§ Mr. DenhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport what sum he has allocated for grants to rail freight companies to encourage the transfer of freight from road to rail, over the period from 1994 to 1997; and what has been the expenditure to date. [31927]
§ Mr. WattsThe grant provision for the period 1994–95 to 1996–97 is £43.1 million. Expenditure to date is £2.8 million.
§ Mr. DenhamTo ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will list the grants made to rail freight companies, providing services to or from Hampshire, to encourage the transfer of freight from road to rail. [31928]
§ Mr. WattsNo such grants have been made to rail freight companies. However two freight facilities grants have been awarded which affect Hampshire.
A £3.7 million grant to ARC Southern for rail facilities at Whatley Quarry in Somerset has allowed some 10,000 50W lorry journeys a year to be removed from roads in the Fareham region of Hampshire since 1988.
In 1993 a grant of £403,000 was awarded to the Esso Petroleum Company towards the cost of refurbishing a bulk bitumen storage facility in Plymouth. This has enabled the traffic to continue to be carried by rail from Fawley near Southampton, saving an estimated 2,000 annual lorry trips between Southampton and Plymouth.