§ Mr. HAYDN JONESasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Agriculture, whether his attention has been called to a recent inquiry held before the public health committee of the Cardiganshire County Council, from which it appears that unfounded charges were made by the Board of Agriculture against the administration by the local authority of the Sheep Dipping Order of 1905; whether he is aware that these charges were made on statements made by Welsh-speaking farmers to inspectors not conversant with the Welsh language; whether this absence of the knowledge of Welsh on the part of the inspectors was the sole cause of the misunderstanding; and whether he will take steps to see that only inspectors with a knowledge of Welsh are appointed in Welsh districts in the future?
§ Sir E. STRACHEYYes, Sir, and the matter is under consideration. It would not be practicable to arrange that none but Welsh-speaking inspectors should undertake business in Wales, but Welsh speaking inspectors have recently been added to the staff, and they are, as far as possible, employed in that country.