Minister quizzed on NEC's £30m loss
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ENVIRONMENT Secretary Mr Peter Shore was asked in the Commons last week whether he would consider giving National Carriers Ltd and Freightliners back to British Rail.
Mr Shore replied: "The consulation document on transport policy invites comments on this proposal."
He was quizzed by Opposition transport spokesman Mr Norman Fowler on the £30m losses by the National Freight Corporation announced last week, half of which were from NCL and Freightliners. Mr Shore said many firms and organisations had suffered during the recession. "A consultants' review is taking place into the financial and economic strategy of the NFC." Mr Shore added fuel to the road v rail battle when he told the House that the NFC had a duty to use rail as a means of transport whenever economically viable.
Conservative Mr Ronald Atkins, who had asked the Minister about giving the companies back to BR in the interests of an integrated transport policy, added that in 1968 MPs had warned the then government that transferring NCL and Freightliners to the newly formed NFC would result in traffic going from rail to road.
Mr Shore said that quantity licensing, would also be discussed in the course of the consultations on the transport review.