White Paper spin-offs due in the spring
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• The Government has promised that its long delayed Transport White paper "daughter documents", including the one on freight, will be released by the end of spring. Responding to concerns from transport select committee members last week, Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott (pictured) told them in a meeting that the release of a number of the documents had been delayed to make sure that every possibility was considered.
"There is no point rushing," Prescott added. "We have to make sure they are correct."
He said the DOT had already managed to release a number of daughter documents, including, the Strategic Roads Review. The freight daughter document was due to be published last Autumn.
However, despite giving no particular reason for the delays, he promised that the Transport Bill would be heard as part of the next Parliamentary session. Road haulage issues were barely touched on at the meeting. However, Transport Minister John Reid announced that the DOT will be investigating the possibility of a rail freight route between Stranraer and Carlisle. A road safety review will be made this year.