§ 3.13 p.m.
§ LORD LLOYD OF KILGERRANMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question 865 which stands in my name on the Order Paper.
§ The Question was as follows:
§ To ask Her Majesty's Government why the list of Departments of State and Ministers published in the Parliamentary Hansard, House of Lords Official Report of Tuesday, October 29, 1974, did not contain the name of a Minister to deal with Welsh affairs for this House.
§ THE LORD PRIVY SEAL (LORD SHEPHERD)My Lords, it has been the long standing custom and practice for Questions to be addressed to Her Majesty's Government in your Lordships' House. Since March my noble and learned friend the Lord Chancellor has acted in this House as Government spokesman on Welsh affairs.
§ LORD LLOYD OF KILGERRANMy Lords, I am very much obliged to the noble Lord for his Answer to that Question, and may I congratulate him on notifying the House formally that we have such a distinguished noble and learned Lord acting on Welsh affairs. Also, may I ask the noble Lord whether, in connection with the scope of the duties of this distinguished spokesman on Welsh affairs, the Government can now give an assurance that the heavy burden upon the noble and learned Lord who sits on the Woolsack will be considerably reduced by the creation of a domestic Parliament for Wales as soon as possible?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, the information for which the noble Lord has asked was available to him, sitting on the Liberal Front Bench, if only he had consulted the noble Lord, Lord Amulree, the Liberal Chief Whip. This information is always available. In regard to my noble and learned friend, undoubtedly his labours are very hard, but I am not yet aware that Welsh affairs have really aggravated his difficulties.
§ LORD DAVIES OF LEEKMy Lords, is my noble friend aware that he has taken every shot out of my locker in so far as he has informed the House that a distinguished son of Wales; namely, the Lord Chancellor, is acting in this important post? Of course, a distinguished son, with a distinguished brother who played rugby for Wales as well, would try to satisfy. Is he further aware that Welsh tourism—Bwrdd Croeso Cymru 866 (and I have got the Annual Report of the Welsh Tourist Board)—last year earned £173 million in currency, and is now encouraging foreigners? My last point—is, is my noble friend aware that the coracle men on the River Teifi, near Llandyssul and Lampeter, are being driven out of existence? Will he ask the distinguished son of Wales on the Woolsack to have a look at this problem? Their rights were taken away from them in 1932 by an Act that offered them £200 to give up their birthright.
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, if my noble friend will put a Question down, and in English, I have no doubt that my noble and learned friend will be able to reply.
§ LORD MAELORMy Lords, will the Leader of the House agree that Welsh affairs are so important that every Minister is expected to take an interest in them?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, with my noble friend, I am in no doubt at all that that will be necessary.
§ LORD HALEMy Lords, will the noble Lord record the fact that the whole House rejoices that we have a Welshman on the Woolsack for the first time since the death of Lord Jefferies, and that we derive some satisfaction from the fact that his national experience has been tempered by many years in connection with West Ham and Newham, while not, unfortunately, with Oldham?
§ LORD SHEPHERDMy Lords, I am sure that the House will note what my noble friend has said, but I suspect that the questions are now going a little beyond the original Question.