Examination of Witnesses (Questions 14460
- 14479)
14460. How important is Paddington in the context
of maintaining supplies within central London?
(Mr Cole): Very, very important.
14461. What sort of tonnage are we talking about
in terms of concrete out of there, please?
(Mr Cole): Paddington will
produce in the region of 60,000 cubic metres of concrete per year.
14462. Moving to aggregates and deliveries by
rail and water, Mr Elvin tells us there is no issue about these
matters. In terms of the stance that Tarmac has taken about their
importance, is there any distinction between your view and the
Government policy view about these matters?
(Mr Cole): There is not.
14463. The Committee has been told, I think
by Ms Lieven at an earlier stage, what the London Plan says in
policy terms about aggregates, suitable plant and the like. You
have a record of the London Plan policies there already before
you. You indicated in relation to Paddington that it was important.
In terms of market share, how much of the market share for ready-mixed
concrete does Paddington have, please, in that two mile radius
area?
(Mr Cole): We believe that
we supply 60% of the market in that area, from our Paddington
depot.
14464. So that is within the circle on the diagram?
(Mr Cole): It is, yes.
14465. Clearly it is very satisfactory to have
the plant there. What view do you take about the possibility of
not being able to maintain rail access to it, not because the
actual plant site is threatened because we are resolving those
difficulties, but because of difficulties about capacity on the
rail network and getting trains into it?
(Mr Cole): The continued
availability of adequate rail train capacity to provide supplies
of aggregate is of vital importance to Tarmac's business, and
the sustainable supply of construction materials to the market.
14466. What about substituting road for rail
here?
(Mr Cole): Our evidence
would show that road materials cannot keep up with the supply
of materials for our product.
14467. You have some concerns as a company about
the Timetable Working Group. Mr Garratt is going to deal with
those and we will not ask you to repeat these matters. Let's have
a conclusion from you, please, Mr Cole, in terms of the practicalities
here, the realities of the position with regard to, from the company's
perspective at the moment, the need to maintain adequate rail
capacity. How would you put that to the Committee, please, as
to its importance?
(Mr Cole): Well, our concerns
are that the practicalities need to be resolved. What we are trying
to do is run a business which relies totally on aggregates being
delivered by rail in order we can supply concrete to our customers
in the London market.
14468. And in that respect, the company's interest
and the public interest, do they coincide?
(Mr Cole): They do indeed,
yes.
14469. Mr Kingston: Thank you very much
indeed, Mr Cole.
14470. Mr Elvin: It will not surprise
the Committee to hear that I do not have any questions.
The witness withdrew
Mr Mike Garratt, sworn
Examined by Mr Kingston
14471. Mr Garratt, I am going to introduce you
to the Committee. You are Michael Garratt; is that right?
(Mr Garratt) That is correct.
14472. You are formally qualified as a member
of the Chartered Institute of Transport. You have a BA Hons degree
in Economics, a Masters degree in Transport Design and you are
the Managing Director of MDS Transmodal, which is a transport
consultancy specialising in the freight industry. Is that correct?
(Mr Garratt) That is correct.
14473. You have been a consultant and lecturer
in the field of freight for some 20 years.
(Mr Garratt) Yes.
14474. Your company I think has been responsible
for the preparation of rail freight forecasts for both the Freight
Transport Association and the Rail Freight Group. Is that right?
(Mr Garratt) Correct.
14475. And you utilise something which is called
the GB freight model. Is that correct?
(Mr Garratt) That is correct.
14476. In July 2005 the Secretary of State,
and I think at the time it was Mr Darling, asked that the industry
should make forecasts with regard to rail freight and asked that
they should be robust. Is that correct?
(Mr Garratt) That is correct.
14477. As far as the GB freight model is concerned
is that a model which is, as it were, forgive the expression,
but of your invention and only audited by you or does it have
some wider credibility and, if so, what?
(Mr Garratt) It is about
the development but has been validated by the DfT and is incorporated
in the National Transport Model.
14478. So when we are talking about material
which has come from the GB freight model are we talking about
material which for all practical purposes has been taken into
other transport planning when looking particularly at freight
issues?
(Mr Garratt) That is correct.
14479. To what extent therefore would you suggest
that it is appropriate for the Committee to rely on that in looking
at what the consequences might be in any particular situation
pertaining to rail freight?
(Mr Garratt) I believe it
is appropriate in that it is the basis for the exercise that Lord
Berkeley just described.
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