Welsh Language (Hansard, 18 January 1988)

§ 2. Mr. Butler
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales whether he intends to review his policies with regard to the Welsh language.

§ The Minister of State, Welsh Office (Mr. Wyn Roberts)
My right hon. Friend and I are presently engaged in wide-ranging discussions about the Welsh language. In the light of these we shall consider how the balanced, positive approach pursued by the Government since 1979 might be further developed and the opportunity to learn the language can be extended.

§ Mr. Butler
Will not parental choice be the real motivation for choosing the Welsh language, provided it wins friends and influences people, rather than alienates people through vicious demonstration? How much are the Government spending on the Welsh language to sustain and nurture it?

§ Mr. Roberts
My hon. Friend is right. He will know that the fundamental principle underlying the Education Act 1944 is that children should be educated according to parental choice, and that is the line we are pursuing. With regard to support for the language, we are spending some £1,164,000 under section 26 of the Development of Rural Wales Act and £1,735,000 under section 21 of the Education Act 1980 this year, but that is not the limit of Government support. We support the Welsh language through the entire education system and through the television channel.

§ Sir Raymond Gower
Is my hon. Friend aware that the history of the past seven or eight years has demonstrated very clearly his marvellous exertions on behalf of the Welsh language? Does he appreciate that we recognise that fact and hold him in high esteem?

§ Mr. Roberts
I am most grateful to my hon. Friend for that unsolicited tribute. He is absolutely right in saying that our Welsh language policy has been very successful and is accepted and approved of by people of moderate and sensible opinion in Wales. I contrast that with the position of the Labour party, which does not appear to have a policy.

§ Mr. Wigley
Is the Minister aware that there is a genuine welcome for the Welsh language panel of eight people appointed before Christmas, albeit that there is neither a woman nor a teacher on the panel? Will he clarify the remarks that he made on a Radio Cymru broadcast before Christmas about the panel's work? Will he state categorically that, contrary to what he said, it will be part of the panel's remit to look at the Bills introduced by Lord Prys-Davies and myself, about which consultation has taken place?

§ Mr. Roberts
I am sorry if I gave that impression; it was certainly not my intention. The group will be considering the proposals that the hon. Gentleman and Lord Prys-Davies put forward. I am sure that the hon. Gentleman would he the first to recognise that things have moved on since that consultation, and we are legislating on educational aspects covered in his Bill.

§ Mr. Rogers
Does the Minister agree that, rather than dismiss the Labour party's efforts in support of the Welsh language, he ought to be congratulating us? It was one of his Labour predecessors, my right hon. and learned Friend the Member for Aberavon (Mr. Morris), who gave grants to local authorities to support and maintain the Welsh language, and it is the Labour-controlled local authorities in south Wales which have adopted and implemented the policies of developing the Welsh language. Does the Minister agree that, instead of criticising the Labour party for not having a policy, he should be generous enough to accept that the Labour party is fully committed to the Welsh language, and has been for many years?

§ Mr. Roberts
Of course I accept what the hon. Gentleman says, but I cannot but notice that that statement was made by him rather than by anybody from his Front Bench. If the Front-Bench Members have a policy, perhaps they would care to declare it.