§ Mr. Staintonasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will give consideration to the recent findings of the Petroleum Retailers Association when reviewing the petrol companies' undertakings arising out of the 1965 Monopolies Commission Report on the Supply of Petrol to Retailers ; and when the review will be undertaken.
§ Sir G. HoweThe review of the undertakings is a matter for the Director General of Fair Trading. I understand that he intends to open discussions shortly. The Petroleum Retailers Association has already sent him a copy of their report.
§ Mr. David Steelasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if, in his contingency plans for petrol rationing, he will make provision for the special 359W circumstances of the holding of a General Election or parliamentary by-election while such rationing is in force.
§ Mr. Tom BoardmanYes.
§ Mr. Beithasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make provision to ensure that, if petrol rationing is introduced, Members of Parliament for large and scattered constituencies have sufficient petrol to make themselves available to their constituents.
§ Mr. Tom BoardmanIf rationing became necessary, Members of Parliament would be able to obtain allowances for their constituency duties.
§ Mr. Beithasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will make provision to ensure that those living in rural areas who have no alternative to private car travel for their journey to work are allowed sufficient petrol for that journey if rationing is introduced.
§ Mr. Tom BoardmanThis is one of the factors that would be taken into account in fixing allowances.
§ Mr. Beithasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will take steps to ensure that users of handsaws and the other petrol-driven machinery in forestry are able to obtain supplies of fuel while restrictions are in force.
§ Mr. Tom BoardmanThe Motor Fuel (Restriction of Supplies) Order 1973 does not restrict the sale of petrol in cans to users of handsaws and other petrol-driven machinery in forestry if this has been their customary method of purchase, provided the fuel is acquired in a normal quantity from the purchaser's normal supplier.
§ Mr. Beithasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he will consider revising his proposals for a petrol rationing scheme so as to discourage the use of cars with high engine capacity and heavy petrol consumption.
§ Mr. Tom BoardmanThe different types of ration book according to engine size are designed to ensure that most car owners would get roughly the same basic allocations in terms of mileage if ration-360W ing were introduced. The basic mileage for cars with an unusually high rate of petrol consumption would, however, be less.