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The Welsh government is contesting its own policy on Welsh language services provision.

It is applying to challenge two of 164 rules which give rights for the public and government workers to use Welsh.

One says it must provide documents for public use in Welsh and the other to make Welsh oral announcements.

The government said it was "fully committed" to delivering standards and had issued the challenge after considering their implications.

The rules, due to be imposed on Welsh ministers from March 2016, were written by civil servants and passed by the assembly two years ago.

Campaigners from Welsh language society Cymdeithas yr Iaith said they were concerned the challenge would weaken people's right to Welsh, and it was "a matter of great embarrassment" for the government to challenge rules it wrote and tabled itself.

Welsh Language Commissioner Meri Huws will now consider the challenge, but said she could not comment while the process was under way.

Manon Elin, chairwoman of Cymdeithas yr Iaith, said: "If the government is not ready to meet people's basic rights to Welsh, who is?

"We'll be opposing these applications to weaken people's rights to Welsh, and we'll consider using our rights to intervene legally against the Welsh Government and other bodies. We will stand up for people in order to secure their human rights, their rights to Welsh."