Whitehall tightens grip on transport grant
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• A totally new system of Government grants for local transport projects, with Whitehall and county authorities together deciding what the money should be spent on — for instance buses in one area, roads in another — was forecast last week by Mr Peter Walker, Secretary of State for the Environment.
"I have come to the conclusion that one of the mistakes of the past system, as operated by all Governments, has been that we have provided from central Government a diversity of grants for transport in all its forms — certain percentage grants for certain categories of roads, different percentage grants for other categories of toads, bus grants, subsidies for uneconomic railway lines and such matters", he told MPs.
"Sometimes these fixed grants have created a position where local authorities have often given the wrong priorities in their transport investment to enjoy a higher level of grant which is available for a particular type of transport facility.
"It is for that reason that my Department is moving to the concept of negotiating new block grant system whereby we sha have a look at the total transportatio problems of an area and examine th priorities.
"Perhaps there would be much mot provided for public railway and bt transport in certain localities, or much mot provided for ring roads or urban roads i other localities.
"It is only when we start to look at th total problem over a wider area tha districts that we can bring in a system c Government financing that will in any wa meet the enormous challenge that will fac this country in transportation problems." tot to press on with an amendment to the .,ocal Government Bill which would have ;iven district councils wider powers in espect of roads. The Opposition insisted on vote and the proposed changes were ejected by 129 votes to 78.
Mr Walker announced that he had asked ?rof Colin Buchanan to head a new faculty o train the transport planners of the future. 3ne thing this country lacked, he said, was
high number of qualified, trained staff to neet the total transport problems with which we were faced. To try to fragment hose skills over 300 districts would be a 3onsiderable mistake.
"The problems of the past are nothing :ompared with those which are going to ffect the country", warned Mr Walker. "A iramatic change is about to take place." Mr Walker revealed this neN Government thinking when he urged MP