Search Legislation

Welsh Language (Wales) Measure 2011

Status:

This is the original version (as it was originally enacted).

(introduced by section 2)

SCHEDULE 1THE WELSH LANGUAGE COMMISSIONER

This schedule has no associated Explanatory Notes

PART 1STATUS ETC

Status

1(1)The Commissioner is a corporation sole.

(2)The Commissioner is not to be regarded as the servant or agent of the Crown or as enjoying any status, immunity or privilege of the Crown.

(3)The Commissioner’s property is not to be regarded as property of, or property held on behalf of, the Crown.

(4)When exercising functions in relation to the Commissioner, the Welsh Ministers must have regard to the fact that it is desirable to ensure that the Commissioner is under as few constraints as reasonably possible in determining his or her—

(a)activities,

(b)timetables, and

(c)priorities.

Validity of acts

2(1)The validity of an act of a person as Commissioner is not affected by a defect in the appointment of—

(a)that person, or

(b)any member of the Advisory Panel.

(2)The validity of an act of a person exercising functions of the Commissioner is not affected by a defect in the appointment of—

(a)that person,

(b)the Commissioner, or

(c)any member of the Advisory Panel.

PART 2APPOINTMENT

Appointment

3(1)In appointing the Commissioner, the First Minister—

(a)must comply with appointment regulations (see paragraph 7),

(b)must take account of the recommendations made by the selection panel in relation to the appointment (see paragraph 7), and

(c)may take into account the views of any other persons whom the First Minister thinks it is appropriate to consult.

(2)The First Minister may not appoint a person to be Commissioner if the person—

(a)is disqualified from being Commissioner on grounds of employment (see paragraph 13), or

(b)has already been appointed as Commissioner.

(3)The views which the First Minister may take into account under sub-paragraph (1)(c) include, but are not limited to, the views of—

(a)the National Assembly for Wales,

(b)committees of the National Assembly, and

(c)members of the National Assembly.

Remuneration, allowances and pensions

4(1)The Welsh Ministers may pay remuneration to the Commissioner.

(2)The Welsh Ministers may pay allowances (including, but not limited to, travelling and subsistence allowances) and gratuities to the Commissioner.

(3)The Welsh Ministers may pay—

(a)pensions to, or in respect of, persons who have been Commissioner, and

(b)amounts for or towards provision of pensions to, or in respect of, persons who have been Commissioner.

Terms of appointment

5(1)The Commissioner holds office subject to the terms of his or her appointment.

(2)But that is subject to the other provisions of this Schedule.

(3)The terms of the Commissioner’s appointment must provide for him or her to hold office on a full-time basis.

Duration of appointment

6(1)A person appointed as Commissioner holds the office (by virtue of that appointment) for 7 years.

(2)But that is subject to Part 3 of this Schedule.

Appointment regulations

7(1)The Welsh Ministers must, by regulations, make provision about the appointment of the Commissioner (“appointment regulations”).

(2)Appointment regulations must make provision for the establishment of a panel of persons (a “selection panel”) who are to—

(a)interview candidates for appointment as Commissioner, and

(b)make recommendations to the First Minister in relation to the appointment.

(3)The provision that may be made in appointment regulations includes, but is not limited to, provision of the kind referred to in sub-paragraphs (4) to (7).

(4)Appointment regulations may make provision about principles to be followed in appointing the Commissioner.

(5)Appointment regulations may make provision about—

(a)the knowledge of, and proficiency in, the Welsh language, and

(b)the knowledge and experience of the matters in respect of which the Commissioner has functions,

which the Commissioner must have.

(6)Appointment regulations may—

(a)apply (with or without modifications) any code of practice that is concerned with appointments to public bodies, or

(b)make other provision relating to any such code.

(7)Appointment regulations may confer functions on the Welsh Ministers or First Minister (as well as on any other person), including functions involving the exercise of a discretion.

