Editorial
Page 4
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The missing Under Secretary
THE NEW DEPARTMENT of Transport under Tom King is a return to the former Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation. It now embraces civil aviation,. shipping and marine responsibilities.
This is a logical step and in some measure augurs well for the entire transport industry. The new Secretary of State, with additional responsibilities, can now be expected to have a more authoritative voice in Government.
But all is not logical. The new and expanded department will function, as did its predecessor, with but two Under Secretaries. Their responsibilities in terms of work load have presumably been well balanced but Mrs Chalker may think she has been overloaded with areas of responsibility if not volume. Her sector looks very "bitty".
David Mitchell has responsibility for the mainstream sectors with "road freight" tucked in with railways, ports, shipping and aviation. This looks ominous.
Can one person afford the time which each sector will demand? Is there anyone so new to the subject who will readily appreciate the separate interests and problems of all modes? We think not.
By the very nature of things, much will be left undone that ought to be done. Or does the Government consider that even with additional areas of responsibility the workload will not increase?
Yet another Under Secretary is required if the new department is to function efficiently.