87. Mr. Leeasked the Minister of Fuel and Power the quantities of oil now being burned in industry and transport; if the production of oil-burning equipment is adequate to consume available oil supplies; and whether permanent conversion to oil burning will be encouraged by the Government.
§ Mr. ShinwellThe amount of oil burnt by industry and transport, including gas works and railways, but excluding oil consumed by mobile internal combustion engines amounted to 217,400 tons in December last, the latest month for which figures are available. The pace of the oil/coal conversion programme is set not by the rate at which oil-burning equipment can be provided but by that at which the large amount of additional storage and distribution facilities can be supplied. As regards the last part of the Question, it is the policy of the Government to encourage conversion to oil-burning to the full extent which may be found practicable.