Small Businesses (Hansard, 11 June 1986)

§ Mr. Moore

In the past year my Department has introduced a number of measures to support business men. and particularly the small business men, involved in transport activities. Examples are:

For bus, minibus and taxi operators:

—the many more business opportunities provided in the 189 Transport Act 1985 by the deregulation of local bus services.

For bus and lorry operators:

—an increased flexibility in drivers' hours arrangements allowed by changes successfully negotiated in EC regulations, and the removal of some controls imposed by the Transport Act 1968.

For international hauliers:

—the agreed removal of quantity restrictions on international road haulage within the EC.

For business men with roadside premises:

—a relaxation of my power to direct refusal of planning applications, and the proposed removal of local highway authorities' powers in England and Wales to block applications, for certain roadside developments.

For airline operators:

—new bilateral agreements signed with Belgium and Switzerland to add to those agreed with the Netherlands, and Federal Republic of Germany and Luxembourg.

For helicopter operators:

—the scrapping by the Civil Aviation Authority of licensing requirements for services to oil rigs outside the United Kingdom.

For shipowners:

—simpler and less costly arrangements for bringing second hand ships on to the United Kingdom register.

For shipowners in coastal trade:

—an agreement with the West German Government allowing United Kingdom vessels access to German coastal trades on a reciprocal basis.

For MOT garages:

—provisions to allow MOT testing stations to use fewer forms.

For the supply industry:

—the British Railways Board was asked to obtain more supply and support services, including rail and station catering, from the private sector.
—the new procurement organisation, set up to direct all the Department's purchasing, will encourage the use of small firms where appropriate.

Most of these measures are referred to in the recent White Paper "Building Businesses…Not Barriers" (Cmnd. 9794), and to which the hon. Member may refer for more information.

The White Paper also lists another nine new proposals, which my Department will be taking forward in the coming year, to further assist transport businesses.