§ MR. J. M. MACLEAN (Cardiff)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury if Her Majesty's Government will take into favourable consideration the desire of the Welsh nation that the arms of Wales should be represented upon the Royal Shield and Standard of the United Kingdom, and also upon the Union Jack?
§ MR. J. PARKER SMITH (Lanark, Partick)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether he will advise the inclusion in the Royal Arms, according to the practice of all Sovereigns from Edward the Third to William the Fourth, of quarterings representing the principal countries in the Empire?
§ MR. F. FAITHFULL BEGG (Glasgow, St. Rollox)I beg to ask the First Lord of the Treasury whether Her Majesty's Government can see their way to advise the propriety of a change in the Royal arms of Dominion, embodying a recognition and commemoration of the extension of Her Majesty's territories in the Colonies and the Empire of India during; Her Majesty's reign?
§ THE FIRST LORD OF THE TREASURYI may answer all these questions at the same time.
845 I have the utmost sympathy with the sentiments of Welshmen for their Principality. In my belief there is no antagonism whatever, quite on the contrary, between such sentiments of local patriotism and the wider national and Imperial loyalty. But I think my hon. Friends will feel with me that if we alter the Royal Arms many other parts of Her Majesty's dominions besides Wales will have to be considered. As regards the Union Jack, it will be no light matter to alter a flag under which we have fought since the days preceding Trafalgar.