Corporate report

MOD Welsh Language Scheme Annual Monitoring Report 2019-2020

Published 15 December 2021

1. About This Report

This is the MODWLS Annual Monitoring Report to the Welsh Language Commissioner, submitted in Welsh and English. It outlines our performance in fulfilling our MODWLS policy commitments during 2019-20.

2. About the MODWLS

The MODWLS sets out our Welsh Language policy commitments. We undertake to treat the Welsh and English languages equally, so that Welsh speakers should be able to deal with the MOD in the Welsh language, if they so choose, without the level of service being impaired.

3. Managing the MODWLS

Sir Stephen Lovegrove, the MOD’s Permanent Secretary, continues to have overall responsibility for the Department’s legal compliance of the MODWLS. The MODWLS has been managed on his behalf by the Defence Digital - Information Stewardship team since late 2014.

4. Review of the Year

Overall our services were minimally affected during the COVID-19 national lockdowns and local restrictions in England and Wales in 2020.

We have prepared and submitted a draft of a refreshed MODWLS 2020 for comment by the Commissioner’s Office, prior to a formal submission by the Department later in the year.

We are pleased to announce the appointment of a MOD Welsh Language Champion (MOD WLC). The MODWLC is Air Commodore Dai Williams who, as Air Officer Wales, is well placed to drive adoption of the MODWLS throughout the Department and advise on the impact that our policies and projects may have on Wales and the Welsh Language.

To support our commitment of encouraging our staff, especially those based in Wales, to learn or to improve their ability to speak and write in Welsh; we have added the “Work Welsh” programme to the Defence Engagement School, Defence Centre for Language and Culture Authorised Languages List and made it available to staff via their MOD-issued ICT.

We continue to have an extremely good working relationship with the HM Courts and Tribunal Services (HMCTS) Welsh Language Unit; delivering an excellent service for us, translating narratives promptly and operating our Welsh Language Telephone Helpline service.

5. The Year Ahead

Our priority in 2021 will be to implement the additional measures we have committed to in the revised MODWLS 2020. These are:

• Launching a bi-lingual MOD Welsh Portal on the gov.uk site, centralising all MOD information pertinent to Wales or the Welsh speaking public.
• Creating a similar bi-lingual Welsh Wiki on the Department’s intranet to provide advice and guidance on how to meet our commitment to the Welsh speaking public.
• Introducing, in conjunction with our Devolution team, a Wales and Welsh Language Impact Assessment Pathway to the Knowledge in Defence process. This will be completed by all new projects and initiatives; in recognition of the importance of taking into account the impact our projects and initiatives could have on Wales and the Welsh Language.
• Forming a MOD Welsh Speaker’s Network for employees, headed by the MODWLC, to extend the use of the Welsh language in our day-to-day business and provide additional Welsh language skills both within the Department and to our planned Outreach programmes;
• Participating in the newly formed, cross-Government Welsh Language Scheme Working Group to share best practice and advocate for improvements in the Welsh language provisions provided by Government Departments and Public Bodies.

6. Conclusion

We remain committed to meeting the expectations of Welsh speakers in Wales and to improving the services we offer them.