§ Mr. HoyleTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions what(a) grants are and (b) support is available from his Department for the establishment of local rail heads by haulage companies. [75760]
§ Ms Glenda JacksonTwo grants are available from the Department to assist companies facing higher costs as a result of choosing to move freight by rail rather than road. Freight Facilities Grants assist with the capital costs often associated with rail movements (e.g. rail infrastructure and specialised loading/unloading equipment). Track Access Grants are paid to freight operators to help defray Railtrack charges for access to the rail network in respect of traffic which would otherwise move by road.
During the last 12 months, the availability of these grants and the greatly increased annual budget, currently standing at £40 million, has been widely advertised in both the trade and national press.