response below to reflect the different elements of your request.

To clarify, please note that we are only able to provide information in relation to the Welsh Government. We do not hold any information that relates to Welsh local authorities and / or other public bodies.

1. additional cost of providing services in Welsh, particularly in the following areas: Education, Health, Social Services, and Transport

We do not hold this information.

The Welsh language is mainstreamed into all Welsh Government policy areas – it is an intrinsic part of all that we do. It is therefore not possible to calculate the amount of money spent on providing services in Welsh by individual departments across the Welsh Government.

All Welsh Ministers are expected to consider the Welsh language as part of their policy development work in line with the Welsh Language Standards, the Government of Wales Act 2006 and the Welsh language strategy, Cymraeg 2050: A million Welsh speakers. Some projects will concentrate wholly on the Welsh language and others will include reference to the language.

2. You also asked for details of any extra costs for translation, publication and answering services in Welsh for other departments.

We do not hold this information.

The Welsh Government is committed to complying with its legal duties, the Welsh Language Standards, to communicate with the people of Wales bilingually. This work is mainstreamed across the organisation, and is a part of the day-to-day work of staff. 

Next steps

If you are dissatisfied with the Welsh Government’s handling of your request, you can ask for an internal review within 40 working days of the date of this response.  Requests for an internal review should be addressed to the Welsh Government’s Freedom of Information Officer at:

Information Rights Unit, 
Welsh Government,
Cathays Park, 
Cardiff, 
CF10 3NQ 

or Email: Freedom.ofinformation@gov.wales

Please remember to quote the ATISN reference number above.   

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner.  The Information Commissioner can be contacted at:  Information Commissioner’s Office,

Wycliffe House, 
Water Lane, 
Wilmslow, 
Cheshire, 
SK9 5AF.

However, please note that the Commissioner will not normally investigate a complaint until it has been through our own internal review process.

Yours sincerely