Transport dept must lave Cabinet status'
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)AD Haulage Association airman John Silbermann Id that the RHA is glad to see at the Department of Transrt will remain a separate )vernment division under administration — but he is ;appointed that the new ansport Minister, Norman ,wler will not be a cabinet nister.
And he added that this new rangement was a comprose under which Mr Fowler )uld attend Cabinet ?etings but would not be a [I Cabinet ranking minister. Speaking at the RHA annual mer in London earlier this .ek, Mr Silbermann said ase two wishes were essen1 to maintain and improve e status of the road haulage histry — the RHA's prime ncern.
But he does not favour yet other committee of inquiry to the economic and en-onmental impact of lorries, which would, he feels, be costly and unnecessary.
In a wide-ranging address, Mr Silbermann repeated the theme of earlier speeches in stressing the importance of the lorry to the national economy. "Without lorries the economy would not function!"
On the subject of heavier lorries, he said: "We require conditions at least equal to those under which lorries operate in other EEC member states.
"The heavier lorry has two outstanding advantages — it neither occupies greater road space than present vehicles, nor will it create greater visual intrusion in the road scene. It will, however, help to contain the ever-rising transport costs, with worthwhile results in the fight against inflation."
Looking back to the strike at the beginning of the year, Mr Silbermann said that it illustrated the need for national rather than local negotiations. He spoke of the RHA's repeated demands to the last Government to establish a national statutory joint industrial council in the road haulage industry.
Despite public criticism of the industry, Mr Silbermann pointed to recent investigations by the Price Commission and the Foster Committee, which showed that the road haulage industry was highly competitive and its customers satisfied.
Mr Silbermann concluded his speech by urging his audience to visit the RHA's Road Transport Show in Brighton in October, and quoting the Association's latest slogan that the lorry is "Going Places for You!"