§ Ms WalleyTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport (1) if he will take action to press the EU Council Advisory Committee—CREST—to maintain the current balance of funding for research and development towards maritime transport and inland waterways; and if he will make a statement;
(2) if he will take action to press the European Commission to resist the separation of maritime transport and inland waterway-related research and development.
§ Mr. NorrisWhereas annex I to the European Commission's specific proposal for transport research in the fourth framework programme for research and technological development 1994–98 distinguishes research on inland waterway transport from that on maritime transport, the allocation of funds suggested in annex II of the proposal combines the two. I am content with this approach. Of the six modal sub-themes in part B of the proposal, the Commission suggests that maritime and inland waterway research should be given the biggest allocation of funds. The United Kingdom Government's view is that the most severe problems, of congestion and safety, are in the road and air transport sectors, for which the suggested allocations should be increased. Given that the total funding for the transport research programme is fixed, these changes can be made only if compensating decreases are accepted in other sub-themes. I do not therefore propose to press CREST to maintain the Commission's suggested level of funding for maritime and inland waterway research.