§ 8. Mr. Bestasked the Secretary of State for Wales what response he has received to the specific provision in the Education Act for the extra cost of bilingual education in Wales.
§ Mr. Michael RobertsThis provision has been very widely welcomed. The necessary regulations will shortly be laid before the House and a circular explaining the operation of the scheme will be issued. In advance of this several bodies have already applied for assistance.
§ Mr. BestIs my hon. Friend aware that the enshrinement of the specific provision for the extra cost of bilingual education for the first time in history will be of great assistance to the education authorities which have to bear the extra cost? What provision is being made to encourage adults who do not speak the Welsh language to learn it?
§ Mr. RobertsI am grateful to my hon. Friend. A number of inquiries have been made about adult education. We hope to announce the distribution of resources for the present year in the early autumn.
§ Mr. WigleyDoes the Minister accept that in areas such as Gwynedd Welsh language education cannot be regarded as something which will cost a few hundred thousand pounds on the side? Does he accept that such expenditure is the mainstream of the education budget? Will the Minister assure the House that, when rate support grant is calculated for areas such as Gwynedd, that will be taken into account?
§ Mr. RobertsA detailed study of a joint Welsh Office and local government working party shows that there are almost insuperable differences in the way of building a factor for bilingualism into the rate support grant arrangements, even when RSG is administered separately for Wales.