My honourable friend the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport (Jim Fitzpatrick) has made the following Ministerial Statement.

Today the Department for Transport is publishing Delivering a Sustainable Transport System—The Logistics Perspective.

In the UK, we are fortunate to have a world-leading logistics industry. However, with many businesses relying on just-in-time methods, the success of our economy depends on the effective and predictable movement of goods.

The Logistics Perspective publication provides the Government’s first detailed analysis of the movement of major freight commodities on the strategic national corridors, while setting out our understanding of the issues affecting each freight mode. It also considers how we can work with industry to facilitate effective freight movement while mitigating its environmental and social impact.

As part of this consideration, the document commits to a study into the potential effects of an increase of up to 2 metres in the length of articulated vehicle trailers. The study will consider whether there are clear benefits in changing the permitted length to reduce the number of lorries on roads taking into account freight demand and the interaction between road, rail and water transport.

The Logistics Perspective marks the next milestone in the Government’s transport strategy following our November 2008 Delivering a Sustainable Transport System document, which identified the UK’s strategic national corridors.

A copy of Delivering a Sustainable Transport System—The Logistics Perspective has been placed in the Library of the House.