Fuel Supplies: Task Force Proposals (Hansard, 5 October 2000)

§ The Minister for Science, Department of Trade and Industry (Lord Sainsbury of Turville)
My Lords, my right honourable friend the Home Secretary announced on 29th September that members of the Fuel Supply Task Force had signed a memorandum of understanding to put in place more robust systems to avoid disruption of fuel supplies. The full text of the memorandum and its signatories has been published and placed in the Library of the House. The task force continues to meet to discuss whether further measures need to be taken to ensure that the disruption caused by the recent protests is not repeated.

Lord Campbell of Croy
My Lords, I thank the noble Lord for his reply. I heard in the Statement made in this House last Thursday that some broad principles had been agreed within the task force but had not been made public. The Statement went on to say that the task force would continue to look for possible changes in the criminal law. When the resulting recommendations are made, will the Government consider carefully the personal situations of tanker drivers and others involved, some of them self-employed, some sub-contractors and many members of trade associations and trade unions?

§ Lord Sainsbury of Turville
My Lords, the memorandum of understanding made clear where the work of the task force would be focused; that is, on the joint early warning systems and the joint crisis management systems and in tackling the potential for, and allegations of, intimidation of tanker drivers. That is the work to be done. It is not appropriate to give all the details of those issues. The House can be certain 1687 that the whole subject of intimidation of drivers is being looked at. It is a complicated area but in due course it will be resolved.

Lord Berkeley
My Lords, is my noble friend aware of allegations from the Transport and General Workers' Union that many tanker drivers were leant on by their employers to say that they were being threatened and should not drive when actually many of them were quite happy to drive? Has that situation changed?

§ Lord Sainsbury of Turville
My Lords, the evidence on the question of intimidation is largely anecdotal. An attempt is being made as part of the review to obtain more firm evidence. However, it is anecdotal and therefore to make judgments on that basis is premature at this stage.

§ Lord Marlesford
My Lords, does the Minister agree that it will always be a huge risk for either the oil companies or drivers to take petrol tankers through hostile pickets at refineries when anyone perhaps going a bit over the top could set off a catastrophic explosion of 5,000 gallons of highly inflammable fuel? Is not that one of the real problems and what can be done about it?

§ Lord Sainsbury of Turville
My Lords, we need to distinguish between peaceful protesters and other people who get involved in these demonstrations. Clearly, there are risks in those situations. That is exactly the sort of issue at which the task force will look.

§ Lord Hughes of Woodside
My Lords, are those hostile pickets who threaten to do catastrophic damage to the environment and so forth the same people described by Mr William Hague as being decent, honest citizens?

§ Lord Sainsbury of Turville
My Lords, everyone would agree that in that situation there were two different kinds of protesters. The great majority were perfectly peaceful protesters, and nothing should take place in the law which in any way discourages peaceful protests. On the other hand, we have heard of people whose intentions were less admirable.

§ Lord Ezra
My Lords, in dealing with this matter and in the measures now proposed, has a short-term view been taken to deal with the present difficulties or are longer-term measures in mind?

§ Lord Sainsbury of Turville
My Lords, what is proposed is essentially to put in place systems which can deal with this kind of crisis as effectively as possible, both in the short term and the long term. But, obviously, as we go forward, the systems will be increasingly refined.

§ Lord Boardman
My Lords, does the Minister suggest that one of the proposals in mind is the 1688 direction of private individuals who are self-employed to carry out work they are not otherwise prepared to do?

§ Lord Sainsbury of Turville
My Lords, the memorandum of understanding involves the oil companies, and they signed up to it. One of the questions to be considered is whether there is a greater obligation on the oil companies in line with what is imposed on the utility companies to make certain that supplies get through.

§ Lord Faulkner of Worcester
My Lords, will my noble friend draw the attention of the task force to a report in today's Financial Times that the oil companies are poised to increase forecourt prices yet again, despite a 19 per cent reduction in the world market spot prices for oil over the past month?

§ Lord Sainsbury of Turville
My Lords, the whole question of petrol prices and the pricing by oil companies clearly has to be a matter for them. However, everyone, including the Government, will be looking carefully to ensure that they do not exploit this situation.