Questions ahead for Mr. P eyton From our ParliamentarY
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correspondent II The Government faces a good deal of )rodding on transport matters when 'ornament returns after the summer recess.
At least one newcomer to the Commons, Ar Carol Mather, MP for Esher, has a 'ormidable technical knowledge of the ndustry.
During eight years with the Conservative tesearch Department, transport was one of he fields in which he specialized. He was he man who provided much of the nformation for the relentless Opposition male against the Transport Act 1968.
Transport will be one of his special nterests now that he is an MP. He has Jready tabled questions to Mr John Peyton, Ainister of Transport, for early answer in he autumn, asking him for a statement of policy towards the work of the Passenger Transport Authorities, and for .ction to modify the role of the National 7reight Corporation.
The Conservatives were always highly ritical of the PTA concept. Four are now ■ perating, and Mr Mather wants to know with what success they are functioning and whether the Minister intends to use his power under the Act to designate further' PTAs.
The purpose of Mr Mather's question about the NFC is to sound out the Minister's views about the Freightliner service.
The Conservatives strongly opposed the transfer of the Freightliner services to the Corporation and it was this issue which led to the resignation of Sir Stanley Raymond, as chairman of the BRB.
Mr Michael McNair-Wilson (Cons, Walthamstow East), will be pressing the Minister to introduce lower noise levels for heavy lorries than those set out in the Motor Vehicles (Construction and Use) Regulations 1969, and asking what steps he proposes to take to reduce exhaust emissions from heavy lorries.
From Mr Tom Normanton (Cons, Cheadle), will come a request for the issue of a general direction to the National Bus Company to improve its operating standards and to hold its fares at present levels.
Mr John Farr (Cons, Harborough) is to draw attention to the difficulties facing the smaller privately operated bus companies when the limitation on drivers' hours comes into effect. He will suggest that the restriction should be on the number of hours of daily driving rather than the number of hours of daily work.
Mr James Dance (Cons, Bromsgrove) is to ask the Minister how much of the Government loan of £5m to the NFC has been taken up. Another Tory, Mr Tom Iremonger (Ilford, North), is to inquire about the outcome of the Minister's special study of lorry parking problems in north-west England.
He also wants to know what account is being taken of the Greater London Council's experimental scheme to ban overnight parking of goods vehicles from specific streets in a limited zone of Greater London.