HC Deb 27 January 1942 vol 377 cc539-40
10. Sir Irving Albery

asked the Secretary for Petroleum how much used lubricating oil was salved for further use during the last three months of 1941, or during any other convenient period; and by what process?

The Secretary for Petroleum (Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd)

Various refinery plants for the treatment of used lubricating oil are in operation and others in course of erection. In addition a large number of lubricating oil consumers filter their used oil for further use. In this way large quantities of lubricating oil are re-used, but owing to the fact that much of the recovery of used oil is effected within the consumers' works, I regret that figures of quantities treated for re-use are not available.

Sir I. Albery

Is there not a large quantity of used lubricating oil which is suitable for fuel and not for the purposes of maintenance? It is rather to that lubricating oil that my Question refers.

Mr. Lloyd

If my hon. Friend looks at the Answer to the Question he will see that when I said "re-used," I do not necessarily mean lubricating oil but oil used also as fuel oil.

Sir I. Albery

Can my hon. Friend say whether his Department is taking any steps to organise the salvage of this valuable oil for fuel?

Mr. Lloyd

Yes, Sir, it is being done on a very large scale.