Supplementary Petrol Allowances (Hansard, 20 March 1950)

§ 13. Sir John Mellor
asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what method is adopted by his Department for determining whether or not the use of public transport is reasonably practicable by applicants for supplementary petrol; on what calculations of time and distance allowances are based; and if he will arrange for written rulings to be given on request from persons contemplating employment at a distance from their homes.

§ Mr. Noel-Baker
Whether it is reasonable to ask anyone to use public transport to go from his home to his work must depend on the special facts of each individual case. The regional petroleum officers are, therefore, given discretion to grant petrol for this purpose when they think it right. The circumstances of different cases vary so much that I could not adequately explain in this answer the principles on which the petroleum officers do their work. I will, however, be happy to discuss the matter with the hon. Baronet, if he so desires. The regional petroleum officers will certainly give their decisions in writing to people who are considering whether they will accept employment at a distance from their homes.

§ Sir J. Mellor
As apparently no rules have been laid down, does the right hon. Gentleman mean that these decisions are left to the sweet will of some minor official? Will he say whether we can have a prospect of improvement in supplementary allowances?

§ Mr. Noel-Baker
As to the supplementary allowances, of course we shall always do our best. As to the principles which are applied, the regional petroleum officer considers the time tables of buses and trains, the number of changes for a given journey, the time it takes, whether the persons concerned are engaged in heavy manual work or in sedentary employment, whether they are old people or suffering from physical disability—many other things. I will discuss the matter with the hon. Baronet.

§ Sir J. Mellor
Are there no rules laid down for the guidance of regional officers?

§ 17. Sir J. Mellor
asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why he refused an allowance of petrol to enable Mr. T. R. Hodgetts, 36, Park Road, Sutton Cold-field, to drive six miles each way daily for his work, without spending approximately two hours in public transport and upon what formula of time and distance his decision was reached.

§ Mr. Noel-Baker
As my hon. Friend the Parliamentary Secretary to my Department explained in a letter to the hon. Member, the regional petroleum officer decided that Mr. Hodgetts could travel from his home to his work by omnibus, without suffering unreasonable inconvenience or delay. Though I regret that we could not meet Mr. Hodgetts' desires, I am satisfied that the decision was right.

§ Sir J. Mellor
Does the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that half a gallon of petrol a day would save this gentleman one-and-a-half hours a day in time, and if no rules have been laid down for these decisions, how can this gentleman or the hon. Member representing him decide whether he is being fairly treated or not?

§ Mr. Noel-Baker
There are innumerable cases all over the country in which if we allowed petrol for home-to-work travel we should save time for the persons concerned, but it would cost hundreds of thousands of tons of petrol a year.