Road-rail split OK Rodgers
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TRANSPORT Minister William Rodgers last week rejected a suggestion from a Tory MP that he should seek an assurance from the TGWU general secretary that the union would not act against companies installing railway sidings.
"I should not want to speak to Moss Evans precisely in those terms," said Mr Rodgers, when the idea was put to him in the Commons.
He thought that Mr Evans fully recognised the importance of a co-ordinated transport system in which road and rail carried that part of freight which was best suited to them.
He was replying to Michael McNair-Wilson (Tory, Newbury) who hadd looked for an assurance from Mr Evans that the Union would neither employ or threaten to use industrial action against companies which had installed or were contemplating installing rail sidings by using a section 8 grant. The Minister observed that he was glad to welcome the development of section 8 grants — he had had considerable pleasure in opening a major scheme only three weeks earlier.