§ 30. Mr. Spearmanasked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will grant more permits for hire cars than hitherto in those districts which have little or no facilities for public transport.
§ Mr. GaitskellAllowances of petrol for operating hire cars will be granted where the regional petroleum officer is satisfied that existing services are inadequate to meet the public need.
§ Mr. SpearmanWill the right hon. Gentleman consider altering his present method of obtaining the information upon which he grants the permits because it is creating many anomalies. I refer to the employment of the police for this purpose.
§ Mr. GaitskellI am sure the House would not wish in any way to criticise the help which the police are giving us in this matter. They have been doing this for many years and I must say that I know of no better source from which we may obtain reliable information on this subject.
§ Mr. TurtonWill the Minister take into consideration also the opinion of local medical people and ministers of religion, both of whom have a wide knowledge of their rural areas?
§ Mr. GaitskellObviously there is a limit to the number of local contacts that must be made but I am always prepared to consider any particular information from hon. Members on the subject.
§ Mr. Langford-HoltWill the right hon. Gentleman tell the House who is consulted, when the police are not consulted? There is a particular case in my own division where this has occurred.
§ Mr. GaitskellPerhaps the hon. Member will let me have particulars.
31. Mr. H. D. Hughesasked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many applications to open new hire car businesses have been granted or refused during the 12 months ended March, 1948; how much petrol was allocated to successful applicants; and how the total number of such businesses at the present time compares with previous comparable periods.
§ Mr. GaitskellI regret that the information asked for in the first two parts of the question is not readily available and could only be obtained by considerable work in the regional petroleum offices which I could not justify in present circumstances. As regards the last part of the question, allowances for private hire work were made for just over 51,000 vehicles during the period ended 31st May, 1948, compared with 32,000, 39,000 and 42,000, in the corresponding periods of 1945, 1946 and 1947, respectively.
Mr. HughesAs these figures show approximately a 50 per cent. increase over the last five years, and in view of the fact that large numbers of these firms are now advertising journeys of several hundred miles, does not the Minister feel that, at a time when economy of petrol is vitally necessary, licences are being granted a little too generously?
§ Mr. GaitskellNo, Sir, I do not think we grant allowances too generously. We keep a very careful watch. It must be remembered that some of these allowances are for disabled ex-Service men and for persons returning from service with the Forces.