View source for Welsh Language Act 1993

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox UK legislation
|short_title=Welsh Language Act 1993
|type=Act
|parliament=Parliament of the United Kingdom
|long_title= An Act to establish a Board having the function of promoting and facilitating the use of the Welsh language, to provide for the preparation by public bodies of schemes giving effect to the principle that in the conduct of public business and the administration of justice in Wales the English and Welsh languages should be treated on a basis of equality, to make further provision relating to the Welsh language, to repeal certain spent enactments relating to Wales, and for connected purposes.
|year=1993
|statute_book_chapter=[[List of acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom from 1993|1993]] c. 38
|introduced_by=
|territorial_extent=England and Wales; Scotland; Northern Ireland
|royal_assent=21 October 1993
|commencement=
|repeal_date= 
|amendments=[[Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011]]
|related_legislation=
|repealing_legislation=
|replaces=
*[[Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542|Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and (mostly) 1542]]
*[[Welsh Courts Act 1942]]
*[[Welsh Language Act 1967]]
|status=Amended
|original_text=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1993/38/contents/enacted
|revised_text=http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1993/38/contents
|}}

The '''Welsh Language Act 1993''' (c. 38) ({{langx|cy|Deddf yr Iaith Gymraeg 1993}}) is an [[Act of Parliament|Act]] of the [[Parliament of the United Kingdom]], which put the [[Welsh language]] on an equal footing with the [[English language]] in [[Wales]].

== Act ==

=== Background ===
After the [[S4C|Welsh language channel]] was founded in 1982 and the recognition of Welsh as a core and compulsory subject in the National curriculum, the Welsh Language Act was brought about in 1993 which aimed to treat Welsh and English equally in public business and justice.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Huws |first=Catrin Fflur |title=The Welsh Language Act 1993: A Measure of Success? |date=2006-06-01 |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/s10993-006-9000-0 |journal=Language Policy |language=en |volume=5 |issue=2 |pages=141–160 |doi=10.1007/s10993-006-9000-0 |issn=1573-1863|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

=== Provision ===
The Welsh Language Act 1993 in summary brought about principle of equality of Welsh and English in public services and justice in Wales.<ref>{{Cite web |title=WELSH LANGUAGE SCHEME PREPARED UNDER THE WELSH LANGUAGE ACT 1993 |url=https://www.ukri.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/UKRI-080421-UKRIWelshLanguageScheme2020-EnglishVersion.pdf}}</ref>

The Welsh Language Act 1993 (the 1993 act) formed the [[Welsh Language Board]] and brought some public bodies to use the principle of treating English and Welsh equally where practical and reasonable.The act made it mandatory for public service bodies in Wales to use a Welsh language scheme for use of Welsh in service, after notification to do so  from the Welsh Language Board. The Welsh Language Board would then be able to approve schemes, give guidance and monitor compliance with schemes.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Welsh Language Act 1993 {{!}} Law Wales |url=https://law.gov.wales/culture/welsh-language/welsh-language-act-1993 |access-date=2023-05-18 |website=law.gov.wales}}</ref>

Devolution has been described as providing impetus for having legal bilingualism with the then [[National Assembly for Wales]] itself required by the Act to provide bilingual legislation.<ref name=":1" />  The 1993 Act reiterates section one of the [[Welsh Language Act 1967]] on a right to speak Welsh in legal proceedings in Wales.<ref name=":1" /> The Act also allowed Welsh Ministers to provide a Welsh name to a body, office or place named in legislation. Welsh Ministers would also be able to prescribe Welsh versions of certain documents.<ref name=":0" />

=== Today ===
A significant amount of the Act remains active and the [[Welsh Language Commissioner]] has now replaced the Welsh Language Board.<ref name=":0" />

== Impact ==
Since the 1993 Act, all new and replaced [[road signs in Wales]] as well as public information signs on and in buildings owned by local government bodies are legally required to be bilingual. Bilingual signs have been described as a material symbol of Welshness.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Schrijver |first=Frans |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=u8gZklxHTMUC&pg=PA308 |title=Regionalism After Regionalisation: Spain, France and the United Kingdom |date=2006 |publisher=Amsterdam University Press |isbn=978-90-5629-428-1 |pages=303 |language=en}}</ref>

The Act has had some success, but there were certain areas within the legal provision that need to be strengthened according to [[Aberystwyth University]] lecturer, Catrin Huws.<ref name=":1" />

[[Cardiff University]] identified five key areas that were lacking in the provisions brought about by the 1993 Act by 2008. These were;

* Lack of capacity and resources of organisations to provide Welsh services
* Lack of support from managers
* Inconsistent meeting of deadlines for remedial action
* Lack of organisation discussion on objectives
* Inadequate monitoring and updating of using schemes<ref>{{Cite web |title=Devolution and the Creation of a New Language Law Regime in Wales |url=https://impact.ref.ac.uk/casestudies/CaseStudy.aspx?Id=3471}}</ref>

The Irish [[Official Languages Act 2003]] and the [[Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005]] have been closely based on the Welsh Language Act 1993.<ref name=":1" />

==See also==

=== Wales ===

* [[Welsh Courts Act 1942]]
* [[Welsh Language Act 1967]]
*[[National Assembly for Wales (Official Languages) Act 2012]]
*[[Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011]]

=== Other ===
*[[Irish Language Act]] (Northern Ireland)
*[[Gaelic Language (Scotland) Act 2005]]
*[[Official Languages Act 2003]] (Republic of Ireland)

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{UK-LEG|title=Welsh Language Act 1993}}
* [http://www.opsi.gov.uk/acts/acts1993/Ukpga_19930038_en_1.htm Full text of the Welsh Language Act 1993]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110927103338/http://www.welshlanguageact.org/ Campaign for a New Welsh Language Act] Archived 26 September 2011

{{Welsh language}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:United Kingdom Acts of Parliament 1993]]
[[Category:Welsh language|1993]]
[[Category:History of the Welsh language|1993]]
[[Category:Acts of the Parliament of the United Kingdom concerning Wales]]
[[Category:Constitutional laws of Wales]]
[[Category:Language legislation in the United Kingdom]]