Haulage Is excluded from Labour's state plan

20th September 1974, Page 71

20th September 1974

Page 71

Page 71, 20th September 1974 — Haulage Is excluded from Labour's state plan

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from our political correspondent

ROAD HAULAGE remains excluded from the Labour Party's list of industries for outright nationalization. Labour's , election manifesto merely makes a vague commitment to "extend public ownership of road haulage". It would appear that it will be left to the proposed National Enterprises Board to select individual road haulage firms for State participation or a controlling interest.

A new Industry Act will provide for a system of planning agreements between the Government and key companies to ensure that their plans are "in harmony with national needs and objectives".

A special section of the manifesto is devoted to the transport industry.

"The energy crisis has underlined CEP, objectives to move as much traffic as possible from road to rail and tb water and to develop public transport to make us less dependent upon the private car," the manifesto says.

The Government stresses its plans to provide new private railway sidings for firms and other freight facilities. Priority would be given in a road-building programme to the creation of a "comprehensive heavy lorry network to divert the lorries now thundering through towns and villages. We shall continue to discourage the building of urban motorways".

The manifesto says: "Proposals had been issued to bring all commercial ports and cargo handling into public ownership and control with a radical extension of worker participation in the industry."