Written question asked by Angus Brendan MacNeil (Scottish National Party) on Tuesday, 19 July 2005, in the House of Commons. It was due for an answer on Thursday, 21 July 2005. It was answered by Bridget Prentice (Labour) on Wednesday, 5 October 2005 on behalf of the Department for Constitutional Affairs.

Correspondence

Question: To ask the Minister of State, Department for Constitutional Affairs what her Department's policy is for dealing with and responding to correspondence received in (a) Welsh, (b) Scots Gaelic and (c) Irish Gaelic.

Answer: Under the Department for Constitutional Affairs' draft Welsh Language Scheme we aim to respond in Welsh to any correspondence sent to us in Welsh within the same timescale as other correspondence.In recognition of its operational role and its delivery of services direct to the public in Wales, Her Majesty's Court Service, an executive agency of the Department for Constitutional Affairs, has its own Welsh Language Scheme. A public consultation on the Scheme finished at the end of June and it has now been approved by the Welsh Language Board and came into effect on 19 July 2005. The text of the Scheme can be found at: http://www.hmcourts-service.gov.uk/cms/3437.htm The aim as set out in the Scheme is to respond in Welsh to correspondence sent in Welsh within the same timescale as other correspondence.There are no similar Schemes in place for dealing with and responding to correspondence received in Scots Gaelic or Irish Gaelic.

Secondary information