§ Captain Lyonsasked the Secretary for Petroleum on what basis petrol is available; for use in motor cars on the system known as drive-yourself-hire; whether hitherto he has imposed any check on such hiring or upon the petrol thereby used; and whether any step is proposed to reduce all such supplies or render such journeys accountable or subject to special licence?
Mr. LloydHired cars, whether driven by the hirer or otherwise, are rationed for petrol on scales which restrict their maximum mileage. The permitted supply of. petrol has recently been reduced and will be still further reduced by the forthcoming cut in the basic ration which I recently announced. Moreover, the hired car will be made subject to the requirement of a record of all journeys made in it and the purposes for which such journeys were made.
§ Mr. A. Edwardsasked the Secretary for Petroleum whether he can give an estimate of the saving in petroleum consumption due to the rationing system to the latest available date?
Mr. LloydIt would not be in the public interest to give figures of the aggregate reduction in the civil consumption of petroleum estimated to have been achieved by rationing, but I can assure the hon. Member that a substantial economy has been and is being obtained.
§ Sir I. Alberyasked the Minister of In with reference to the 196 units of petrol which were issued on the occa- 50W sion of the Cambridge Conference, to how many persons these units were issued?