Hauliers still target for State ownership
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from our political correspondent
SECTIONS of the road haulage industry remain a prime target for further State takeovers.
This is made plain in Industry Secretary Tony Eienn's White Paper on the Government's nationalization plans published on Thursday of last week.
But no indication about the scope or timing of the operations is given in the White Paper.
The document merely records the terms of Labour's 1974 General Election manifesto, which declared the Government's intention to include parts of the road haulage industry among those industries in which it would takeover "profitable sections or individual firms where a public holding is essential to plan the national economy in the national interest".
An Environment depart ment spokesman said the Government would be looking at the question of extending public ownership in road haulage in the context of the whole of its transport policy.
"It is too early to discuss what parts of the industry may be involved or the means by which the public section might be enlarged," the spokesman added. "No decisions have yet been taken."
From this it is apparent that the industry's future will continue to be shrouded in uncertainty to the determent of new investment in all but the shortest term.
Basically, the White Paper provides the Government with a blank cheque for nationalization by two methods: 0 through a National Enterprise Board with power to take a controlling or 100 per cent interest "by agreement" in any company; or: O through Planning Agreements setting up a partnership between Government and private enterprise firms.
Nationalization of a company would be done by specific Act of Parliament and the Government pledges "prompt and fair compensation to existing share holders".
The Planning Agreements, which would run for three years, are, it is thought, more likely to concern manufacturing industry rather than a service industry like road haulage where "straight" nationalization of a particular area is likely to be the chosen instrument.