The Welsh government has used the Klingon language to respond to serious questions about UFO sightings in Wales. Instead of the native language of an alien warrior species living in the Star Trek universe, English and Welsh are usually the official languages of Wales.
It all started when Conservative politician Darren Millar, the shadow health minister, put three questions on the table to Edwina Hart of Labour, the economy, science and transport minister:
- Can the Minister indicate how many reports of unidentified flying objects there have been at Cardiff Airport since the takeover by the Welsh Government?
- What discussions has the Welsh Government had with the Ministry of Defense regarding sightings of unidentified flying objects in Wales in each of the past five years?
- What consideration has the Welsh Government given to funding research into sightings of unidentified flying objects in Wales?
The response from the Welsh Government was as follows: “jang vIDa je due luq. ‘ach ghotvam’e’ QI’yaH-decentralized qaS.” If we use the Ars Orbiting HQ universal translation matrix, that roughly means “The Minister will answer in due course. However, this is a non-decentralized matter.” A non-devolved issue, also known as a reserved issue, is one that can only be resolved by the full UK Parliament rather than the devolved Welsh Assembly.
Millar, a little miffed at the Welsh government’s reaction, returned with a zinger of his own. “I always suspected Labor ministers came from another planet,” he said. “This response confirms it.” A Conservative party spokesman also defended Millar’s unusual way of asking questions: “Darren submitted these questions after voters contacted him.”
An official, probably bilingual answer from Edwina Hart on the issue of UFOs in Wales will be out before July 15, although it probably won’t contain much information if it’s a non-decentralized issue.
There have been a number of alleged UFO sightings in Wales over the years, including a quite high-profile case on Berwyn Mountain in 1974. However, declassified government files later suggested that this particular incident was caused by the combined effects of a meteor and an earthquake. In general, Wales is home to a large number of Royal Air Force (RAF) bases. These are the likely basis for many of the UFO sightings rather than alien joyriding.