Discussion on Paper 5

Mr N. Haigh, Civic Trust

I wish to question the institutional structure for dealing with competition between modes. At present Mr Marsh is squeezed between a government department to which he is responsible—and which is also the agency for a competing mode—the railway unions, and now a whole new constituency,

i.e. a public getting more sophisticated and using arguments, such as environmental effects, which were not used some years ago. This new constituency is applying pressures and creating demands on Mr Marsh which often conflict with those of the government.

Those advocating a competing mode— highways—are part of the DoE and have the ear of the Minister. The railways do not. They are separate but yet not free to adopt a competitive and aggressive posture. They therefore have the worst of both worlds. This cannot be right. Given that Mr Marsh is not part of the DoE cannot he adopt a more aggressive and competitive posture because the new constituency really expects it?