§ Mr. J. Griffithsasked the Minister of Information what number of officers are now employed in the Welsh office of the Ministry, and the total salaries paid; what are the functions of this office; and what work does it perform?
Mr. CooperFifteen officers are now employed in the Ministry's Welsh Regional Office, and the total of salaries is at the rate of £5,030 per annum. The functions of this office are broadly the same as those of other Regional Offices of the Ministry, which were described in my answer to the hon. Member for Halifax (Mr. Gledhill) of 16th July. Certain additional work is, however, involved in catering for the newspapers which publish in the Welsh language, and1172W it is the practice of this office to supply these papers with suitable material translated into the Welsh language. The work in connection with Information Committees and meetings is on the increase, as in other Regions. Five Information Committees are now actively functioning, and 22 are projected, of which several are already being constituted.
§ Mr. Griffithsasked the Minister of Information who is the officer responsible for the censorship of the Welsh Press; what qualifications he has for the post; where his offices are situated; the number of officers in his department; and the total salaries paid?
Mr. CooperNo officer, as such, is responsible for the censorship of the Welsh Press. Voluntary submissions are made by the Press in Wales, as in the case of the Press in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland, to the Censorship Division of the Ministry of Information in London. In addition, however, a Regional Censorship Representative at Cardiff was appointed in May, 1940. He has no authority to suppress or release Press submissions, his duty being to advise editors and to scrutinise the Press in Wales, as is done by other Regional Censorship Representatives in Scotland, Northern Ireland and in certain Regions of England.