Dear Sir or Madam,

1. How many people in Carmarthenshire have requested, since May 1st
2005, to receive all council communications in Welsh.

2. How much the council spends per annum providing services in
British Sign Language.

Yours faithfully,

gareth davies

Dear Mr Davies,

Thank you for your request for information regarding language provision,
which was received on 8th March, 2009 and is being dealt with under the
Freedom of Information Act 2000. We are therefore required to provide
you with a response within 20 working days, which will be on or before
3rd April, 2009.

If we require any clarification or further details, we will contact you
as soon as possible.

In the meantime, if you have any queries, please do not hesitate to
contact me, remembering to quote the reference number above in any
communications.

Yours sincerely

John Tillman
Swyddog Gwybodaeth a Diogelu Data
Adran y Prif Weithredwr
Cyngor Sir Gaerfyrddin

Information & Data Protection Officer
Chief Executive's Department
Carmarthenshire County Council

Tel: (01267) 246108
Mewnol/Internal: 6108
Ffacs/Fax: (01267) 246134

show quoted sections

Dear Mr Davies,

I refer to your request for information which was received on 8^th March,
2009 and has been dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.

The specific information you requested was as follows:

1. The number of people in Carmarthenshire that have requested, since 1^st
May, 2005, to receive all Council communications in Welsh.

2. How much the Council spends per annum providing services in British
Sign Language (BSL).

In response to the first part of your request, in accordance with our
Welsh Language Scheme, the Council provides all its publications
bilingually. This would include leaflets, Council Tax demands,
newsletters such as our Community News publication, our Corporate
Strategy, Improvement Plan and so forth.

Correspondence is responded to in the language in which it is received,
and any initial communications are required to be sent bilingually until
the language preference is known.

I can confirm that a record of the numbers of all people who have
requested communications in Welsh is not kept by the Council. Therefore,
this information is not held.

However, we do record the language preference of our Elected Members
(Councillors). This is revised when new members are elected, following
Council elections or when Members simply change their preferences. Please
find attached copies of the records that are held.

<<Linguistic Preferences September 2004.pdf>> <<Linguistic Preferences
post election 2008.pdf>> <<Linguistic Preferences November 2007.pdf>>

With regard to the second part of your request, direct expenditure on
training and BSL interpreters in BSL in 2008/09 was £9,321.83.

If I can be of any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact
me.

Yours sincerely

John Tillman
Swyddog Gwybodaeth a Diogelu Data
Adran y Prif Weithredwr
Cyngor Sir Gaerfyrddin

Information & Data Protection Officer
Chief Executive's Department
Carmarthenshire County Council

Tel: (01267) 246108
Mewnol/Internal: 6108
Ffacs/Fax: (01267) 246134

Mae*r e-bost hwn ac unrhyw atodiadau yn gyfrinachol ac wedi*u bwriadu at
ddefnydd yr unigolyn y*u cyfeiriwyd ato/ati yn unig. Os derbyniwch y neges
hon trwy gamgymeriad, rhowch wybod i*r sawl a*i hanfonodd ar unwaith,
dilëwch y neges o*ch cyfrifiadur a dinistriwch unrhyw gopïau papur
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sail y cynnwys. Eiddo*r awdur yw unrhyw farn neu safbwynt a fynegir, ac
nid ydynt o reidrwydd yn cynrychioli safbwynt y Cyngor. Dylech wirio am
firysau eich hunan cyn agor unrhyw atodiad. Nid ydym yn derbyn unrhyw
atebolrwydd am golled neu niwed a all fod wedi*i achosi gan firysau
meddalwedd neu trwy ryng-gipio*r neges hon neu ymyrryd â hi.

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