{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/welsh-language-standards-no-9-regulations-2023/schedule-1/part-3",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/welsh-language-standards-no-9-regulations-2023/schedule-1/part-3.json",
  "legislation": "wsi/2023/1041",
  "legislation_title": "The Welsh Language Standards (No. 9) Regulations 2023",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/welsh-language-standards-no-9-regulations-2023",
  "path": "schedule/1/part/3",
  "kind": "part",
  "number": "3",
  "heading": "INTERPRETING THE STANDARDS",
  "text": "21\nThe standards specified in Part 1 of this Schedule must be interpreted as follows.\n22\nThe standards only apply to the extent that a body—\n(a) delivers services to a person, or\n(b) deals with any other person in connection with delivering services—\n(i) to that other person, or\n(ii) to a third person.\n23\nThe standards only apply to the extent that the standards relate to the provision by a body of a service provided to the public in the exercise of the body’s functions as a water undertaker or a sewerage undertaker for the whole or any part of Wales.\n24\nA body is not required to produce, to publish, to display or to send material in Welsh to the extent that another enactment has specified the wording of a document, a sign or a form which would run contrary to that requirement.\n25\nFor the purposes of the standards—\n(a) a requirement to produce, to send, to publish, to display, to make available or to issue any written material in Welsh does not mean that the material should be produced, sent, published, displayed, made available or issued in Welsh only, nor does it mean that the material should be produced in Welsh first (unless that is specifically stated in the standard);\n(b) a requirement to provide a service or activity in Welsh does not mean that that service or activity should only be provided in Welsh (unless that is specifically stated in the standard).\n26\n(1) A body is not required to translate into Welsh any text that it has not produced (“text A”).\n(2) A body will not be treating the Welsh language less favourably if it does not translate text A into Welsh but see sub-paragraph (3).\n(3) A body must use the Welsh version of text A if another person has produced text A in Welsh in accordance with—\n(a) its Welsh Language Scheme,\n(b) a duty to comply with standards,\n(c) Standing Orders of Senedd Cymru,\n(ch) section 35(1C) of the 2006 Act, or\n(d) the Senedd Commission’s Official Languages Scheme.\n(4) In this paragraph—\n(a) “Welsh Language Scheme” means a Welsh language scheme produced in accordance with Part 2 of the Welsh Language Act 1993;\n(b) “a duty to comply with standards” means a duty to comply with a standard under section 25 of the Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011;\n(c) “the 2006 Act” means the Government of Wales Act 2006;\n(ch) “Standing Orders of Senedd Cymru” means standing orders made under section 31 of the 2006 Act;\n(d) “the Senedd Commission’s Official Languages Scheme” means the Scheme adopted and published under paragraph 8 of Schedule 2 to the 2006 Act.\n27\n(1) If the conditions in paragraphs (a) to (c) are met or the condition in sub-paragraph (2) is met, a body is not required to comply with any of the standards in respect of an activity or a service referred to in paragraph (b)—\n(a) the first condition is that an emergency has occurred, is occurring or is about to occur;\n(b) the second condition is that the activity being carried out or the service being provided by the body is necessary for the purpose of preventing, controlling or mitigating an aspect or effect of an emergency;\n(c) the third condition is that the need for the activity or the service referred to in paragraph (b) is urgent.\n(2) The condition is that the body is undertaking an emergency drill.\n(3) If the condition in sub-paragraph (2) is met, then the reference to “an emergency” in sub-paragraph (1)(b) is to be read as “the simulated emergency situation”.\n28\nFor the purposes of standards 2 and 32, a body corresponds with a member of the public in Wales or sends a form to a member of the public in Wales for the first time when it corresponds or sends a form for the first time after the date on which a compliance notice has required the body to comply with the standard.\n29\nFor the purposes of standards 2 and 4, “system generated correspondence” means bills, meter reading requests, new account correspondence and account closure correspondence.\n30\nFor the purposes of standards 7, 10, 11, 13 and 16, “service helpline” means a telephone helpline dealing with water services or sewerage services but not account enquiries.\n31\nIn standard 17, an “automated” telephone system means a system that answers telephone calls and guides persons through a set procedure with a recorded message which, for example, asks a person to press different keys in order to choose different options.\n32\nStandards 18 to 19C do not apply when the meeting is held at short notice (for example, when a body makes door to door enquiries).\n33\nWhere a standard refers to material that is to be produced in Welsh (with the exception of standards 36 to 42 (websites and apps) and 44 and 45 (social media)), references to treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language, or to treating a Welsh language version no less favourably than an English language version, include, amongst other matters, (and in addition to specific matters referred to in any individual standard), treating the Welsh language no less favourably as regards—\n(a) the visual presentation of material (for example in relation to the colour or font of any text);\n(b) the size of the material;\n(c) the position and prominence of the material in any public place;\n(ch) when and how the material is published, provided or exhibited;\n(d) the publication format of material.\n34\nFor the purposes of standards 29 and 34, references to documents or other materials being available to members of the public in Wales\ndo not include documents or materials that are only available to the public by virtue of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.