Corporate report

MOD Welsh Language Scheme Annual Monitoring Report 2024

Published 7 January 2025

Introduction

About this report: This is the Ministry of Defence Welsh Language Scheme (MODWLS) Annual Monitoring Report to the Welsh Language Commissioner, submitted in Welsh and English. This report outlines our performance against our MODWLS policy commitments during 2024.

About the MODWLS: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is committed to treating the Welsh and English languages equally when conducting public business in Wales. The MODWLS sets out how we will deliver on this commitment when providing services to the public in Wales.

Managing the MODWLS: Paul Lincoln, Second Permanent Secretary within the Ministry of Defence, retains overall responsibility for the Department’s legal compliance of the MODWLS. It is managed on his behalf by the Defence Digital, Information Stewardship team.

Policies and initiatives

MOD Welsh Language Champion

Fiona Scott is enthusiastically leading engagement and compliance with the MODWLS throughout the Department. She is keenly raising awareness throughout MOD. Fiona also engages regularly with the MOD Welsh Speakers Network, attending the Amser am Baned sessions and participates, often initiating conversations, the active Teams group.

MODWLS Ambassadors

The MODWLS Ambassadors continue to be successful in increasing awareness throughout the Department’s Top-Level Budget (TLBs) areas, thereby increasing departmental compliance. We continue to update and refresh the training of the MODWLS Ambassadors annually.

MOD Welsh Speakers Network

The MODWLS team continues to facilitate monthly MOD Welsh Speakers Network ‘Amser am Baned?’ / ‘Time for a cuppa?’ sessions. The sessions continue to help us to build a strong and active Welsh-speaking community within MOD.

We continue to run these for one hour each month. The feedback continues to be extremely positive, many of the participants voice that they look forward to the sessions and that the sense of community bounded up in speaking Welsh helps them with their ‘hiraeth’.

The sessions have evolved into a short presentation on a topic of interest by the chair followed by a full discussion with the session participants. This has been very successful and has increased engagement within the sessions as the presentation gives everyone some time to engage and find their points of interest and entry into the conversation. Examples of topics from 2024 have been St David, Memories from childhood Eisteddfods, the history of Romania and Hedd Wyn.

We continue to operate a rotating chair for the sessions. Six of the fluent Welsh speakers in the network have volunteered to chair 2 to 3 sessions each this year and this continues to work very well. The chairs on the rota come from all branches of MOD and from the full gamut of seniority levels.

Cross-Whitehall Welsh Language Forum

The MODWLS team and the MOD Welsh Language Champion attend the quarterly cross-Whitehall Welsh Language Forum to share ideas, best practice, and to connect with our counterparts in Other Government Departments. This initiative is led by the Office of the Secretary of State for Wales.

Delivery and standards of service

MODWLS toolkit

The MODWLS toolkit was updated and refreshed this summer. We synthesised individual feedback and learning from the viewing data to make this as effective as possible. The MODWLS Toolkit is accessible to all in MOD via the MOD intranet. It contains all information relevant to compliance, what actions and, or assessments must be undertaken, plus contact information for the MODWLS team and the Ambassadors.

Our most viewed page remains the ‘Translation Request’ page. Our viewing figures are down on last year however we believe this is due to most of our users now knowing who we are and how to find us directly as a result of our outreach activities.

Translation

We have maintained our positive working relationship with the HM Courts and Tribunal Services (HMCTS) Welsh Language Unit who deliver an excellent service.

Our major new piece of work this year has been to participate in workshopping and creating an entirely bilingual presentation, suite of resources and consultation for the local community in Pembrokeshire and regional press regarding the redevelopment proposed for Cawdor Barracks to host the Deep Space Advanced Radar Capability (DARC). The MODWLS team offered not only the translation services and coordination but valued advice and guidance as per the MODWLS commitments.

From January to November 2024, we have facilitated the translation of over 180,000 words into Welsh. This work has come from a wide range of sources and in an increased number of formats/mediums and events, for example, RAF Valley Veterans Hub activities posters, The Armed Forces Covenant Annual Report 2024, RAF job descriptions and Regimental brochures.

Collaboration and best practice

Best practice – MOD British Sign Language guidance

The work undertaken to create, update and effectively operate the MODWLS has been exported and used as a template for the MOD British Sign Language (BSL) Guidance.

The MODLWS team consulted and helped draft an effective and user-friendly guidance document with the MOD BSL team. The team guided the wide consultation of the guidance document within MOD and with Other Government Departments. They also ran two workshops with Directorate of Defence Communications professionals on the implications of the guidance. The MOD BSL Guidance successfully launched in March 2024.

That the MODWLS team was able to share its expertise and knowledge in this important endeavour demonstrates the wider utility of the MODWLS framework as an exemplar for setting up other schemes and guidance within MOD.   

Collaboration with Defence Business Services – Veteran Portal

The MODWLS team has consulted and are now collaborating with Defence Business Services (DBS) and their contractor to determine how best to provide a bilingual Veterans Portal. This will be an online space for veterans to access their pension and service documents as well as FAQs and other related information. This service is due to be delivered in 2025.

Collaboration with the Department for Work and Pensions – Civil Service Jobs

We have collaborated with the DWP Welsh Language Unit to create bilingual promotional materials for the Civil Service Jobs Service to improve their bilingual information provision and showcase the Civil Service offer to more people.

The year ahead: 2025

We are meeting with the Welsh Government’s Head of Corporate Learning and Skills to discuss Welsh language learning and bilingual learning provision in January to explore language learning and training options for MOD.

We are meeting with Regional Commanders for the Cadets in 2025 to examine improving the Welsh language provision in the Cadets. This will be important to increase the talent and skills pool of the Cadets and to potentially increase the numbers Welsh speakers within the MOD for the future.

The MODWLS team will complete their bi-annual in-person audit of all MOD establishments in Wales in 2025. We will be driving compliance as well as looking to improve Welsh language learning opportunities locally.

Conclusion

We remain steadfast in our commitment to the MODWLS and to continuing to improve and refine our inward and outward facing policy, initiatives and activities. We are focussed on developing and promoting the MODWLS throughout the Department by continuously growing and improving our services, along with offering high-quality guidance to all MOD staff.

We will continue to develop and engage the Welsh speaking community within MOD and develop opportunities for Welsh language learning. As part of this pathway of development, we will continue to maintain close working relationships with the Welsh Language Commissioner and her office.