§ 49. Major OWENasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether there is available in the office of the collector of customs and excise at Chester an official who is able to deal with correspondence in the Welsh language; and, if not, whether he will arrange for the attachment to that office of an official with a thorough knowledge of the Welsh language?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the TREASURY (Mr. Arthur Michael Samuel)The answer to the first part of the question is in the negative. As regards the second part of the question, there are already available in the Chester area the services of Welsh-speaking officers of the Customs and Excise Department. On the occasions on which applicants with no knowledge of English correspond with the collector's office, no 2166 difficulty has been experienced in dealing with the matter without undue delay.
§ Major OWENIs the hon. Gentleman aware that applicants for relief from Entertainment Duty at concerts and other similar events, when they make applications in Welsh, receive a letter from that office stating that they must make the application in English, and, in view of that fact, will the hon. Gentleman take steps to have someone in that office who can deal with correspondence in Welsh?
§ Mr. SAMUELI was not ware of that fact. If the hon. and gallant Gentleman will give me the details, I will look into them.