Are hauliers on the road to nowhere?
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Last week Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott said in a radio interview that he felt like a fox at a hunt. In the same week his department was heavily criticised by its parliamentary select committee; his press spokesman quit—and that was before
the reshuffle. Melanie Hammond asks if it's any wonder that the Industry Forum isomg nowhere...
••.
• John Prescott might have held on to his cabinet post during last week's Government reshuffle, but his two ministers didn't fare so well. Once again, the Industry Forum will be attended by a minister new to transport.
As the Government's junior ranks bore the brunt of Tony Blair's changes, Transport Minister Helen Liddeil was moved "sideways" to Trade and Industry after just three months in post, while Glenda Jackson decided she was better suited to the post of London Mayor.
When the forum was set up, the DOT promised to listen to hauliers. No reneging on promises there—but hauliers at the forum have found themselves talking to a different ear every time: in April to John Reid; in July to Helen Liddell; and at the forthcoming September meeting (assuming no more delays occur) to Lord McDonald. Little wonder that hauliers have seen no progress. 'Three Transport Ministers in three months is a bad joke," says RHA director-general Steven Norris.
But Prescott's problems are more deep-rooted, and the continued attacks on his handling of transport issues are taking their toll.
Following last week's report by the Transport Select Committee which underlined the DDT's poor performance, he complained to BBC Hadio 4's Today programme: "I feel like a fox. Its open season on me at the moment."
The report accuses the Government of achieving "few tangible improvements" while concentrating on publishing policy statements and the setting up of taskforces. The committee, chaired by Labour back-bencher Gwyneth Dunwoody, also levelled criticism at Prescott for setting targets on a "whim".
The report went on: "Too many are 'aspirationan. Too often they are invented without sufficient thought and rejected if they appear too difficultto meet."
Norris claims the report "was thoroughly deserved". He adds: "John Prescott has made an unmitigated mess of his portfolk) in the first two years. There's been a let of aspirebanal hype and absolutely no progress whatsoever—it makes the campaign theme tune 'things can only get better' sound rather hollow."
Road maintenance came under scrutiny from the committee, which said it was "very disappointed that the department is still unable to estimate the extent of the backlog and the cost of overcoming it".
At least the FTA can shed some light onto the situation, says spokesman Geoff Dossetter: "There were no starts on mejor road building projects last year and we've got 500 bypasses outstanding." According to Dossetter, the Government seems, if anything, to be cutting back on the roads programme. "Why is it that the Government takes over .233bn in tax from road-users and only puts 2,6bn back into the system?" he asks.
Perhaps the funds are being blown on consultancy fees which the select committee singled out as "too high". Dunwoody is concerned that they are making the same mistake the Tories made, "which was to spend too much money on consultants who don't produce much. In fact you end up paying them vast amounts of money to tell you what you already know."
While hauliers, and indeed the general public, are losing patience with lack of Government action, Tony Whiteing, senior lecturer at Huddersfield University's Transport and Logistics Department, takes a long-term view: "I don't accept the hypothesis that the Government is sitting on lts hands and not delivering on promises. It would be clear folly to dive in and make rash decisions."
During the 1997 elections much was made of the Government's plans to integrate transport and environment issues in a combined "superministry", but it is proving a logistical nightmare made worse by Prescott's multiple cabinet roles.
"The only thing we have is integrated chaos," says shadow Transport Minister Bernard Jenkin. But Dunwoody argues: "You can't look at transport without looking at the environment, and you can't have a big department without it appearing to lumber along slowly."
Despite Blair's sweeping gestures last week, hauliers are still waiting for recognition and concessions on the problems facing their industry
After transport was relegated to the end of a section on "Quality of Lire" in the Government's Annual Report 1998/99, we are indeed reminded of the campaign song and left wondering if things really will get better.
• As CM went to press there were press reports that Prescott could lose responsibility for party campaigning and the DETR, with rumours of a new Rural Affairs Department.