Dithering over White Paper
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FROM OUR POLITICAL CORRESPONDENT
AT the beginning of this week Ministers were still undecided about what to put into the Labour Government's first White Paper on transport and what to leave out.
I understand that the document which finally left the Transport Ministry for the Cabinet's blessing was nowhere near as comprehensive as some Ministers would have liked it to be.
There were, of course, the details of how the national freight set-up will link the railways and the State road haulage system, but much of the rest of it appeared to be a highly theoretical document about what traffic should move where in the long term, and how.
Most significant, and in some cases irritating, was what was P70i there. Nothing,
for instance, to relieve the chronic rural bus finance problems. And, strangely, nothing concrete about future railway finances apart from things like a repeat of the promises to give subsidies for "socially necessary" services.
In the light of Mrs. Castle's recent ex periences with road haulage and to take note of strong views in the Cabinet—there may be some revisions or additions. It has been known for a major White Paper to be completely rewritten at Cabinet level within days of publication.
But at the moment it can be taken that Labour's final words on the subject are being reserved for some other time. The object at present is to get the National Freight Authority or Corporation on its way.