91Èȱ¬

The Counsel General, John Griffiths AM, is not a man who lets on if his feathers are ruffled. Maybe they never are.

I was once in a car, driven by a colleague who - unbeknownst to us - was following Mr Griffiths along the M50. She drove like the farmer's daughter that she is - in a hurry. He drove much as he conducted this week's lobby briefing: carefuly, within the white lines, within the speed limit. It was only when she sped past that we realised she'd just cut up the then Deputy Minister for Education.

The line Mr Griffiths followed was this: the Assembly Government continues to use its powers to deliver. He and the Assembly Government "want all and sundry to join in" supporting a yes vote in a referendum that would make it easier to deliver in future but in the meantime, rest assured that the powers available already are being used.

12 Legislative Competence Orders - or LCOs - have been secured, a "quite reasonable number" he thought.

8 Measures - or Welsh laws - have received royal approval and there are another 4 draft measures on their legislative way.

Amongst them, of course, the Welsh language measure, the longest and most complex yet. Was the Counsel General confident it could be properly scrutinised and still make it as far as royal approval before the end of this Assembly term? He was, in a quietly confident, unruffled kind of way.

Tomorrow morning a group of organisations will publish an open letter to the Culture Minister, Alun Ffred Jones, which they hope will very much ruffle government feathers. The letter is signed by representatives of national organisations - Urdd Gobaith Cymru, Friends of the Earth, Merched y Wawr, the Association of Welsh Translators and Interpreters amongst them - who think the draft measure is missing the mark.

They want it amended to include a statement to the effect that the Welsh language is an official language in Wales, to include linguistic rights for those choosing to speak Welsh and a language commissioner who is independent of government.

Fail to deliver that, they argue and as a government you've failed to deliver legislation that is strong and meaningful.

By the way Mr Griffiths had another message, one that says the government of Wales continues to make it clear to the Welsh Secretary, Cheryl Gillan that the referendum must happen "within this Assembly term".

Not calling for an Autumn referendum any more then, Mr Griffiths?

The affable Counsel General smiled and refused, quietly, steadfastly, to say any more.

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