§ 4. Sir I. Fraserasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is now in a position to announce his plans for petrol supplies for motor coaches during the coming holiday season.
§ 9. Mr. Nabarroasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will now state the fuel allocations to be made available to public service vehicle operators for the forthcoming rationing period, following 8th April, 1957, having regard to the present allocation of 50 per centum of normal usage, and the special need for such operators to be fully informed as to fuel that will be available to them for long distance coach traffic during the summer holiday period, for express services, excursions, tours, seaside visits and associated peregrinations.
§ 24. Sir F. Medlicottasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation if in view of the importance of motor coach traffic to the prosperity of the seaside and other holiday resorts during the coming summer, he will make an early statement of the amount of petrol which will be available for such coaches.
28. Mr. G. Wilsonasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he will make a statement as to the future of fuel rationing for goods vehicles.
§ Mr. WatkinsonMy right hon. Friend the Paymaster-General will be making a general statement about fuel rationing after Questions, and I would ask my hon. Friends to await what he has to say.
§ Sir I. FraserCan my right hon. Friend assure me that my Question relating to holidays and seaside resorts will be included in the Answer?
§ Mr. WatkinsonYes, Sir.
§ Mr. NabarroWill my right hon. Friend be quite sure that the statement at the end of Questions today is comprehensive in character and has special regard to the last two words of my Question, namely, "associated peregrinations."?
§ Mr. WatkinsonI should have to ask my hon. Friend, with his lucid mind, to interpret those words for me.
§ Mr. LewisCan the Minister explain why it is that during the last three or four days the Press has been announcing that this statement would be made? How did the Press know that, and how was it able to say what the statement would contain? Can the Minister say from where the leakage has come?
§ Mr. WatkinsonPerhaps the hon. Gentleman had better wait to see whether the Press is right or wrong.
§ 15. Mr. Hamiltonasked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation what representations have been made to him by the Scottish Area of the Road Haulage Association Limited, concerning the inadequacy of petrol allocations to association members; and what steps he proposes to take to alleviate the position.
§ Mr. WatkinsonAfter reviewing with my regional transport commissioners the working of the rationing scheme, I have recently made a further allocation to Scotland from the small headquarters reserve of derv in addition to the one I made some weeks ago.
§ Mr. HamiltonIs the Minister quite satisfied that this will allay the anxieties of the Association and that it will not lead to increased unemployment in Scotland? Does he not agree that the original allocations were rather a mean way of treating an association which, after all, contributed substantially to the Tory Party funds?
§ Mr. WatkinsonThe Road Haulage Association has expressed itself to me as being well satisfied with the way in which rationing has been conducted. If the hon. Gentleman has any particular point to make, I will examine it carefully.