§ 82. Dr. MORRIS-JONESasked the Financial Secretary to the Treasury whether any of the staff of the Income Tax Claims Department in London are conversant with the Welsh language?
§ Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCENo, Sir, I believe not.
§ Dr. MORRIS-JONESDoes the hon. Member not consider that it is a very serious hardship on a large number of taxpayers who have to deal with this Department that there is no one conversant with the Welsh language?
§ Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEThe hon. Member's question asks whether any of the staff of the Income Tax Department in London are conversant with the Welsh language. In those circumstances, I do not think any hardship can arise.
§ Dr. MORRIS-JONESWould the hon. Member be surprised to hear that in the case of Welshmen who have to send claims to London, and who send them in the Welsh language, they are sent back in order for them to be translated into the English language? Is not this a great hardship on many loyal subjects in Wales?
§ Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEIf the hon. Member has any special case of hardship in mind and will send particulars to me, I will have the matter looked into.
§ Mr. MUGGERIDGEMay I ask whether it is really desirable to keep up these barbarous languages?
Major OWENWill not the Financial Secretary take steps to secure that in the Department about which complaints are being made a civil servant with sufficient knowledge of the Welsh language is appointed? May I also ask whether 2363 Government Departments will show a little more consideration at any rate to a people who have a perfect right to their own language and have always maintained it, and who have been loyal to the British Crown?
§ Mr. PETHICK-LAWRENCEI can only reply, as I did to the hon. Member for Denbighshire (Dr. Morris-Jones), that if the hon. Member can show any special reasons for departing from the present position, I will consider the matter.
§ Mr. STRAUSSIs there one single individual who could possibly understand Income Tax law and the Welsh language?