§ 2.43 p.m.
§ Lord Cadman asked Her Majesty's Government:
§ Why there was no mention made of rail freight in the draft guidance document issued to local authorities by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions in respect of their obligation to produce a local transport plan by July 1999.
§ Baroness Farrington of RibbletonMy Lords, we fully recognise the importance of ensuring that rail freight is given proper consideration within local transport plans. We acknowledge that the draft guidance was incomplete when we issued it. Our priority was to circulate interim advice sufficient to enable authorities to make a start on their plans.
795 There are gaps in the draft guidance. Those will be covered in the revised version including advice on how local authorities can encourage rail freight transport.
§ Lord CadmanMy Lords, I am grateful for that reply. Does the Minister agree that it was a serious omission, given the investment presently being made in the rail freight industry with its consequential increase in tonnage carried? Can the noble Baroness enlighten the House further on the Government's plans to encourage and persuade local authorities to provide within their local transport plans facilities for rail freight as identified by the rail freight industry?
§ Baroness Farrington of RibbletonMy Lords, the noble Lords' question allows me to state publicly how pleased we are that the doubling of expenditure on freight grants to £30 million in our first year in office has resulted in a very great increase in the use of rail freight.
We shall issue revised planning guidance to facilitate the moving of more freight by rail. Local authorities will be expected to consider and protect opportunities for rail connections to industrial sites. We are delighted to give the support that the noble Lord seeks.
§ Lord BerkeleyMy Lords, I declare an interest as chairman of a rail freight group. I welcome the noble Lord's Question and the Minister's Answer.
When the revised guidance is issued, I hope that my noble friend and her colleagues will take into account the need for other types of freight transport, including road freight. There is little in the document about deliveries to shops, factories or offices. Much is written about re-allocation of road space and motorists responding in many ways. When the document is reissued, I hope that my noble friend will take into account that the number of people on buses, bicycles and walking need to be counted rather than the number of cars.
§ Baroness Farrington of RibbletonMy Lords, as the guidance acknowledges, local authorities must consider measures to promote walking and cycling. They could include the reallocation of road space. I am delighted to say that the detailed guidance will draw attention to the importance of local transport plans, including the follow-through connections from road to rail to which my noble friend referred.
§ Lord SkelmersdaleMy Lords, will the Minister be good enough to quantify her phrase "a very great increase in the use of rail freight" as a result of the increased grants to which she referred?
§ Baroness Farrington of RibbletonMy Lords, I am sure the noble Lord will be pleased to know that government action coupled with the work of the freight companies—they provided their own ambitious targets—has reversed the previous decline. We saw a 796 12 per cent. growth in freight tonne kilometres on the railways during 1997–98—the first such increase in many years.
§ Lord MonkswellMy Lords, bearing in mind that rail freight is likely to be used for medium or long distances, and the former government's destruction of the regional or metropolitan local authorities, will the regional development authorities be the lead authorities in terms of rail freight; and will they receive appropriate planning guidance from the Government?
§ Baroness Farrington of RibbletonMy Lords, my noble friend is right to draw attention to the fragmentation which occurred in the recent past. The strategic framework for local plans will be provided by the regional transport strategy contained in regional planning guidance. Those strategies will ensure a coherent and complementary approach across and between regions.
The closest possible co-operation with the regional development agencies will ensure that the system is integrated.
§ Baroness Thomas of WalliswoodMy Lords, I am delighted to hear the Minister's Answer which recognises that there was a gap in the guidance. Will the noble Baroness tell us when the revised version will be published and what its effect will be? The noble Baroness's experience in local government is similar to mine. Does she agree that the rational and excellent working relationship between officers in local government, in particular transport authorities, is of value and should not be wasted? Will the noble Baroness confirm that, as part of an integrated transport policy, local authorities must do the same as national authorities and sing to the same tune?
§ Baroness Thomas of WalliswoodNo, my Lords, I am not reading.
§ Baroness Farrington of RibbletonMy Lords, I am reading! I fully agree with the noble Baroness that it is extremely important to pay tribute to the work of officers. She asked when there would be final guidance on local transport plans. We intend to produce revised guidance early in the spring, and final guidance towards the end of the year once we have had a chance to look at the provisional plans submitted in the summer. We have listened carefully to local authority representations, made through the Local Government Association, about timing and authorities have been asked to produce provisional five-year plans by July 1999. Authorities will then roll their plans on by one year and submit full plans for the subsequent four years.
§ Lord GeddesMy Lords, I applaud the increase of 12 per cent., to which the Minister referred in answer to 797 my noble friend Lord Skelmersdale, but can she advise the House of the percentage figure for rail in the overall carriage of freight?
§ Baroness Farrington of RibbletonMy Lords, I am not able to give that percentage figure as a whole. I shall be delighted to write to the noble Lord giving such figures as are available. I assume that he refers to the whole of the UK and it will take time to collate information from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales as well as England.