§ 1. Mr. Gwynfor Evansasked the Secretary of State for Wales if he will send a circular to Welsh road authorities urging the use of the proper form of Welsh place names on all road signs.
§ The Paymaster-General (Mrs. Judith Hart)I have been asked to reply.
There is nothing that my right hon. Friend can add to the Answer he gave the hon. Member on 6th November last year.—[Vol. 772, c. 129.]
§ Mr. EvansIs the right hon. Lady aware that some of the most eminent and highly respected non-political leaders in Wales are increasingly supporting the very reasonable demand that our place names should be used, that our national language should be used on road signs, and that our language should be given 210 equality of status with English in a country where it has been spoken for almost 2,000 years? Why are the Government dragging their feet in these matters?
§ Mrs. HartWith respect to the hon. Gentleman, I do not think that he fully understands the nature of the responsibilities exercised respectively by local authorities and by the Government in this matter. If the local population of Wales, in any area, wish their towns to be renamed, or the road signs to be redesigned, it is for them to influence their local community, and the Government will not stand in their way.