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136 
WESTM NSTER HAUL
Page 7
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FROM the occasional, and probably untypical, glimpses one has on television of youngsters in the streets of Ulster, it seems that the only things they want to send flying through the air are bricks or bottles.
All that could be about to change. however. Now they will be able to hold the Strings of kites soaring through the skies — thanks to the Roads (Northern Ireland) Order.
For this measure, approved last week by the Commons, stops it being an offence to fly kites on the road. And, for good measure, if any Ulsterman should be so inclined, he will be able to skin beasts or winnow corn on the highway without running foul of the law.
Who said that Northern Ireland was the same as Great Britain? As the Province's Under Secretary of State Philip Goodhart pointed out, some of the road laws date back to William IV — no, he's not the one connected with the green, grassy banks of the Boyne.
Recalling that the Grand Jury (Ireland) Act of 1836 operated until now, Mr Goodhart was, one felt, rather understating the case when he said that some provisions were no longer relevant to today's world.
The 0 ..ier brings things up to date. Whether it is giving the Department of the Environment for Northern Ireland power to scour, clean and keep open roadside drains, or making it an offence to allow material to fall from a vehicle causing danger or substantial inconvenience to road users, the Order puts the road rules in order.
Though whether fences will have to be erected to curb golfers who habitually hook or slice their tee shots was not revealed. Mr Goodhart would say nothing beyond the fact that there had been some anxious discussions in the Department of the Environment about golf courses.
He did not go into details about fences because of the time of day, or rather night as the debate started at one minute past three in the morning, and went on for an hour and a quarter, he had a point.
But despite the fact that they would rather have been in their beds, a good number of MPs stayed on to discuss the measure and its effects.
The Rev Ian Paisley found time in his speech to put in a word for youngsters who wanted to play football on the road, while William Ross, who represents Londonderry, spoke with personal feeling of the danger of a hen flying across your windscreen.
That was the worst road hazard mentioned. Not a word about landmines or ambushes . . all in all a most unusual and refreshing debate about Ulster.