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Our normal practice will be as follows:
When someone writes to us in Welsh we will issue a reply in Welsh (if a reply is required). Our target time for replying will be the same as for replying to letters written in English.
When we initiate correspondence with an individual, group or organisation, we will do so bilingually unless we know that they would prefer to correspond in Welsh or English only.
When we send standard or circular correspondence to several recipients in Wales, it will be bilingual unless we know that all recipients would prefer to receive it in Welsh or English only.
If the Welsh and English versions of any correspondence have to be published separately, our normal practice will be to ensure that both versions are available at the same time.
Enclosures sent with bilingual letters will be bilingual, when available.
Enclosures sent with Welsh letters will be Welsh or bilingual, when available.
The above will apply to e-mail correspondence as well as paper correspondence.
All hard-copy Welsh correspondence that we issue will be signed.
We will develop a system to record the language preference of those who wish to correspond with us in Welsh.
We will use a scoring system, to be agreed with the Board, to identify objectively any standard or circular correspondence which need not be published in Welsh, or bilingually (for instance, when the correspondence is very technical or lengthy).
Our normal practice is to ensure that the public can speak in Welsh or English when dealing with us by telephone.
Our switchboard staff will answer with a bilingual greeting.
Our main switchboard will use a bilingual message on its answer phone.
We will encourage the rest of our staff to answer the telephone with a bilingual greeting and use bilingual messages on their personal answer-phones.
If the caller wishes to speak Welsh, our switchboard will try to connect the call to a Welsh speaker qualified to deal with the enquiry.
If a caller rings one of our direct lines and wishes to speak Welsh, but the person taking the call cannot do so, they will try to transfer the call to a Welsh speaking colleague qualified to deal with the enquiry.
If no Welsh speaker qualified to deal with the enquiry is available, the caller will be given the choice, as appropriate, of having a Welsh speaker phone back as soon as possible, continuing the call in English or submitting their query in Welsh, by letter or e-mail.
When we set up telephone help-lines, or similar facilities, to give information, services or support to the public, we will provide a Welsh language service. This will be advertised alongside the English language service. Both services will share the same telephone number.
We will provide simultaneous or consecutive translation from Welsh into English at our public meetings unless we have established that all participants are likely to use the same language.
Invitations and advertisements for public meetings will be bilingual and either note that translation facilities will be available or invite the public to let us know in advance in which language they wish to speak.
We will let those attending public meetings know when translation facilities are available – and encourage contributions in Welsh.
When selecting staff to attend public meetings, our normal practice will be to ensure that suitably qualified Welsh speakers attend, as necessary.
When we arrange or attend face-to-face meetings with the public, we will establish their language preference at the earliest opportunity and, whenever possible, ensure that a suitably qualified Welsh speaking member of staff deals with those whose preferred language is Welsh.
If no suitably qualified Welsh speaker is available, we will offer the choice of continuing the meeting in English, or dealing with the subject by corresponding in Welsh.
The above will also apply to meetings held using videoconferencing and similar equipment.
When we undertake public surveys, our normal practice will be to ensure that all aspects of communication with the public will be bilingual.
Respondents will be asked if they wish to respond to the survey in Welsh or English.
Any audio-visual displays, audio tours or interactive media that we prepare will be bilingual.
Messages in the lifts in our offices in Wales will be in Welsh and English where the lift is within our control
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