HC Deb 23 February 1982 vol 18 cc742-3
15. Mr. Neil Thorne

asked the Secretary of Defence if he is satisfied that the current petrol allocation is sufficient to ensure the efficient training of both Regular and Territorial Army units.

Mr. Wiggin

Yes, Sir. We attach a high priority to maintaining training standards. Current fuel allocations are sufficient for that purpose.

Mr. Thorne

In view of the importance of petrol in modern training, because of the transportation involved, is my hon. Friend satisfied that those Regular units that are required to carry out additional duties as part of their NATO role are, nevertheless, left with sufficient petrol to perform their normal training? If not, will he look into the possibility of reducing the amount of fuel used to heat military buildings and thereby release those resources for use in training?

Mr. Wiggin

Constraints on fuel have only been in connection with training purposes. Therefore, I do not think that my hon. Friend need have any concern when emergencies arise. I shall refer his question about heating buildings to my hon. Friend who deals with the Property Services Agency.

Mr. Churchill

Does it not strike my hon. Friend as somewhat anomalous that the one country in the Western world, among all the industrialised nations, that is self-sufficient in oil should be imposing such severe restrictions on the use of petrol by the three Armed Services? Does this not show that the policies are geared more to the budgetary niceties of cash limits than to any reference to the level of threat?

Mr. Wiggin

It is an interesting budgetary philosophy that, simply because we have a national resource, it should cost us little or nothing. The Ministry of Defence has to pay for fuel, as does any other customer.