Mr. Geraint Morganasked the Secretary of State for Wales what proposals he has in mind for ensuring equal validity for the Welsh and English languages in the deliberations of the proposed new county and district councils when these come into being.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasIt is already open to local authorities in Wales to use either Welsh or English in their deliberations if they wish to do so. A similar right328W will be available to the proposed new county and district councils when they come into being.
Mr. Geraint Morganasked the Secretary of State for Wales how many Welsh local authorities are officially known to him to be at present making use of apparatus for translating from Welsh into English, and vice versa; and whether he intends to encourage the use of such equipment when the proposed new county and district councils come into existence.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasLocal authorities are not required to inform me of the use of such apparatus. This is a matter to be decided by each local authority for itself, and it will be for the proposed new county and district councils to make their own decision when they have come into existence.