§ 1. Mr. Costainasked the Minister of Transport whether he will now give an estimate of the total cost of changing speed limit and other signs relating to distances and dimensions when the metric system is adopted.
§ The Minister of Transport (Mr. Richard Marsh)I cannot at present add to the reply I gave to the hon. Member on 21st April. Until we have completed our consultations with interested bodies, I shall not be able to make a firm estimate of the total cost of converting these signs to the metric system.—[Vol. 782, c. 20–21.]
§ Mr. CostainDoes the Minister appreciate that there is some public feeling against the cost of changing the signs? 2 If his mind is made up over land miles, will he be certain that he does not introduce a system of metric nautical chart, which will further add to the cost and confusion?
§ Mr. MarshI am almost certain that the question of nautical miles will not be within my responsibility. The problem with road signs is that, given the background of the decision to go metric, it would be almost impossible to have one set of measurements in imperial measure.