The Bill: more regional lobbying
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• Last week's meeting of the Northern division of TRTA with the Northern group of Labour MPs was a highly successful operation, I understand. More than half of the 30-strong group of MPs made time to attend the 70-minute session. By special arrangement, Mr. Ted Leadbitter, MP, one of the three Northern members serving on the committee examining the Transport Bill, chaired the meeting, writes John Darker.
The MPs praised the factual examples of increased costs included in the memorandum (CM last week). They expressed much sympathy with the viewpoint of the delegation, noting the wide range of interests represented.
Many questions were asked by the MPs. One suggested that too much was being made of the incidence of the new mileage charges; the £15 a mile would only apply to a small minority of loads, he suggested.
The delegation countered by instancing a typical Northern regional load involving a mileage charge of "only" 32s, which would increase the haulage charges by 100 per cent.
After the formal meeting broke up, four MPs, including Mr. Leadbitter and Mr. T. Irwin (group secretary) adjourned for refreshments and discussed detailed points for a further three hours.
It seems probable that other specialist TRTA delegations will be encouraged by the initiative of the Northern division to seek meetings with regional groups of Labour MPs. Similar meetings are also planned by RHA area delegations, I understand, more particularly prior to the discussion of quantity licensing, drivers' hours and new taxes.