§ Mr. Peter BottomleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the main changes he intends to make to the freight facilities grant scheme: and when the changes will come into operation.
§ Mr. FreemanWith the agreement of my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Scotland and Wales, the following changes will be made:
- (i) a tripling in the price which the Government are proposing to pay for environmental benefits. The ceiling for grant is to be increased to £l per lorry-sensitive mile from the current level of 34p, and will be revalued for inflation in future years;
- (ii) virtually all single-carriageway roads will be considered environmentally-sensitive, rather than the current narrower definition of unclassified, urban; and scenic roads;
- (iii) most urban dual carriageway journeys will count for grant;
- (iv) urban roads will be given a 50 per cent. higher weighting than other sensitive roads;
- (v) the grant rules will be revised to allow for the eligibility in principle of inter-modal systems;
- (vi) schemes of exceptional environmental benefit will no longer be restricted to a maximum rate of grant of 60 per cent;
- (vii) in appraising a grant application, the stream of future environmental benefits will be calculated on a discounted basis, so that they are expressed in the same way as costs, which are currently expressed on that basis;
- (viii) the period of appraisal will remain generally at 10 years, but with flexibility to apply a lesser or greater period if appropriate; and to consider substitute flows of traffic as meeting the grant conditions over the life of the project where appropriate;
- (ix) 5 per cent. of grant payable may be retained until monitoring returns showing that a scheme is operating satisfactorily;
139 - (x) the grant rules will be amended to permit the Department(s) to take a charge on assets in particular circumstances;
- (xi) greater publicity will be given to the scheme.
The new criteria on payment of grant will be introduced immediately.