\n35\nStandard 29 does not apply to an enactment made by a body or to a draft enactment prepared by a body.\n36\nStandards 29 and 30 do not apply to any advertising material contained in a document, brochure, leaflet, pamphlet or card.\n37\n(1) Standards 32 and 34 do not apply to the forms referred to in sub-paragraph (2).\n(2) For the purposes of standard 32, a body is not required to send a Welsh language version of the forms used when applying for grant assistance from a body (see standards 55 to 59 in relation to applications for grants).\n38\nStandards 36 to 41 (websites) do not apply to—\n(a) documents to which a link is provided on a website, advertising material on a website, or to video and audio clips on a website (see standards 29 to 31 for specific provision in relation to documents, and standard 26 in relation to advertising material produced by a body);\n(b) information presented by persons (other than the body) on an interactive page published on a body’s website (for example, on a section for comments, or on a discussion forum);\n(c) a live chat facility (see standards 43 and 43A for specific provision in relation to live chat).\n39\n(1) Standard 42 does not apply to any advertising material on an app (see standard 26 in relation to advertising material produced by a body).\n(2) Standard 42 does not apply to a live chat facility (see standards 43 and 43A for specific provision in relation to live chat).\n40\nFor the purposes of standards 36 to 42 (websites and apps) and standards 44 and 45 (social media), references to treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language include, amongst other matters, (and in addition to specific matters referred to in any individual standard), treating the Welsh language no less favourably as regards—\n(a) the visual presentation of the material (for example, in relation to the colour, size, font and format of any text), or\n(b) when material is published on the website, app or social media;\nbut it does not mean that Welsh language material must appear on the same page as English language material, or on a page that a person is likely to find before the English language page when searching.\n41\n(1) For the purposes of standards 43 and 43A and paragraphs 38, 39 and 43, “live chat facility” means an on-line messaging application within a website or app, designed specifically to provide a real time method of communication.\n(2) Standard 43 does not apply to any advertising material on a live chat facility (see standard 26 in relation to advertising material produced by a body).\n(3) Standard 43 (live chat facility) does not apply to documents to which a link is provided through the live chat facility, or to video and audio clips provided through the live chat facility (see standards 29 to 31 for specific provision in relation to documents, and standard 26 in relation to advertising material produced by a body).\n42\nStandards 44 and 45 (social media) do not apply to—\n(a) documents to which a link is provided through social media, or to video and audio clips provided through social media (see standards 29 to 31 for specific provision in relation to documents, and standard 26 in relation to advertising material produced by a body);\n(b) information presented by persons (other than the body) on a body’s social media account (for example, on a section for comments).\n43\n(1) Standards 1 to 6 (correspondence) do not apply to correspondence sent by social media or live chat facility (see standards 44 and 45 in relation to social media and standards 43 and 43A in relation to live chat facility).\n(2) Standards 36 to 42 (websites and apps) do not apply to social media (see standards 44 and 45 in relation to social media).\n44\nFor the purpose of standard 46 (self service machines), reference to treating the Welsh language no less favourably than the English language includes, amongst other matters, treating the Welsh language no less favourably as regards the visual presentation of the material (for example, in relation to the colour, size, font and format of any text), but it does not mean that Welsh language material must appear on screen at the same time as English language material.\n45\nFor the purposes of standards 49 to 52 (receiving visitors)—\n(a) “reception” means an area in a body’s offices where a reception service is provided;\n(b) “reception service” means a service for welcoming persons to the body’s offices by staff who are made available for that purpose.\n46\nStandards 49 to 52 (receiving visitors) do not apply when the reception is located outside of Wales.\n47\nFor the purposes of standards 6, 53 and 54, a “notice” means any notice that a body publishes, but it does not include notices prescribed by an enactment.\n48\n(1) For the purposes of standard 62, the reference to a body forming or presenting its “corporate identity” includes, amongst other things, the way a body presents itself by means of visual statements, the name or names used by a body, and a body’s branding and slogans (for example, branding and slogans printed on its stationery).\n(2) Standard 62 does not apply to the extent that an enactment requires a body to use a legal name.\n49\nFor the purposes of standards 63 to 65 (courses), an “education course” means any seminar, training, workshop or similar provision which is provided in order to educate or to improve the skills of members of the public; but does not include—\n(a) activities or courses provided as part of the curriculum in accordance with any enactment, or\n(b) seminars or oral presentations relating to a performance or production.\n50\nFor the purposes of the standards “enactment” means an enactment (whenever enacted or made) comprised in, or in an instrument made under—\n(a) an Act of Parliament, or\n(b) a Measure or an Act of Senedd Cymru.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f1",
      "text": "1993 c. 38."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f2",
      "text": "2006 c. 32."
    },
    {
      "type": "footnote",
      "label": "f3",
      "text": "2000 c. 36"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/wsi/2023/1041/schedule/1/part/3",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-28T23:03:00.381156+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}