Dear Editor

Town and community councils in Pembrokeshire without approved Welsh language schemes, were invited last August to submit schemes for approval by the Welsh Language Board (WLB).

The WLB supplied a model scheme which had significant drawbacks for councils with few, if any, Welsh speakers.

More than half the members of the Pembrokeshire Association of Local Councils (PALC) had less than 10% adult Welsh speakers in their areas, so the WLB scheme was unworkable and many non-Welsh speaking clerks threatened to resign rather than take responsibility for translations, as the scheme required.

Councils with limited precepts were also worried about the cost implications of the scheme if everything had to be translated, whether or not requested.

The WLB initially welcomed working with PALC to devise an acceptable alternative language scheme for local councils in Pembrokeshire.

However, the WLB later rejected such joint working, so PALC was left with no alternative but to try to devise a model scheme of its own for members to submit.

Members obtained a 12 month extension for the submission of draft schemes, which was used to ascertain what translation services were available, their cost and insurance cover against errors; and to devise a workable scheme.

The draft scheme was finalised in July and limits the liability of councils to translation errors, introduces targets for response to translation requests and has a two year timetable for implementation. It is a provisional scheme which will be revised as new data becomes available on the number of Welsh speakers in Pembrokeshire involved in local government. We hope the WLB will accept the PALC scheme as a reasonable compromise, but will not know whether it is accepted until at least one council submits it.

RICHARD F. SHEPHERD Chairman, Pembrokeshire Association of Local Councils Whalecwm House, Cosheston.