GLC attacked
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TRANSPORT MINISTER Lynda Chalker has attacked the Greater London Council for under funding London transport.
In a fierce attack on the GLC, Mrs Chalker told Chelsea Young Conservatives last week that over the past four years the Council had "diverted" E82m allocated for transport capital spending to other purposes.
The worst year for under spending was 1981/82, with only £157m spent, although the Transport Supplementary Grant for capital spending was £204m. Despite this massive underspending the TSG in 1984/85 will be raised to £215m.
Yet the GLC was complaining that its capital allocation had been cut and it needed an extra £40m.
"Why should we listen to the GLC? Their pleas to be allowed to spend more would carry conviction if they had not underspent so much in the past, and if they had not been squandering so much taxpayers' and ratepayers' money on current spending," said Mrs Chalker.
She also attacked the GLC's interference with London Transport's own plans. LT's subsidies now stood at £200m a year compared with £90m in 1981.
She accused it of procrastinating over the cost saving proposals put forward by LT.
The Monopolies and Mergers Commission report on bus maintenance (see p20) showed how costs had risen yet the GLC had done nothing to help LT organise its maintenance.
"Rather than provide transport services as efficiently and reliably as possible, they regard LT's role as job provision, whether or not those jobs are needed," she said.
Commenting on the MMC report, Transport Secretary Nicholas Ridley said he deplored the negative response of the GLC to the management's cost saving proposals.