§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will set up a system to monitor the number of children entering secondary education each September who are bilingual and monoglot, respectively.
§ Mr. Barry JonesThe Welsh Office is currently evaluating a new system of statistical returns completed by all schools in Wales and designed to provide information on the extent of Welsh language provision and pupil fluency. It is expected that this system will indicate the numbers of primary school pupils assessed by their head teachers as fluent in the Welsh language and that this will provide an accurate indication of the numbers of such children entering secondary education each year.
§ Mr. Wigleyasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will list in the Official Report all the expenditure by his 629W Department during the financial year 1975–76 by way of assistance for projects or work aimed at promoting the Welsh language.
§ Mr. John MorrisMy Department incurs expenditure for general purposes in many fields which benefit the Welsh language; it is impracticable to identify all such assistance covered by the wide range of responsibilities of the Welsh Office. In addition grants are made for specific purposes in support of the Welsh language. For example, in 1975–76 the Welsh Books Council received £25,000 and the Mudiad Ysgolion Meithrin received £24,400; and these grants have been increased to £45,000 and £36,200 respectively in 1976–77.