5th December 2007
Gurkhas Cymraeg?
The relationship between the Armed Forces and the Welsh language has not always been a happy one. Letters home in Welsh from soldiers serving at the Front in the First World War were censored, and the telegrams of condolence for the twenty thousand Welsh speakers who died in that war were sent in the King’s English, whether those receiving them could understand them or not.
My father joined the Army in 1956 and was billeted at the Wrexham barracks with lots of North Walian comrades who found it difficult to follow instruction in, what was to them, an alien language. Wales has changed almost beyond recognition in the half a century since then: we have a capital city, a national assembly and equal status for the Welsh language. On race, gender and sexuality, the Armed Forces too have been forced to move with the times. But as far as the Welsh language is concerned, it would seem, old habits die hard. Hywel Williams informs me of a young recruit from Caernarfon told at the Wrexham barracks to come back when he’s learned some English.
As it is answerable to the Queen and not to Parliament, the Armed Forces are not bound by the terms of the Welsh Language Act even whilst operating in Wales. The Ministry of Defence did agree a voluntary scheme in 1999 but this only covers contact with the public, not the treatment of recruits. On Monday Chris Bryant asked a question about how many Welsh people there were in the Army and so this prompted me to raise the issue of training in the medium of Welsh with the Minister for the Armed Forces, Derek Twigg. It was met with howls of incredulous laughter and snorts of derision:
Chris Bryant (Rhondda) (Lab): How many members of the (a) Army, (b) Royal Navy and (c) Royal Air Force are Welsh. [169651]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Defence (Derek Twigg): The Ministry of Defence records the number of UK nationals in the armed forces. Specifying national identity within the UK is not mandated, so it is not possible to provide accurate figures for the total number who are Welsh.
Chris Bryant:May I suggest that, notwithstanding the Ministry’s not knowing the figures, we are pretty sure in Wales that we produce a higher proportion of members of the armed forces than any other of the constituent parts of the UK? Is it not clear that Wales has a strong and proud military tradition? If we are to continue it, do we not need to ensure that when Welsh regiments return from operations tours—as have members of the 1st and 2nd Battalion the Royal Welsh—a proper welcome is given to them in Wales? Should we not pay tribute to their work and, in this particular case, pay tribute to those who died in Iraq, including Private Craig Barber, Lance Corporal Ryan Francis and Corporal Paul Joszko?
Derek Twigg: Let me say to my hon. Friend that we are very proud of the work that the UK armed forces do and that the Welsh play a very important part in that. I pay tribute to their contribution to the armed forces and to their magnificent and outstanding
3 Dec 2007 : Column 564
achievements in Iraq and Afghanistan. My hon. Friend specifically mentioned the1st and 2nd Battalion the Royal Welsh, and there are also the Welsh Guards, who returned from Bosnia. It is very important to recognise what our armed forces do throughout the UK and that they are given a proper welcome home. We have seen examples of that recently and I am delighted to support them.Adam Price (Carmarthen, East and Dinefwr) (PC): I associate myself with the comments of the hon. Member for Rhondda (Chris Bryant). When my father served in the British Army, he often acted as an unofficial interpreter for those of his compatriots who did not have fluency in English. Given the number of Welsh speakers who join the armed forces every year, will the Minister consider allowing those who wish it the facility to receive at least some of their basic training through the medium of Welsh?
Derek Twigg: I have to say to the hon. Gentleman that that is not the way we do the training. Of course, I will look further into issues surrounding the Welsh language and decide whether there is anything more we can do to help.
So it is ok for our sons and daughters to fight and lay down their lives for their country, but their language they must leave at the drill hall door. The Gurkha regiments are given the courtesy of induction training in Nepali. Why are Welsh speakers to be treated with any less courtesy?
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D. C. Llewellyn says:
December 6th, 2007 at 8:50 am
As the UK Army is outside of the Welsh Language act, is there any other way to determine what measures or programmes are available for learners of Welsh in predomanitly Welsh units?