§ 119. Mr. Bingasked the Minister of Defence if he is aware that the amount of petroleum products consumed by the Armed Forces during the year ended 30th June, 1947, was about four million tons, made up of 1,065,000 tons of motor spirit, 304,000 tons of aviation spirit, 72,000 tons of lubricating oil, 2,507,000 tons of gas, fuel and diesel oil, and 62,000 tons of kerosene; and whether he will state the total dollar expenditure involved and the dollar expenditure in the case of each category of petroleum product.
§ Mr. AlexanderThe fuel oil and aviation spirit were purchased from British companies for sterling. The bulk of the motor spirit and other products was obtained either through the Petroleum Board (by whom the supplies from whatever source are pooled) or, in the case of some theatres abroad, from British oil companies, and it is not possible to say what proportion of the Services' supply represented ultimate dollar expenditure.