§ 8. Mr. ROBINSONasked the First Lord of the Admiralty what are the reasons for which the Royal Navy during the year 1933 was unable to take up the whole of the oil from coal for which it had contracted; and what was the precise nature of the oil covered by the contracts?
§ The FINANCIAL SECRETARY to the ADMIRALTY (Captain Euan Wallace)There was some misapprehension concerning the quantity of oil to be supplied, but the Admiralty has accepted all that was forthcoming from the contractor. The oil was a good bunker fuel having a calorific value only slightly lower than that of petroleum fuel.
§ Mr. ROBINSONCan my hon. and gallant Friend say whether there is any fiscal preference given to oils of that kind used by the Navy, that is, British oil produced from coal?
§ Captain WALLACEThey get exactly the same preference as any other British oil.
§ Mr. ROBINSONIs there any preference for British oils?
§ Captain WALLACEThe hon. Member had better ask the Treasury that.