Corporate

Policies, legislation and initiatives

Our policies, initiatives and services will be consistent with this scheme. They will support the use of Welsh and will help the public in Wales use Welsh as part of their day to day lives.

If we contribute to the development or delivery of policies, initiatives, services or new legislation led by other organisations, we will do so in a way which is consistent with this scheme.

Where relevant, we will ensure that our contribution to new primary and secondary legislation will support the use of Welsh.

Partnership working

When we are the strategic and financial leader within a partnership, we will ensure that any public service aspects comply with this scheme.

When we join a partnership which another organisation is leading, our input to the partnership will comply with this scheme and we will encourage the other partners to comply.

When we are a partner in a consortium, we will encourage the consortium to comply with this scheme. When acting in the name of the consortium, we will operate in accordance with this scheme.

Internal arrangements

The measures in this scheme carry the full authority, support and approval of our organisation.

Directors will be responsible for implementing those aspects of the scheme relevant to their divisions, supported by the UK Statistics Authority’s Welsh Language Team.

We have established Y Gweithgor Cymraeg, which is a cross-departmental forum chaired by our Welsh Language Champion and made up of senior members of staff. This forum will meet three times annually to deliver, monitor and review this scheme.

The UK Statistics Authority’s Welsh Language Team will prepare, and continuously update, a detailed action plan to be agreed with the Welsh Language Commissioner, setting out how we will ensure that we will operate in accordance with this scheme.

The action plan will come into effect on the date on which the scheme comes into effect, or as soon as possible thereafter. The plan will include targets, deadlines and a report on progress against each target.

The scheme will be available to staff on the department’s intranet and published on our website.

The UK Statistics Authority’s Welsh Language Team will produce desk instructions, or similar guidance, where appropriate, for our staff to ensure that they know how to implement the measures contained in this scheme.

Existing desk instructions, or similar guidance used by our staff, will be amended to reflect the measures contained in this scheme.

The UK Statistics Authority’s Welsh Language Team will arrange briefing and training sessions for our staff to increase awareness of this scheme – and to explain how it will affect their day-to-day work.

When we use external translators, we will ensure they are qualified translators accredited by Cymdeithas Cyfieithwyr Cymru.

Any form of contact with the public in Wales, which is not specifically dealt with by this scheme, will be undertaken in a manner which is consistent with the general principles enshrined in this scheme.

Complaints made by staff

We will ensure that members of staff are able to make complaints in Welsh, and we will respond in Welsh to any complaint made about them by another member of staff should they choose.

Any decisions or information relating to a complaint will be provided in Welsh should the member of staff choose so.

Should there be no appropriate Welsh speaking members of staff available to conduct the complaint procedure in Welsh, we will ensure a simultaneous translation service from Welsh to English is provided.

Disciplinary procedures

Staff may request disciplinary procedures to be undertaken in Welsh.

Any decisions or information relating to a disciplinary procedure will be provided in Welsh should the member of staff choose so.

Should there be no appropriate Welsh speaking members of staff available to conduct the disciplinary procedure in Welsh, we will ensure a simultaneous translation service from Welsh to English is provided.

Freedom of Information Act

When a Freedom of Information request is received in Welsh, the covering letter to any response will also be in Welsh.

If the documents requested are already available in Welsh, they will be provided to the applicant in Welsh.

If, according to this scheme, the documents requested should be available in Welsh they will be provided in Welsh. If this requires a translation from English, it will be done within the 20-working day statutory time limit, and at no cost to the applicant.

If, according to this scheme, the documents requested do not have to be available in Welsh, then they will be provided in the original language.

Applicants are entitled to ask for a summary instead of a copy of a document. As with all Freedom of Information requests, we will consider producing a short summary where this has been requested or is deemed necessary. Summaries are typically no longer than a few hundred words. In instances where the request for a summary has been made in Welsh we will produce the summary in Welsh, whether the original information is in Welsh, English, or another language.

Complaints and suggestions for improvement

Any complaints about the UK Statistics Authority’s Welsh language services or suggestions for improvements, should be addressed to:

The Welsh Language Team

Central Policy Secretariat

Office for National Statistics

Government Buildings

Cardiff Road

Newport

NP10 8XG

Or by email to: cymraeg@ons.gov.uk

Monitoring

The UK Statistics Authority’s Welsh Language Team will monitor our progress in delivering this scheme against the targets set out in its accompanying action plan.

Our existing monitoring and reporting procedures will include reference to progress in delivering this scheme, as appropriate.

We will send monitoring reports to the Welsh Language Commissioner annually, outlining progress in delivering this scheme.

Reviewing and amending the Scheme

The UK Statistics Authority’s Welsh Language Team will review this scheme within four years of its coming into effect, and thereafter every four years.

Also, from time to time, we may need to review this scheme, or propose amendments to this scheme, because of changes to our functions, or to the circumstances in which we undertake those functions, or for any other reason.

No changes will be made to this scheme without the approval of the Welsh Language Commissioner.