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Welsh Affairs

The hon. Gentleman makes an important point, and I shall answer it in a moment. It is not good enough in this instance for us to be told that the Assembly will decide the measures—how it will use the new powers—if the LCO is passed. We cannot take a ““suck it and see”” approach. We need to know now and in some detail the implications of the measures for jobs, the economy and the voluntary sector in Wales. I have many friends whose first language is Welsh, and I celebrated with some of them at a 40th wedding anniversary party last week. They do not want to become part of some linguistic crachach, in which jobs are reserved for the 20 per cent. of our countrymen and women who are bilingual and denied to the 80 per cent. who are not. Let us have the consultation and the debate we need—let the people of Wales speak. I encourage every business, voluntary group and individual to write to their MP and AM, the Welsh Secretary and the First Minister and ask questions—starting with questions about what the LCO will mean for them, their company or the charity they work for.