Written question WQ88111

Local authorities are under duties to ensure that electoral correspondence is issued bilingually as set by the Welsh language standards imposed, monitored, and enforced by the Welsh Language Commissioner. Local Authorities are subject to the Welsh language standards (no.1) Regulations 2015, and their compliance with those standards is monitored and enforced by the Commissioner.

In addition to legislative requirements for bilingual forms and documents, the Electoral Commission’s performance standards for Returning Officers includes specific requirements for communicating bilingually. The Welsh Government also works electoral administrators, translators and the Electoral Commission through the Welsh Language Action Group, a committee of the Wales Electoral Coordination Board. This group works to facilitate the equal treatment of Cymraeg and English, including building a glossary of electoral terms in Cymraeg to ensure consistency,

We recently consulted on the Welsh language requirements for Returning Officers during elections and specifically asked if there were any types of services people would like to see Returning Officers providing in Welsh.