Armitage movelsoon' hints Minister Howell
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NIEW TRANSPORT SECRETARY David Howell won praise for ;peaking "like a real transport man" last week, as a busy schedule tept him in close contact with leading members of the industry.
The words of praise came irom Freight Transport Nssociation president Len )ayne, who led a powerful ielegation of transport and ndustry representatives to press Or Howell to take action over the krmitage Report, and to show agency over the question of leavier vehicles.
Describing himself as "the istening Minister", Mr Howell old the FTA's conference in .ondon last Thursday (see p38) hat he is still amassing Tformation about the industry, iut added: "You have lost no roe in impressing upon me the easons why industry needs eavier vehicles, and the enefits they would bring to the conomy as a whole." Mr Howell, who paid a warm tribute to his predecessor, Norman Fowler, repeated the Government's view that "such a contentious issue" as the Armitage Report has to be given consideration, but oCered the conference an olive branch of sorts, by saying: "I hope it will be possible to come to decisions very soon."
The delegates had also pressed Mr Howell to consider basing tax on lorries upon pure tax costs and to reduce dery prices to European levels, thus saving £950m a year.
But it got cold comfort on that score, with the new Minister pointing only to the fact that the differential tax on dery had been reversed (he did not mention