§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) what additional resources have been made available by his Department to increase teaching aids for the under-fives in the form of cassettes, tapes and films and picture books, in line with the recommendation in paragraph 23 of the report on nursery education by the Council for the Welsh Language;
(2) what additional resources have been made available to local education authorities in Wales to enable them to implement the recommendation of the Council for the Welsh Language on nursery education as set out in paragraph 24 of that report; and how many local education authorities have taken advantage of any such provision;
(3) what action has been taken by his Department, including the publication of circulars, to draw the attention of local education authorities to the recommendation in paragraph 14 of the report of the Council for the Welsh Language on nursery education, about planning Welsh-medium nursery provision;
(4) what action has been taken by his Department to enable local education authorities to implement the recommendation in paragraph 25 of the report of the Council for the Welsh Language on nursery education that the State education system should take the initiative in providing Welsh-medium education for all children between the ages of three to five years whose parents wish them to have it.
§ Mr. Barry JonesThe report was commended to the attention of all Welsh514W education authorities and the views of other bodies were also sought. Government support for local authority rate fund expenditure, including the education service, is provided through the rate support grant and decisions about the allocation of resources to particular forms of educational provision rest with the local education authorities. However, I have discussed with the local authority associations the possibility that specific grants might be made available in support of the additional costs incurred in the provision of bilingual education. At the moment there are no legislative provisions to enable us to do this, but my right hon. and learned Friend is giving further consideration to the matter in the light of views expressed by the local authority associations in Wales.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales (1) if he will publish a new development control policy note on "The Welsh Language in Planning" to give effect to recommendation 45 of the final report of the Council for the Welsh Language "Dyfodol i'r Iaith Gymraeg— A Future for the Welsh Language";
(2) what plans he has to implement paragraphs 8, 43 and 46, of the final report of the Council for the Welsh Language "Dyfodel i'r faith Gymraeg— A Future for the Welsh Language" to provide bilingual forms and other documents as well as bilingual traffic signs;
(3) if he will implement the recommendation in paragraph 40, 41 and 46 of the final report of the Council for the Welsh Language "Dyfodol i'r Iaith Gymraeg—A Future for the Welsh Language" and make available in the current financial year the additional sum of £20,000 to increase and improve the supply of reading material in Welsh, especially for young mothers and their children;
(4) if he will examine the implication of Section 76 of the Education Act 1944 to ensure that parents are given an tin-fettered right to education through the medium of Welsh for their children as recommended in paragraph 32 of the final report of the Council for the Welsh Language "Dyfodol i'r Iaith Gymraeg—A Future for the Welsh Language";
(5) whether he will now review Section 8 of the Education Act 1944 to ascertain whether it needs to be amended to require 515W local education authorities to provide adequate bilingual primary and secondary schools as recommended in paragraph 32 of the final report of the Council for the Welsh Language "Dyfodol i'r Iaith Gymraeg—A Future for the Welsh Language";
(6) whether he will introduce legislation to seek to amend Section 100(1)(b) of the Education Act 1944 to enable him to pay additional specific grants to local education authorities in Wales to extend bilingual education as adumbrated in paragraph 33 of the final report of the Council for Welsh Language "Dyfodol i'r faith Gymraeg—A Future for the Welsh Language";
(7) whether he will now authorise his Department to conduct a campaign for information on bilingualism as advocated in paragraphs 8, 9, 12, 18, 23, 46 and 49 of the final report of the Council for the Welsh Language "Dyfodol i'r Iaith Gymraeg—A Future for the Welsh Language";
(8) whether he accepts the view expressed by the Council for the Welsh Language in paragraph 14 of its final report "Dyfodol i'r laith Gymraeg—A Future for the Welsh Language" that the concept of equal validity is totally inadequate to the needs of the Welsh language today;
(9) when he proposes to introduce legislation to give effect to the recommendation in paragraphs 46 and 48 to 50 of the Council for the Welsh Language final report "Dyfodol i'r faith Gymraeg—A Future for the Welsh Language" to set up a permanent public body to replace the Council for the Welsh Language;
(10) whether he accepts the conclusion expressed in paragraphs 3, 8, 9 and 13 to 22 of the final report of the Council for the Welsh Language "Dyfodol i'r Iaith Gymraeg—A Future for the Welsh Language", that the Government should take the lead and announce a positive policy of effective bilingualism in Wales;
(11) whether he will now establish a division within his Department as advocated in paragraph 49 of the final report of the Council for the Welsh Language "Dyfodol i'r Iaith Gymraeg—A Future for the Welsh Language";
(12) whether he accepts the conclusion in paragraphs 46 and 48 to 50 of the final report of the Council for the Welsh 516W Language, "Dyfodol i'r Iaith Gymraeg—A Future for the Welsh Language", that he should make a public announcement about his intention to set up a permanent body to replace the Council for the Welsh Language; and if he will now make a statement;
(13) whether he accepts the statement in paragraph 4 of the final report of the Council for the Welsh Language, "Dyfodol i'r Iaith Gymraeg—A Future for the Welsh Language", that a successor body to the council should be established forthwith;
(14) if he will publish a White Paper setting out the Government's response to "Dyfodol i'r Iaith Gymraeg—A Future for the Welsh Language", the final report of the Council for the Welsh Language.
§ Mr. John MorrisThe report will have to be considered carefully by a wide cross-section of the public in Wales before the Government can complete their consideration of the recommendations. The Government would welcome widespread public discussion of the report.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales how many local education authorities have appointed (a) full-time tutors in Welsh for adults and (b) a full-time staff with special administrative responsibility for teaching Welsh to adults, following the recommendations in paragraphs 35 and 36 of the report of the Council for the Welsh Language, "Dysgu Cymraeg i Oedolion—Welsh for Adults".
§ Mr. Barry JonesI am having inquiries made and will write to the hon. Member.
§ Mr. D. E. Thomasasked the Secretary of State for Wales what action he has taken to draw to the attention of local education authorities in Wales the recommendations in paragraphs 22 and 32 of the Council for the Welsh Language report "Dysgu Cymraeg i Oedolion—Welsh for Adults".
§ Mr. Barry JonesThe Council for the Welsh Language itself arranged to draw the attention of local education authorities to all the conclusions and recommendation of this report.