to think that most welsh people should speak some welsh

[mumof2children]

i am no way fluent in welsh by know very basic welsh.

but sould more welsh people speak some welsh

How alive the Welsh language is and if you look up hospitals in wales you will see many have insufficent funding. Yet the S4c link shows how alive the language is.

aah yes all those Welsh speakers avidly watching S4C then

Also children around here get free taxis to school and back if they are at the Welsh schools.

If they go to the Engish schools, parents have to pay. Why is that right>

"Wales isn't a country. That's a simple statement of fact."

It's a simple statement of absolute tripe - what a total ignoramus you are, LooktoWindward.

Assembly Riv; they key is to get an English one established too (which I would agree with) but6 there are otehr things ehre that balance it, it's how the governing body distributes it that differs.

If welsh kids do get smaller amounts allocated per head, that probably does balance the prescriptions; we don;t get teh Jamie O meals either- hot dog and chips still a school meal staple hereabouts.

Personally I prefer it her e ut that's more to do with where in England I came from; otehrwise it has ups and downs, same as anywhere.

Riven we would be bankrupt if we did that

I think some people need educating about the Welsh Assembly. It's a consultative body, unlike the Scottish Parliament, and has no tax raising rights. However it decides how to spend the revenue it gets from UK central government. And if the Welsh Assembly decides that free prescriptions are important, they are taking that money out of their own pot, and something somewhere else (in Wales) doesn't get that funding. It's the same with Welsh medium schools. To suggest that Welsh leaflets are taking money from English pensioners is a little simplistic. If you want similar benefits in England, then you should campaign and lobby for an English Parliament. It's not the Welsh or the Scots' faults that you haven't got one.

And has for language and culture, those who attack and ridicule and feel resentful of other countries' culture are generally the ones who have no real idea of their own. It's hardly the fault of other countries if you have allowed your own cultural traditions to be lost e.g folk singing and dancing, both of which are alive and kicking in Wales, Scotland and Ireland.

You don't need work visas in the EU.

It's funny how hardly any English can see beyond morris dancing when they think of their own culture. Imagine a French or Spanish or Italian being similarly clueless about their traditions. It's very sad :(.

There's culture in england too: witness the fat lass

JUamie O meals are across England, not Wales however. The Assembly runs education, at the regional level. Social Services too. And Riv knows just how much we get there!

I don;t understand why kids get a taxi to Welsh schools mind, didn;t know they did. I do know that until recently chidlren in my English village were bussed to teh enarest faith school for free and otehrs had to pay (eg if you wanted secular but not the nearest secular). it's going to be of the same origin isn;t it? But as I say, not something I know much about- although I do know someone who ahs had to fight tooth and nail for a taxi to an SNU and has ended up paying (ours are funded, in part due to an anomally where we are not served by any one SNU so get a choice- nowhere near enough).

And yes, Scotland has tax raising rights I beleive (? am I right) but not the WA. Yet, anyway.

Riv- it may be different elsewhere but ther eis no constant anti Englah rhetoric here in SE Wales.

Blimey, a good % of the village is English who have moved here to take advantage of Brizzle wages and Welsh housing prices.

I can't think of a single Welsh family on my terrace actually. Blimey!

Huh????

I have no idea what you are on about Riv.

Scotland is able to raise or lower taxes by 3p either way, I beleive. It has never done so and I doubt it will because of possible repercussions from Westminster.

Oh I see

yes, but you know about them don't you? You choose not to partake.

Ah I see pointydog: different in rule but not much more then.

National identity is very important to many welsh and scots, not so much to the English as can be seen by riven's bafflement over the whole issue

bara brith

a whole fucking language, riven!