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Road cuts must be restored'
Page 32
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ONE of the things that Mrs. Castle must do, and do quickly, was to restore to the road programme the cuts that were made in it last July. But she must also say that the progress lost would be restored, and that no further cuts would be made.
This was said by The Rt. Hon. Sir Martin Redmayne, Tory MP for Rushcliffe. Notts, speaking at Nuthall last week.
The road user paid £1,000m. a year in taxation to use the roads. But there were not enough roads. The railways received well over £100m. a year to meet their deficit on revenue account. But there were too many railways.
"Now we are told that if the taxpayer would meet the cost of maintaining the track, that would meet the deficit, and all would be well", said Sir Martin.
"The railways owe the taxpayer some £1,500m. capital of which £700m. is in suspense and £800m. is interest bearing."
The £800m. was due for repayment in instalments of £45m. per annum, of which the first two had been postponed by the Government to the 1990s. On top of this was the annual deficit.
"And it is in this situation that we face delay with closures, with liner trains, with concentration of trunk routes, with union co-operation over manning—all because of the lack of a decisive lead from the Government."