HC Deb 06 December 1939 vol 355 cc624-7
16. Mr. de Rothschild

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the great dissatisfaction of hauliers as a result of the restriction of petrol supplies, which renders it impossible for them to continue their business; and what steps he intends to take to alleviate these hardships?

22. Mr. Oliver

asked the Minister of Transport whether he is aware of the grave dissatisfaction in the motor haulage section of road transport by reason of the harsh petrol restriction applied to the industry; and whether he will take steps to modify the present restrictions for fear that a number of important haulage transport concerns, unless the petrol restrictions are modified in respect of them, may be compelled to close down?

Captain Wallace

It is impossible to allocate to hauliers more fuel than is available for road haulage under the petrol rationing scheme necessitated by the war. I regret that this restriction of supplies must inevitably result in some inconvenience, and even hardship and loss, to hauliers and others. I am doing all I can to alleviate hardship, and the regional transport commissioners are distributing the available supplies in an equitable manner, with due regard to the essential transport needs of the community. This is one of the chief aims of the emergency scheme for commercial transport administered by my Department.

Mr. de Rothschild

Is the right hon. and gallant Member aware that road transport is being supplanted by the railways, and will he arrange matters in such a way that the railways only handle rail transport goods, and that road transport goods, at present carried by the railways, are handed back ťo the road hauliers?

Captain Wallace

I cannot accept that proposition offhand, but I will look into into it.

Mr. Benjamin Smith

Will the Minister agree ťhat the railways are now carrying 33⅓ per cent. more goods than they carried prior to the war, with the result that goods are held up in transit while road transport is unemployed?

Captain Wallace

That may be true, but it does not give us any more petrol. We are trying to make the best use of the transport resources available.

Mr. de Rothschild

Will the Minister of Transporť allocate the petrol which is now given to the railways to the road hauliers?

Captain Wallace

I must distribute it among the various road hauliers, which include the railway companies.

Mr. Lyons

Has the road haulier a right of access to the Petrol Control Board, or is the whole thing done by correspondence, some of which never seems to get to the responsible party at all?

Captain Wallace

The road haulier has access to the regional commissioner through his group organiser, and, if necessary, to the Commissioner direct.

17. Mr. de Rothschild

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the dissatisfaction of agriculturists in the Isle of Ely on accounť of the restrictions placed upon road hauliers on whom these agriculturists rely for the carriage of their produce; whether he will satisfy himself that the railways in the area offer an adequate and satisfactory alternative means of transport for such a large volume of traffic; and whether, in case of the railways not providing adequate facilities, he will take steps to augment the petrol allowances of hauliers in the region?

Captain Wallace

A resolution from the Isle of Ely branch of the National Farmers' Union was received on 30th October suggesting that railway facilities were inadequate. This complaint was at once investigated, and as a result I am advised that in general the railways offer adequate and suitable means of transport for the traffic to which the hon. Member refers. Where they do not, applications can be made for supplementary fuel rations for any necessary transport by road. If the hon. Member has in mind any recent case where it is alleged thať adequate transport has not been available and will send me the necessary particulars, I will gladly have the matter looked into.

Captain Strickland

A former answer of the Minister of Transport indicated that there was no available fuel to hand out. How does the present answer fit in with that?

Captain Wallace

It is a question of making the best use of the fuel we have.

Mr. de Rothschild

Will the right hon. and gallant Member consider a proposal to give to these hauliers a basic ration which will enable them to register their vehicles?

23. Mr. de Rothschild

asked the Minister of Transport whether his attention has been called to the fact that hauliers, while receiving a petrol ration only sufficient to enable them to use a small number of their motor lorries, are yet obliged to keep all their vehicles taxed and insured on pain of having their ration still further decreased; and what steps he proposes to take in order to remedy this anomaly?

Captain Wallace

An operator is entitled to receive a basic fuel ration for every one of his vehicles which is licensed and available for use, but the hon. Member will appreciate that it would be impossible to issue basic rations for vehicles which cannot legally be operated. It is always open to an operator to apply for supplementary rations of fuel if they are required to enable essential road transport work to be done.

Mr. de Rothschild

Is the Minister aware that the petrol ration given to each vehicle will not carry them very far? Would it not be better to give a basic ration to the company in place of the ration now given in order to enable the company to use fewer motors? Is the Minister aware that the cost of running these vehicles is about £190 a year, and is he going to do anything to remedy the grievance?

Captain Wallace

The hon. Member's suggestion would involve a complete recasting of the rationing scheme. The whole point of the rationing scheme is that there is a basic ration for every vehicle licensed. The object of the scheme is that as many people as possible should run vehicles and as many people as possible be kept in work.