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WES TM NS TER HAUL

3rd February 1978
Page 7
Page 7, 3rd February 1978 — WES TM NS TER HAUL
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

PERHAPS it was the thought of road signs combining Welsh and metrication . . perhaps it was part of a campaign to get as much work as possible done by Whitehall before the Principality gets a measure of independence . . . the motives were not made clear, but Welsh Nationalist MPs were very concerned about road furniture last week.

It was all done very quietly, almost behind the scenes — the only driving matter which led to any chit-chat in the Commons was anti-Europe Tory Neil Marten getting upset at the thought of Euro-driving licences.

The Welsh dialogue was conducted entirely by written question and answer, a restrained method of obtaining information, but, nevertheless, one which often has its rewards for t he assiduous reader (last week, for instance, Chancellor Healey revealed that he had not been paid for his talented two and a half minute appearance in that BBC television pantomime).

But we digress; enough of pantomimes. Back to Welsh road signs, and enter Plaid Cymru leader Gwynfor Evans.

The cost of changing from miles to kilometres in Wales? About £750,000, with only minimal alteration needed in most cases. Could mean that one day a few Welsh unemployed will be joining the 17 who, Mr Evans was told, are employed making road signs in Welsh county council workshops.

Fellow Nationalist Dafydd Wigley approached the signs from a different angle — for instance, how many bilingual signs on main roads combined the two languages, and how many had two separate signs?

Alas the Welsh Office did not know, and was not prepared to spend money to find out, though junior Minister Barry Jones did volunteer the not very startling information that in most cases Welsh and English was shown on the same mounting.

But amid all this concern for their native country, Messrs Evans and Wigley spared a thought for lesser nations. One learned that the cost of erecting a large advance direction sign on an English motorway was £4,000, and that the bill for metrication of signs in Scotland would be about £1 million.

It was, however, an Englishman — that same Mr Marten — who managed to get metric signs, whether in Wales, Scotland or England, put firmly in their place.

What, he asked, were the advantages of substituting kilometres for miles?

Bubbling over with non-enthusiasm, Transport Minister William Rodgers wrote: "Apart from the advantages that attach to the metric system generally, an answer should await the period of consultation that will precede any decisions."


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