§ 3. Sir Anthony Meyerasked the Secretary of State for Transport if he will make it a condition of future franchises for motorway service stations that lead-free petrol will be available to motorists at such stations.
§ Mr. RidleyWhen unleaded petrol becomes available, it will go on sale at all motorway service areas. No special arrangements will be necessary for new areas or for existing ones.
§ Sir Anthony MeyerIs my right hon. Friend aware that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, to purchase 2-star petrol, with reduced lead content, at motorway service stations late at night? Is he satisfied that the operators are not making difficulties in the sale of that petrol because they perhaps make a lower profit on it?
§ Mr. RidleyI shall look into my hon. Friend's point about the difficulty of getting such petrol late at night. It is the first that I have heard of it. The maximum permitted level of lead in petrol, which will be reduced from 0.4 to 0.15 grams per litre, does not have to be enforced until the end of 1985.
§ Mr. DoverIs my right hon. Friend able to make any announcement about the future provision of service stations on the M25? Will he say what provisions he will make for franchises thereon?
§ Mr. RidleyThat hardly arises on this question, but there are plans to try to get sites for four motorway service stations on the M25 around London, with a distance of a little under 30 miles between each station. The exact sites are not all agreed but we are pressing on as fast as we can.