§ The next item on my list is oil. I must confess that I regret the necessity of taxing further a commodity which is so important to modern transport, but the needs of the moment are imperative. I cannot ignore the fact that at the present time the price of petrol, apart from tax, is at a very low level, and the increase of 2d. which I put on in April has already been compensated to the consumer by an equivalent reduction in the price. I now propose to increase the duty by a further 2d. per gallon, making a total duty of 8d. This I estimate will give me £7,500,000 in a full year, and a little under £4,000,000 in the current year. In this case the increase will take effect from 6 o'clock to-night in order to ensure that users of petrol shall not enjoy any advantage over other users of dutiable articles owing to the fact that they are able to take deliveries out of bond after the usual closing hours. Before I leave this matter of oil, I must mention that a Resolution requires that heavy oil on which a rebate has been allowed shall not be mixed with dutiable light oil unless the rebate is repaid. This 309 is necessary to safeguard the revenue from the growing practice of mixing kerosene or kerosene distillate with petrol in order to obtain a motor fuel on which duty has been paid on a portion only.