Tories plan new transport policy
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frOm our political correspondent WORK is well advanced on preparation of a draft of the Conservative plans for road haulage to be included in the Party's next General Election manifesto.
It is expected to be in the 'hands of Sir Keith Joseph, Shadow Cabinet member with overall responsibility for policy and research, by the end of next month.
The document, which covers all aspects of transport, is in course of preparation by two committees appointed by Mrs Margaret Thatcher.
The main work has been done by an advisory committee under the chairmanship of Mr Marcus Fox, MP for Shipley, who is front bench spokesman on transport. With the help of experts from outside, the committee has been examining all aspects of transport ranging from road and rail to waterways, civil aviation and oil pipelines.
At the same time another committee under the chairmanship of Mr Peter Fry, MP for Wellingborough and a joint secretary of the backbench Transport Industries Committee, has been set up to make recommendations on both urban and rural transport. It was decided that particular consideration must be given to both these areas because of the size of the problems involved and their importance—because of the number of travellers concerned—as an electoral issue.
The Fry committee has been meeting more often than the advisory committee and has also been taking evidence from outside experts.
Co-ordinating the work of the two committees is a Steering Committee on Transport, made up of MPs headed by Shadow Environment Secretary Mr Timothy Raison, as chairman.
After a preliminary report is delivered to Sir Keith at the end of July, further work will be carried on during the summer ,break with a definitive policy document due to emerge by the early autumn.