§ 2. Mr. David Heath (Somerton and Frome)What plans he has to reduce the level of heavy freight transport using unsuitable roads in rural areas. [54358]
§ The Minister of Transport (Dr. John Reid)Heavy lorries should not travel on unsuitable roads when an alternative route exists for collection or delivery. When drawing up their local transport plans, we shall expect local authorities to bring forward strategies to ensure that heavy lorries are routed away from unsuitable roads. We are examining ways of streamlining the use of local traffic authority powers to specify through routes for heavy lorries or to prohibit or restrict heavy lorry movements on particular roads.
§ Mr. HeathI welcome the opportunity to ask the right hon. Gentleman a question about roads rather than aircraft carriers. Does he agree that many rural roads in small communities were not designed for heavy lorry traffic and cannot, and should not, take it? Rather than spending Government and local authority money strengthening bridges so that they can take heavy lorries, surely the time has come to say that lorries should not use rural minor roads.
§ Dr. ReidYes. The Government share the concerns that the hon. Gentleman outlined. That is why we are taking positive action, together with local authorities through their local transport plans; with industry, by designing a sustainable distribution and logistics policy; by means of the subsidies that we have given to rural transport—£50 million extra for rural buses—and by means of the freeze that we imposed on vehicle excise duty last year. A range of measures have therefore been taken. We share the concerns and appreciate the problems of rural areas, which is why there are now so many Labour Members representing rural areas.
§ Mr. David Hinchliffe (Wakefield)I welcome my right hon. Friend to his position. Does he agree that one way of tackling the problem of road freight is to shift freight, wherever possible, on to inland waterways? Will he consider an example from my constituency? Sand and gravel are being extracted adjacent to the River Calder in Wakefield for use on the A1-M1 link near Leeds, and the company concerned cannot move the material by waterway simply because of the size of one lock. May we bang some heads together and get such freight off roads and on to waterways once again?
§ Dr. ReidYes. As my hon. Friend says, we should all be keen to transfer or encourage the transfer of freight from road to waterways or rail wherever possible. On the specific case that he mentions, I believe that there are many examples throughout Europe where low-cost, high-volume goods are transferred very efficiently by waterways, so we would be keen to do anything that we can to support such transport.
The other alternative is rail. As my right hon. Friend the Deputy Prime Minister pointed out earlier, we have been extremely successful in getting freight off roads and on to rail. Last year there was a 5 per cent. increase in rail freight, which I believe is a bigger increase than the Conservative party managed in 18 years. I am pleased that 1074 that trend continues. Yesterday, Rover announced that it would put one third of its deliveries on to rail; I am sure that we all welcome that.
§ Mr. Nicholas Winterton (Macclesfield)I fully accept the need for an integrated transport strategy and I welcome the additional funds that the Government are directing to rural transport, but does the Minister accept that in some areas, such as my village of Poynton in the Macclesfield constituency, such expenditure and such an integrated transport strategy will not really help, and new roads will be required? Does he accept that the Poynton bypass, which feeds through the Manchester airport eastern link road to Manchester international airport, is a vital strategic road, and that it is no good merely reducing it from a trunk road to a county road to fob off responsibility? Will the Minister meet me to discuss that matter, which is so vital to my constituents?
§ Dr. ReidOf course I will give full consideration to that road, which is either, as the hon. Gentleman points out, vital in our strategic national interest—the Poynton bypass—or, perhaps more relevantly, vital in his future political interests. However, I shall examine it seriously. I merely point out that, in the roads announcement some months ago, I announced 15 bypasses, which I believe is three times more than the previous Government announced in five years.
§ Ms Joan Walley (Stoke-on-Trent, North)I welcome my right hon. Friend to his post. In his efforts to encourage the switching of more heavy freight from road to rail, will he do all that he can to take the wonderful opportunity that we now have to get piggyback on to the west coast main line? Will he give the House an assurance that he will do all that he can to bring about that switch from road to rail?
§ Dr. ReidMy hon. Friend knows that we have made our views known on that. Those matters are being considered at present by Railtrack. Although I read in the newspapers speculation on the matter, no proposals have been received by our Department. I shall of course consider them sympathetically when they come in.