Tories challenge Transport Act 'benefit'
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• Mr. Richard Marsh's claim that he expected the Transport Act to show a net benefit to the nation's trade and industry was at once challenged by the Tories in the Commons this week.
One of their transport spokesmen, Mr. Gordon Campbell, asked the Minister to account for the massive discrepancy between his estimate and that of trade and industry, whose assessment of the cost was a great deal larger.
Mr. Marsh replied that if Mr. Campbell was referring to the recent figure quoted by the Road Haulage Association, the problem was that he had seen the figure but not the calculation.
Mr. Michael Heseltine pointed out that trade and industry were major contributors to the rates and he urged the Minister to publish the cost to them of putting the railway loss on the backs of the ratepayers of Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool, as he had already published it for Newcastle.
Mr. Marsh agreed to do this. There was, he said, no secret about these things. The Newcastle figures had been available and as soon as others were, then obviously they would be given.
Mr. William Molloy said that many people would measure the cost of the Act not merely on a financial basis but on the fact that it would bring some sanity to this great industry and would ultimately improve the quality of life for those concerned.