Comment DBCC-8165

I am fully supportive of the push to increase the use of the Welsh language and I have learnt Welsh myself since moving to Wales from England. However, Wales remains a bilingual nation, with many residents only able to speak English. It is very normal for mature bi- or trilingual countries to have placenames in each language, e.g., Geneva (English exonym) is known as Geneve, Genf and Ginevra in French, German and Italian respectively. Of course, when referring to this city, you use the name it has in whichever language you are speaking, and the same ought to go for Welsh placenames. While I support a Welsh-first approach, I believe a Welsh-only policy excludes a sizeable proportion who do not speak Welsh, potentially making them feel less welcome in their home country. There should be an official English translation for the benefit of English-only speakers in Wales as well as those outside Wales (such as UK-wide media) who are likely to be more familiar with the English placenames. There's no point telling someone from Norfolk that Jo Bloggs has been elected in Sir Gar or Casnewydd, when they're much more likely to know where Carmarthenshire or Newport is.

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