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Tories will oppose road

29th March 1968, Page 34
29th March 1968
Page 34
Page 34, 29th March 1968 — Tories will oppose road
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Which of the following most accurately describes the problem?

licenceincrease from our political correspondent

• A seven-ton lorry costs .E9 more a week to run today than it did in 1964. This price paid by hauliers for the privilege of Labour government was given by Mr. Peter Walker, Shadow Transport Minister, in a speech in Liverpool at the weekend.

Despite describing the Budget as a "humiliating defeat" for Mrs. Castle, he added that the Tories would be voting against the proposals to increase the commercial vehicle licences.

"The Chancellor has not only given freight the additional burden of extra motor vehicle duties, but has also increased the fuel tax", he complained.

MPs are wondering if the exclusion of the wear and tear tax and the abnormal load tax from the Transport Bill is the end of them for ever.

In a statement, Mrs. Castle said she had told the Chancellor it would not be right to have his increased duties and her new charge "at the same time".

She made quite clear that her abnormal loads charge was being sidetracked with reluctance. "The case remains valid", she said. "The fact is that this section of the road haulage industry is not meeting the true costs it imposes, and is in effect being subsidized by the community.

"But with the new situation created by the Budget proposals I felt that it would not be right to impose these charges in present circumstances." The inference behind those carefully chosen words seems to be obvious.

The Minister obviously believes that she and Chancellor Jenkins have done everybody a favour by hoisting commercial vehicle taxation in the Budget. Grandly she let it be known that the guillotined Transport Bill would spend the same time in Committee despite the loss of 24 Clauses and two Schedules covering the dropped charges.

This would mean an extra 21 hours for discussion of the rest of the Bill, giving an average of 70 minutes available for each Clause—a favourable comparison with the average of 55 minutes per Clause of the Marples Transport Bill in 1962.

*Footnote: Amendments are rolling in more slowly now, though they have exceeded the 2.000 mark. Among the latest is a Tory effort to exclude household furniture removals from the need for quantity licences.

Tags

Organisations: Labour government
People: Peter Walker
Locations: Liverpool

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