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Welsh Language

Volume 808: debated on Thursday 17 December 1970

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asked the Secretary of State for Wales what is the total amount of public money provided in 1969–70 for encouraging the Welsh language—in terms of expenditure on Welsh books, school and educational publications, aid to Welsh language periodicals, aid to Welsh language organisations such as the Urdd; and how this compares with 1963–64.

Except for direct Government grants, it is not possible to make a meaningful comparison between the two years because of intervening administrative and other changes. The Government grant to assist the publication of books in the Welsh language was £4,500 in 1963–64 and £7,500 in 1969–70. The grant to Urdd Gobaith Cymru under the Social and Physical Training Grant Regulations 1939, which is related to its youth work, was £7,500 in 1963–64 and £10,800 in 1969–70. The Welsh Arts Council did not start its present policy of aiding literary works until 1966; in 1969–70 it allocated £1,950 to books, and £3,278 to periodicals, in the Welsh language. The Children's Welsh Books Scheme administered by the Welsh Joint Education Committee also did not begin until 1966, and details of the separate amounts spent by local education authorities on Welsh publications before that year are not available. In 1969–70 expenditure under the Scheme was £55,440.