CONTROL OF LIQUID FUEL BILL (Hansard, 12 July 1967)

§ The Minister of Power (Mr. Richard Marsh)
I beg to move, That it be an Instruction to the Committee on the Bill that they have power to make provision in the Bill for controlling the supply, acquisition and consumption of lubricating oil and grease and for extending the provisions of the Bill to the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. The purpose of the Instruction is to enable the Committee to consider Amendment No. 2 and New Clause No. 1 standing in my name. The Amendment is to provide for controlling the supply, acquisition and consumption of lubricating oils and grease. The new Clause is to extend the provisions of the Bill to the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. At present the Long Title of the Bill refers only to the United Kingdom. The Instruction is therefore necessary to enable the Bill to be applied to the Isle of Man and the Channel Islands.
As to the control of lubricating oil, the Instruction is necessary because I am advised that this is not strictly covered by the subject matter of the Bill as received from Second Reading since it covers only liquid fuel and does not extend to lubricating oil. Without the Instruction, therefore, it is doubtful whether the Committee would have power to make provision for lubricating oil.

§ Mr. Peter Emery (Honiton)
While I do not wish to delay the House for very long, before making my speech I do as I did on Second Reading—I declare an interest. I hope that I need not do this every time I speak. I declare that I have an interest in oil companies and I would want anyone to know that whenever I rise to my feet.
The position is quite obviously that a slight "boob" has been made by the Ministry in not looking at this matter fully from the word go. It would appear that the Ministry did not realise that the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands were part of their domain and under their control. This may not necessarily please the 735 people resident in those areas. I am certain that the Minister is right and I am glad that he has been able at this early hour, or late hour whatever it may be—I was in my place only a matter of two-and-a-half hours ago—to act with this expedition.
The lubricating oil factor I find a little strange because, as the right hon. Gentleman will know, I posed a direct question about this. It would not be unfair to say that the Parliamentary Secretary gave me a pretty short "brush off" in his reply when he said: As far as lubricants are concerned, this is a question of fact, and I do not intend to try to define the particular point of fact that the hon. Gentleman was putting. Lubricants are lubricating oils, and if there should be any quarrel about it I think that this is a matter for the technicians."—[OFFICIAL REPORT, 6th July, 1967; Vol. 749, c. 2137.] The implication was that I was wasting the time of the House and did not know what I was talking about. I am glad that the Minister has been able to correct this situation because, although there is no doubt that there is a large supply of lubricants and lubricating oil, it would be a nonsense for the Bill to go through without the Instruction. I ask him therefore—

§ Mr. Marsh
I hesitated before diluting the flood of eloquence at this stage of the proceedings, but the Motion I have moved will enable the Committee to discuss the Amendments which are on the Notice Paper.

§ Mr. Emery
I do not intend to continue the discussion other than to ask a question about the Long Title. Would this Motion mean that if it and the Amendments which the Minister has put down were carried he would alter the Long Title of the Bill? I urge that he should do so because on the whole he is quite right. Indeed—

§ Mr. Speaker
Order. I think this point might possibly be taken up in Committee.

§ Mr. Emery
If it is better taken up in Committee, I immediately stop. I will take it up in Committee because I think it relevant. I am pleased that the Minister has seen fit to get himself into order at the very start, and of course we shall support him in this enabling Motion.

§ The Chairman
The Committee will appreciate that until the House had agreed to the Instruction it was not possible for me to complete the selection of Amendments. It may be for the convenience of the Committee if I indicate which Amendments are being called. In addition to the Government Amendments and the Government new Clause, I propose to call Amendment No. 1, with which we can discuss Amendments Nos. 5 and 6. I then propose to call separately Amendment No. 9 and Amendment No. 12, in Clause 8, page 5, line 7, leave out '30th June 1968' and insert '31st December 1967'.

§ Mr. Edward M. Taylor (Glasgow, Cathcart)
I presume, Sir Eric, that you are not calling new Clause No. 2—Regional development—which is supported by hon. Members from both sides of the House and which is the only Amendment which has more than two names attached to it.

§ The Chairman
I did not mention new Clause No. 2 because it is not selected.

§ Mr. Kenneth Lewis (Rutland and Stamford)
On a different point of order, Sir Eric. The House has now sat for two successive nights and we are likely to have a late night tonight. I am certain that from the way in which the Leader of the House has arranged the business, deliberately, we shall have a late night tomorrow—

§ The Chairman
Order. We are in Committee now. I am not concerned with the sittings of the House. No point of order can arise in this Committee about the sittings of the House.