HC Deb 01 August 1916 vol 85 cc18-9
12. Major WALTER GUINNESS

asked the Secretary of State for War whether officers of the Mechanical Transport, Royal Flying Corps, and Royal Naval Air Service motor daily between London and the Northern and Midland counties to transact business in the factories; and whether, in view of the train services, he will take steps to check this waste of petrol?

Mr. FORSTER

There are local inspectors of Mechancal Transport in the Northern and Midland counties, so that it is not necessary to send anyone from London for this purpose, whether by road or by rail, but generally I may inform my hon. and gallant Friend that motor journeys on duty exceeding forty miles can only be made when special authority has been obtained.

13. Major GUINNESS

asked the Secretary of State for War whether his attention has been drawn to the practice of training Army drivers on large motor lorries burning about a gallon of petrol for every five miles run; and whether, in view of the petrol shortage, he will consider the desirability of training such men on lighter cars with about a quarter of the petrol consumption?

Mr. FORSTER

It has been found, by experience, that it is impracticable to train lorry drivers on motor cars. Men have to be taught on the type of vehicle which they will have to drive on service.

14. Major GUINNESS

asked the Secretary of State for War whether convoys of 100 motor-vans and lorries have sometimes driven 200 miles from their place of manufacture in the North to pass tests in London, afterwards returning to be shipped from near their place of origin; whether, on such a journey, a convoy burns from 2,000 to 8,000 gallons of petrol according to horsepower; and whether he will arrange for inspections to take place at the factories in future?

Mr. FORSTER

The normal procedure in such cases where the port of embarkation is known beforehand is to have the vehicles inspected at the manufacturer's works and sent direct to the port. I should be obliged if my hon. and gallant Friend would give me any particular case where this rule has been departed from.

61. Major NEWMAN

asked the President of the Board of Trade whether the necessity for the curtailment by over 60 per cent, of the normal requirements of commercial and private users of petrol is due to a sudden unforeseen and temporary cause of which his Board could have had no expectation two months ago; whether he is aware of the loss to the revenue caused by the inability of the Petrol Commission to allocate petrol on which a licence Duty of 6d. a gallon is being paid; and will every effort be made to free tonnage otherwise employed and so secure a valuable sum to the revenue?

The FIRST COMMISSIONER of WORKS (Mr. Harcourt)

The probable necessity for regulating the use of petrol has been foreseen for some time, and was one of the reasons for which the Petrol Control Committee was appointed in April last. The considerations referred to in the last part of the hon. and gallant Gentleman's question are being borne in mind. Commercial users have not been cut down to the extent suggested in the question.