Delegation of appointment functions etc

8(1)The First Minister may, by order—

(a)provide for the Welsh Ministers to exercise—

(i)the First Minister’s function of appointing the Commissioner, and

(ii)any or all of the First Minister’s other functions that relate to the Commissioner, and

(b)make such other related provision as the First Minister thinks appropriate.

(2)The provision that may be made in an order under this paragraph includes, but is not limited to, provision amending or otherwise modifying this Measure.

PART 3END OF APPOINTMENT

Resignation

9The Commissioner may resign from office if he or she gives the First Minister not less than 3 months' notice in writing of his or her intention to do so.

Disqualification

10A person ceases to be Commissioner if the person is disqualified from being Commissioner on grounds of employment.

Dismissal

11The First Minister may dismiss the Commissioner if the First Minister is satisfied that the Commissioner—

(a)is unfit to continue as Commissioner, or

(b)is unable or unwilling to exercise the Commissioner’s functions.

Payments on ceasing to hold office

12The Welsh Ministers may make a payment to a person who ceases to hold the office of Commissioner if it appears to the Welsh Ministers that there are special circumstances which make it right that the person should receive the payment in compensation.

PART 4DISQUALIFICATION FROM BEING COMMISSIONER

13A person is disqualified from being Commissioner on grounds of employment if the person is—

(a)a Member of Parliament;

(b)a Member of the National Assembly for Wales;

(c)a member of a county council, a county borough council or a community council in Wales;

(d)a member of the Tribunal;

(e)a member of the Advisory Panel;

(f)a person who is employed by, or advises, a person who is within Schedule 5 or Schedule 7;

(g)a member of the Commissioner’s staff.

PART 5FINANCIAL MATTERS

Payments by the Welsh Ministers

14The Welsh Ministers may pay the Commissioner such amounts, at such times and on such conditions (if any), as they think appropriate in respect of expenditure incurred in carrying out the functions of Commissioner.

Financial year

15(1)The Commissioner’s first financial year is the period that begins with the commencement day and ends with—

(a)the following 31 March (if the commencement day is 1 April), or

(b)the second following 31 March (if the commencement day is not 1 April).

(2)Subject to that, the Commissioner’s financial year is the period of 12 months ending with 31 March.

(3)In this paragraph “commencement day” means the day when section 2 comes into force.

Accounting officer

16(1)The Commissioner is the accounting officer for the office of the Commissioner.

(2)The accounting officer has, in relation to the accounts and the finances of the office of the Commissioner, the responsibilities which are from time to time specified by the Treasury.

(3)In this paragraph references to responsibilities include, amongst other things—

(a)responsibilities in relation to the signing of accounts,

(b)responsibilities for the propriety and regularity of the finances of the Commissioner, and

(c)responsibilities for the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which the resources of the Commissioner are used.

(4)The responsibilities which may be specified under this paragraph include, amongst other things, responsibilities owed to—

(a)the National Assembly for Wales, the Welsh Ministers or the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly, or

(b)the House of Commons or the Committee of Public Accounts of that House.

(5)If requested to do so by the Committee of Public Accounts of the House of Commons (“the Parliamentary Committee”), the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly for Wales may—

(a)take evidence on behalf of the Parliamentary Committee from the accounting officer,

(b)report to the Parliamentary Committee on the evidence taken, and

(c)transmit to the Parliamentary Committee the evidence taken.

(6)Section 13 of the National Audit Act 1983 (interpretation of references to the House of Commons Committee of Public Accounts) applies for the purposes of this Measure as it applies for the purposes of that Act.

(7)In this paragraph “office of the Commissioner” means the Commissioner and the Commissioner’s staff.

Estimates

17(1)For each financial year other than the first, the Commissioner must prepare an estimate of the income and expenses of the Commissioner’s office.

(2)The Commissioner must submit the estimate to the Welsh Ministers at least five months before the beginning of the financial year to which it relates.

(3)The Welsh Ministers must examine an estimate submitted to them in accordance with this paragraph and must then lay the estimate before the National Assembly for Wales with the modifications (if any) they think appropriate.

