In its Freight Transport Report, published on Friday last week, the committee states the case that the RHA has been making to the Government for years - and the committee pulls no punches.

“The committee’s strongly-worded support is timely - we made the case again ourselves to Treasury minister Angela Eagle at a meeting only last Wednesday. The government must stop pretending that there is no problem and that in any case nothing can be done,” said RHA Chief Executive Roger King.

“In November 2001, then-Chancellor Gordon Brown promised action in the form of the expensive and ill-fated lorry road user charging project. That is in the past but the issues are more pressing than ever.

“The Government must shake off its inertia and announce clear measures to tackle the issues that we and the transport select committee have so clearly identified. If it cannot announce measures immediately, then the pre-Budget statement presents the ideal alternative,” concluded Roger King.