§ Mr. Gibsonasked the President of the Board of Trade whether he is now in a position to make a statement about the purchase of rationed clothing and footwear by overseas visitors, increased allowances of petrol for overseas visitors and hire-car facilities for tourists.
§ Mr. H. WilsonYes. We recognise that purchases in this country by overseas 317W tourists represent an important export, particularly of high quality goods for which this country has such a fine reputation.
I am, therefore, introducing for an experimental period a new scheme by which overseas visitors will be able to obtain Tourist Voucher Books through the banks on presentation of a passport issued abroad and the cashing of £25 of overseas currency. These books will contain six vouchers each permitting the holder to make one purchase, free of coupons, of rationed clothing or footwear for delivery in this country. "One purchase" may consist, for instance, of a suit, or a dress length, or a pair of shoes, or six handkerchiefs, etc., and the scheme, which will be easy for tourists and traders to operate will, therefore, be flexible. I am satisfied that oversas visitors will in this way be able to buy reasonable quantities of the goods they want and that it will enable retail traders to make a contribution to the export drive. Only one voucher book may be issued to a tourist in each calendar year, but those tourists who wish to make more than six purchases will of course continue to be able to use the facilities provided by the Personal Export Scheme.
Under this scheme, which has existed for some time, it has been possible for tourists to purchase rationed clothing and footwear, provided the goods are not delivered in this ocuntry, but are sent direct to an address abroad or to the ship or plane on which they are leaving the country. These arrangements are to be more widely publicised both among tourists and traders.
I am also arranging, on the special occasion of the holding of the Olympic Games in this country, for the issue of 12 clothing coupons, to overseas competitors, officials, Press representatives and their wives and families.
On 11th March my right hon. Friend the Minister of Fuel and Power stated, in reply to Questions by the hon. Member for Tonbridge (Mr. G. Williams) and the hon. and gallant Members for Lewes (Major Beamish) and West Edinburgh (Lieut.-Commander Hutchison), that he and I had agreed in principle that tourists bringing their cars to this country or buying them here for subsequent export should get increased allowances of petrol and that tourists should also be able to travel freely in hired cars.
318WI have now agreed with my right hon. Friend that the arrangements for increased allowances should be as follow:
- (1) Overseas visitors bringing a car to this country or purchasing a new one here for subsequent export will receive an allowance of petrol sufficient to take them from their port of arrival, or the place of delivery of the car, to their furthest destination and back to their port of embarkation, plus an allowance of petrol, for the first fortnight of their stay, sufficient for 600 miles motoring.
- (2) On application to Regional Petroleum Officers of the Ministry of Fuel and Power or local offices of the Automobile Association or Royal Automobile Club a further allowance will be issued sufficient for up to 400 miles motoring during the remainder of the first month.
- (3) On further application allowances for the second and third months, at a rate sufficient for 300 miles motoring per month will be issued.
- (4) No special allowances will be issued for stays of longer than three months but the validity of the petrol coupons issued under the above arrangements, to visitors staying longer, may be up to six months from the date of arrival or purchase of a new car.
As regards visitors wishing to hire cars for touring in this country, my right hon. Friend and I have agreed that the authorised holder of a Tourist Voucher Book, referred to under the clothing arrangements above, should also be able to make journeys in a hire car or taxi cab irrespective of any restrictions, such as the 20 miles radius limit. Hire car and taxi operators will be able to claim, on submission of special declaration forms signed by the hirer, part reimbursement of petrol coupons expended on such journeys involving a total more than 50 miles.
A number of detailed points in the organisation of these different schemes still remain to be cleared and I am proposing, therefore, in agreement with my right hon. Friend the Minister of Fuel and Power, that the date when they should all come into operation should be 1st May.
Visitors who are already in this country and who will be here after this 319W date will benefit from these concessions, but they should not make any applications for increased petrol allowances, etc., until a further statement is issued.