(4)In sub-paragraph (1) “Commissioner’s office” means the Commissioner and the Commissioner’s staff.

Accounts

18(1)The Commissioner must—

(a)keep proper accounting records, and

(b)prepare accounts in respect of each financial year in accordance with directions given, with the consent of the Treasury, by the Welsh Ministers.

(2)The directions which the Welsh Ministers may give under this paragraph include, amongst other things, directions as to—

(a)the information to be contained in the accounts and the manner in which the accounts are to be presented;

(b)the methods and principles in accordance with which the accounts are to be prepared;

(c)additional information (if any) that is to accompany the accounts.

Audit

19(1)The Commissioner must submit the accounts prepared for a financial year to the Auditor General for Wales no later than 31 August in the following financial year.

(2)The Auditor General for Wales must—

(a)examine, certify and report on each set of accounts submitted under this paragraph, and

(b)no later than four months after the accounts are submitted, lay before the National Assembly for Wales a copy of them as certified by him or her together with his or her report on them.

(3)In examining accounts submitted under this paragraph, the Auditor General for Wales must, amongst other things, satisfy him or herself that the expenditure to which the accounts relate has been incurred lawfully and in accordance with the authority which governs it.

Examinations into the use of resources

20(1)The Auditor General for Wales may carry out examinations into the economy, efficiency and effectiveness with which resources have been used in discharging the Commissioner’s functions.

(2)Sub-paragraph (1) is not to be construed as entitling the Auditor General for Wales to question the merits of the policy objectives of the Commissioner.

(3)In determining how to exercise the functions under this paragraph, the Auditor General for Wales must take into account the views of the Public Accounts Committee of the National Assembly for Wales as to the examinations which he or she should carry out.

(4)The Auditor General for Wales may lay before the National Assembly for Wales a report of the results of any examination carried out under this paragraph.

PART 6GENERAL

Interpretation

21In this Schedule—

  • “appointment regulations” (“rheoliadau penodi”) means regulations made under paragraph 7;

  • “selection panel” (“panel dethol”) has the meaning given in paragraph 7.

Back to top

Options/Help

Print Options

You have chosen to open The Whole Measure

The Whole Measure you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open The Whole Measure as a PDF

The Whole Measure you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download.

Would you like to continue?

You have chosen to open the Whole Measure

The Whole Measure you have selected contains over 200 provisions and might take some time to download. You may also experience some issues with your browser, such as an alert box that a script is taking a long time to run.

Would you like to continue?

Close

Legislation is available in different versions:

Latest Available (revised):The latest available updated version of the legislation incorporating changes made by subsequent legislation and applied by our editorial team. Changes we have not yet applied to the text, can be found in the ‘Changes to Legislation’ area. The revised version is currently only available in English.

Original (As Enacted or Made) - English: The original English language version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

Original (As Enacted or Made) - Welsh:The original Welsh language version of the legislation as it stood when it was enacted or made. No changes have been applied to the text.

Close

See additional information alongside the content

Show Explanatory Notes for Sections: Displays relevant parts of the explanatory notes interweaved within the legislation content.

Close

Opening Options

Different options to open legislation in order to view more content on screen at once

Close

Explanatory Notes

Text created by the Welsh Assembly Government department responsible for the subject matter of the Measure to explain what the Measure sets out to achieve and to make the Measure accessible to readers who are not legally qualified. Explanatory Notes accompany all Measures of the National Assembly for Wales.

Close

More Resources

Access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item from this tab. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • correction slips
  • links to related legislation and further information resources
Close

More Resources

Use this menu to access essential accompanying documents and information for this legislation item. Dependent on the legislation item being viewed this may include:

  • the original print PDF of the as enacted version that was used for the print copy
  • correction slips

Click 'View More' or select 'More Resources' tab for additional information including:

  • lists of changes made by and/or affecting this legislation item
  • confers power and blanket amendment details
  • all formats of all associated documents
  • links to related legislation and further information resources