HC Deb 21 January 1985 vol 71 cc715-6
3. Mr. Geraint Howells

asked the Secretary of State for Wales if he has any plans to make an official visit to his Department's offices in Aberystwyth during the next three months.

Mr. Nicholas Edwards

Not at present.

Mr. Howells

I am sure that the Secretary of State is well aware of the fact that most of his staff at his Department's offices in Aberystwyth speak Welsh. To safeguard the future of the Welsh language, has the right hon. Gentleman any plans to update the 1967 legislation dealing with that language?

Mr. Edwards

I have no plans at present for changing the legislation.

Dr. Roger Thomas

Although the right hon. Gentleman is perhaps fighting shy of visiting Aberystwyth, will he pluck up enough courage to go there to see at first hand the dairy farmers of west Wales, who are in an especially severe plight and who might be able to influence him to go to Brussels for the next round of negotiations?

Mr. Edwards

I do not need to go to Aberystwyth to meet the dairy farmers of west Wales, because for many months I have met them almost every week, and I am fully aware of their views. As recently as last Friday I met the leaders of the Farmers Union of Wales and the National Farmers Union.

Mr. D. E. Thomas

Is the right hon. Gentleman unwilling to go to Aberystwyth because of the number of posts lost in the Department's offices in Aberystwyth since he became Secretary of State?

Mr. Edwards

The hon. Gentleman is wrong to suggest that I am not willing to go to Aberystwyth. I frequently go there. I simply do not have any plans to visit my Department there during the next three months.

Dr. Marek

Does the Secretary of State accept that centralisation of various public offices in Cardiff, which is a long way from mid and north Wales, is unhealthy? Will the right hon. Gentleman give the House an absolute assurance that the Welsh Office agricultural department will remain in Aberystwyth?

Mr. Edwards

I have no plans to change the present arrangements. A large part of the agricultural department is situated in Aberystwyth. It is important that members of the agricultural department should be in close touch with other offices during the other important Government negotiations that occur in Cardiff and London. That is why we have the present arrangements. The Forestry Commission plans to concentrate its management on Aberystwyth.