HC Deb 17 October 1939 vol 352 cc652-3
17. Mr. Brooke

asked the Secretary for Mines whether he is aware that motor vehicle owners who find themselves with a surplus of petrol coupons towards the end of their period of validity will be inclined to use their vehicles unnecessarily; and whether he will appeal to them to refrain from waste?

Mr. Lloyd

Yes, Sir, and I am obliged to my hon. Friend for giving me another opportunity of appealing to the motoring public to use cars only for really essential purposes.

Sir Arthur Salter

Will the Minister consider the desirability of encouraging economy on the current coupons by allowing some form of carry over, or perhaps out of date coupons might have a lesser value than the original value, say, 50 per cent.?

Mr. Lloyd

I would be prepared to consider the point, but I would like to point out to the House that the reason why the coupons of one month are not carried over into the next month under the scheme is that it is desired under the rationing scheme to know what are the liabilities for public supply in regard to petrol, and if coupons were allowed to be carried over without a check it would be quite easy to acquire a large reserve of coupons floating about, and, therefore, it would not be possible to control that reserve.

Miss Ward

If petrol were not used it would still be there, would it not?