UPDATED: 4.31PM The Government's deliberately avoided making a blanket apology on past generations being stopped from speaking Maori.

An acknowledgement of the issue is included in the Maori Language Bill being debated today, but it stops short of an apology.

Treaty Negotiations Minister Chris Finlayson said it was a deliberate choice not to apologise for the grievance.

"I think a generic apology clause actually does an injustice to the particular apologies I've negotiated over the years and have referred to in deeds of of settlement".

Mr Finlayson said he prefers to keep apologies specific, as part of Treaty settlements.

He said he's spoken to many people about the pain of being stopped speaking Te Reo, and they've apologised for those specific grievances in settlements.

Labour's Maori Development spokesperson Kelvin Davis said the Government's reasoning that it's covered by individual settlements isn't good enough.

"I don't think the iwi-by-iwi approach actually apologises directly for what's happened in terms of Te Reo and that's what this bill's about -- Te Reo Maori. It's not about settlement of land claims and things like that".