HC Deb 06 November 1947 vol 443 cc1988-9
31. Mr. Erroll

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power by how many tons United Kingdom stocks of oil and petroleum products have increased or decreased in the last 12 months.

62. Commander Noble

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what are the present stocks of petrol in the United Kingdom.

75. Mr. Lipson

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power how much petrol is there in this country; and how many months' supply does that represent at current consumption.

Mr. Gaitskell

As the House knows, successive Governments have always refused on defence grounds to disclose the amount of stocks of petroleum held at any given time in this country, and I regret, therefore, that I cannot give the information desired by the hon. Members.

Mr. Erroll

Does the Minister realise that I am not asking for stocks, but only for the changes in stocks, which is a very different thing, and could he not make that information available?

Mr. Gaitskell

For the same reason—objections on defence grounds—I must withhold the information.

Mr. Lipson

Does not the Minister think it is unreasonable to withhold this information under present conditions and, in view of the concern which has been raised in the country by the decision to abolish the basic petrol ration, are not the public entitled to have all the facts in regard to the stock position?

Mr. Gaitskell

This is, of course, a question of balance. It is, I agree, desirable to keep the country as fully informed on these matters as possible, but I must also ask the House to appreciate that there are defence considerations in this matter, even in respect of the trend of petrol stocks, and these considerations, in the view of the Government, are in this case paramount.

Mr. Vane

If the Minister cannot give these figures to the House, may I ask if he can have a Press conference and give them to the T.U.C.?

Mr. Frank Byers

May I ask the right hon. Gentleman how he reconciles his statement that he cannot give these figures on the grounds of defence with the fact that the composition and strength of the Fleet has already been given in this House? Is there not some lack of coordination on defence grounds between his Ministry and the Defence Ministry?

Mr. Gaitskell

There is no lack of coordination. As I said earlier, this is a matter on which successive Governments have always taken the same view, as the right hon. Gentleman opposite should know, even before the war—the view that it would be unwise to disclose either the trend or the actual amount of petrol stocks.

Mr. Eden

I think we all understand the defence issue in this matter, but I am not pressing the Government to give the total figure. I am asking the right hon. Gentleman how in the world, if the total figure is unknown, he can say that information about increases or decreases could possibly give the enemy any information at all?

Mr. Mcdland

Who is the enemy?

Mr. Eden

The Government are refusing to give the information. Perhaps there is somebody to whom they do not want to make the information available. I am agreeing with the Government. All I am asking is, how can this differential figure make the slightest difference to anybody, and whether it will not help the country to understand the position?

Mr. Gaitskell

The right hon. Gentleman, in his time, has been Secretary of State for War, and he will be perfectly well aware that it is of great interest to foreign countries even to know the trends in matters of this kind. It may be that information which is available to them would, in itself, be of no particular value, but if we were to add to it by making further information public, it would have very considerable significance.