LORD GIFFORDMy Lords, I beg leave to ask the first question standing in my name on the Order Paper.
§ [The question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will consider restoring the additional £10 foreign exchange allowed to persons taking their cars overseas, observing that travellers by rail or air are allowed to pay their fare in sterling right through to their destination.]
THE MINISTER OF CIVIL AVIATION (LORD PAKENHAM)No, my Lords. The car allowance was withdrawn last Autumn at the same time as the basic travel allowance because we could no longer afford it, and I am afraid there has been no improvement in our foreign exchange position such as would justify us in restoring this concession at the present time.
LORD GIFFORDMy Lords, arising out of that answer, does not the noble Lord think that this is a very unfair discrimination on a man taking his car overseas? Would the Government consider allowing him the equivalent of the railway fare to his destination, in sterling, so as to put him in no better or worse a position than the traveller going by rail, air or sea?
LORD PAKENHAMThe points that the noble Lord has raised were before the Government when the matter was recently reconsidered, and I am afraid that the decision was the one I have just indicated to the House, but I will gladly go into the whole matter in greater detail in private, if the noble Lord would like me to do so.