§ Mr. Donald Stewartasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will make a statement on the progress made in encouraging the transfer of suitable goods traffic from road to rail under the Railways Act 1974.
§ Mr. William RodgersI have been asked to reply.
Section 8 of the Railways Act 1974 authorises grant towards the cost of rail freight facilities. So far 28 applications have been approved. When these projects reach full potential, over 5 million tonnes of freight a year will have been transferred from road to rail. A further 24 applications are under consideration. The
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1975–76 1976–77 England Wales England Wales Tax relief (£m.) on mortgage interest … … 795 30 1,010 40 per mortgagor (£) … … 152 133 190 165 per owner-occupied dwelling (£) … … 86 51 107 63 in part to inflation since the contracts were let and also, in the case of Bootle, to additional requirements and, in the case of Durham House, to the cost of dealing with problems caused by High Alumina Cement:
new financial arrangements introduced by the Act also improved the railways' competitive position, and the budget changes in lorry and full tax will also have an effect.