§ Major GLYNasked the President of the Board of Trade how many gallons of petrol were estimated to have been in stock in the United Kingdom on the 1st January and the 1st February of this year; whether these figures show a large increase over the figures for the same dates in 1918 and 1917; and whether he will consider the possibility of reducing the controlled price of motor spirit, since the trade and development of internal combustion engines are bound to suffer at a time when cheap transit requires every encouragement?
§ Mr. BRIDGEMANThe trading stocks of motor spirit in the United Kingdom were 28,000,000 gallons on the 1st January of this year, and 24,000,000 gallons on the 1st February. These figures show a considerable increase over January, 1918, and some decrease as compared with February, 1918. No comparative figures for 1917 are available. Some reduction in the price of motor spirit has 1315W been recently effected, and the prices now fixed are maximum prices, and not, as was formerly the case, fixed prices below which spirit could not be sold.