§ Mr. Gowerasked the Secretary of State for Wales whether, in the light of higher production costs, he will increase the Government grant to assist the publication of books in the Welsh language.
§ Mr. Peter ThomasYes. I am proposing that the grant should be raised from its present annual level of £12,500 to £25,000 a year for the three-year period beginning 1973–4. This substantial increase is intended, not only to cover higher production costs, but also to help the publishers in meeting likely future demands. I hope and expect that Welsh readers and libraries will respond by increasing their support for the fine efforts of the publishers in expanding Welsh book production.