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National Assembly for Wales (Legislative Competence) (Welsh Language)

As I am approaching the halfway point of my parliamentary career, it might take some time to reflect upon the changes that have occurred in relation to the Welsh language during my first 20 years in Parliament. Nearly all the changes have been beneficial. Very little of the malice and poison of the language debate throughout most of the past century is present now. We heard an example of it this morning when the hon. Member for Monmouth had another one of his junior moments, but I suppose that we should be grateful that he spared time from his busy duties as a constable to be with us. Obviously, he cannot be here for a whole day because he is probably on Primrose hill inspecting whether any unauthorised erections have appeared. Nevertheless, he speaks with the authentic voice of the past. Rather than discuss the intricacies of the LCO, I want to talk about the joy of the Welsh language and how satisfactory this process has been. I thank my right hon. Friend the Member for Cardiff, South and Penarth for lifting part of the burden of guilt that I carry around with me, because in my book, ““Dragons Led by Poodles””, I made an unkind remark suggesting that his knowledge of Welsh was similar to the command of English of my right hon. Friend the Member for Kingston upon Hull, East (Mr. Prescott). I have regretted that ever since, owing to my own knowledge of Welsh and the problems that everyone who has learnt it as a second language has.