Prescott forum will discuss help for small operators
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• by Karen Miles
The first hint of financial help for hauliers emerged this week, as Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott revealed that "special assistance" might be available for small operators. This is the first positive response to the series of anti-vehicle excise and fuel duty protests. Prescott said the Road Haulage Industry Forum will look at a range of other issues, such as offering special assistance to small haulage businesses".
The forum is made up of hauliers and drivers representatives and ministers from the Department of Transport, the Department of Trade &Industry and the Treasury.
It remains to be seen if Prescott's remark will weaken hauliers' support for next week's nationwide protests. The forum meets every week, but no date has been set for the next appearance by ministers.
The term "special assistance" could suggest some kind of subsidy or rebate, butt is not clear how the Government would
classify ,a small haulier. A DOT spokeswoman declines to give any details, saying it will "all be discussed at the forum".
Operators are likely to welcome Prescott's remarks, which were part of a response to Paul Marsden after the Labour MP for Shrewsbury & Atcham had submitted a petition from 160 rural road hauliers.
However, Prescott stresses that the Government still believes the UK haulage industry is "more than capable of competing with its European counterparts" and that Budget tax measures aimed at producing a "more dynamic business sector_will assist the road haulage industry".