Transport policy speed-up?
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Mrs. Castle sees PM THE new Minister of Transport, Mrs. Barbara
Castle, took the problems of her department to Downing Street on Monday for a personal discussion with the Prime Minister, writes our Political Correspondent.
Although she had been at the Ministry only for a few days, Mrs. Castle had prepared a rapid assessment of Mr. Fraser's old headaches. It can be expected, however, that Mr. Wilson did most of the talking on this occasion: It is thought that the Prime Minister wants to see a speeding up of the integration plans which Labour has promised to give to Parliament. Transport policy is in danger of joining steel as the weak link in the Wilson administration, and this is the main reason why Mrs. Castle has been moved to St. Christopher House.
She is likely to have been instructed to speed up work on the many studies being carried out in preparation for the new policy line. Questions still to be decided include levels and priorities for future transport investment, the division of cash resources allocated to road and rail, and the chances of persuading users to choose rail rather than road transport to move their goods.
There is also the continuing crisis over British Railways' operating deficits. The massive Government aid limits set by the Tories when Dr. Beeching was appointed are perilously close to running out, and the Cabinet will soon have to decide about a renewal.
The Railways Board has been asked to investigate their operations urgently. The toooptimistic forecast of their freight operations, taken earlier this year, is one matter on which there will have to be a full explanation given at Cabinet level.