§ 5. Mr. Ifor Daviesasked the Secretary of State for Wales what further consideration has been given to the question of an increase in the grant for Welsh books
§ Mr. George ThomasI am pleased to say that the Government grant will be increased from £7,500 to £12,500 a year for the three-year period beginning 1970–71. This represents an increase of 150 per cent. since 1964–65.
§ Mr. DaviesIs my right hon. Friend aware that his reply will be very well received by those concerned about the future of the language? Is he further aware that this demonstration of practical help is a far more effective way of 177 helping the language than destructive action taken by some people?
§ Mr. ThomasI much appreciate my hon. Friend's remarks. He was very lately concerned in the affairs of this Department. I hope that this act on the part of the Government will rightly be seen in Wales as a further gesture of our concern for the language and our determination to sustain it.
§ Mr. Gwynfor EvansIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the Government's sense and scale of values are shown by the fact that whereas they have been spending only £7,000 a year to assist the oldest living literature in this island, and perhaps in Europe, they have spent quite recently no less than £426,000 on building a palatial residence for the Ambassador in Franco Spain?
§ Mr. ThomasI am surprised at the hon. Member. Above all, I thought that as he purports to be a friend of the Welsh language he would have appreciated the decision that has been taken to make this substantial increase in the Government's contribution towards the publication of books in Wales. I consider his attitude today to be mean-minded and petty.