HL Deb 16 March 1948 vol 154 cc793-4

2.35 p.m.

LORD FARINGDON

My Lords, I beg to ask the question standing in my name on the Order Paper.

[The question was as follows:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether pest control committees have any power of allocation of petrol; whether it is a common practice on their part or of petroleum officers on their advice to allocate petrol for use in connection with fox or deer hunting; and whether, if it is, directions will be given to discontinue this wasteful and unjustifiable practice.]

LORD CHORLEY

My Lords, neither my right honourable friend the Minister of Fuel and Power nor my right honourable friend the Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries knows of any bodies entitled "pest control committees," though it is understood that some agricultural executive committees have set up sub-committees whose function it is to advise on pest control. I can assure your Lordships, however, that, whatever title they may have, no such bodies have been given authority to issue allowances of petrol. The regional petroleum officers of the Ministry of Fuel and Power ask for advice from agricultural executive committees on some applications where it is felt that the knowledge and experience of those committees may be helpful; and on the recommendations of those committees allowances of petrol have been given to Masters of Hounds.

LORD FARINGDON

My Lords, arising out of that reply, may I ask the noble Lord whether His Majesty's Government are not aware that in fact these particular pests would be non-existent in any but the remotest parts of this country, were they not preserved for the purposes of hunting? Therefore, will the Government give instructions that petrol should not be made available for these purposes?

EARL HOWE

May I ask the noble Lord whether the Socialist war cry a: by-elections is now to be, "Pests versus petrol" rather than, "Food versus petrol"?

LORD CHORLEY

I do not think that either of those propagandist questions calls for an answer.