Wait and see says Govt
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A NEW-STYLE British Transport Commission is unlikely tc be the overlord of the integrated transport system which wit figure prominently in the Government's long-awaited policy document.
"The Government has not yet decided on the best frameworli to be adopted, but there are considerable doubts about the wis. dom of having a mammoth national transport planninf authority," Mr Kenneth Marks, Under-Secretary DoE, told thE Commons.
He pointed out that the Government required local authoritie: to produce long-term transport policies and programmes.
"If we were to transfer responsibility for this to a nevi authority, whether at central, regional or local level, it woult involve considerable upheaval and expense without any corres ponding benefit.
Mr Marks, who was givini the Government view during debate on transport policy, wa! replying to fierce criticisn from both sides of the House but was able to offer nothiro much beyond "Wait for th consultative paper."
He noted that it was eigh years since the last majo transport policy review, an( promised that the document— to be issued in a few weeks time would "set out genera directions for transport policy including the type of frame work that will be necessar: to achieve integration at botl national and local level."
It was not the Government': intention to slash the railways Public transport had not bee] neglected but there was . realisation that there could no be open-ended subsidies.
Investment levels for th next five years would be as nounced in the next Whit Paper on Public ExpenditurE added Mr Marks. In view ,c1 the present urgent need t restrain public expenditurE investment levels were unlikel. to rise substantially in mi. terms.
Mr Marks did not respond t requests for information abou the Government's views o quantity licensing. All h offered was . "it has bee considered on a number c occasions . . it is significar that it has not been accepted.
There was said Mr Marks difference of opinion on If side of •the House on th matter. The TUC said that th effect of quantity licensin would be very slight. VENING last week's debate n the Commons on transport mlicy, Mr Phillip Whitehead Labour, Derby North) said he lid not see an integrated policy :oming over the horizon.
Mr Whitehead criticised the [968 Transport Act as "a cornmrative failure." It intended hat British Rail would be Oven first refusal for carrying ong-distance freight, yet now qational Carriers Ltd and Freightliners •Ltd were deliberitely turning from rail to road, !allowing an increase in BR !reight charges.
The Bristol National Carriers iepot was road orientated, and ;o were the Freightliner termilals at Sheffield and Hull, said VIr Whitehead. The Hull-Liver3001 Freightliner was entirely trunked by road. All the National Carrier vehicles, in:ended for short distances mly, were now covering very