HC Deb 04 November 1948 vol 457 cc121-2W
107. Mr. S. Shephard

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will make a statement on the future of the standard petrol ration

108. Mr. Boyd-Carpenter

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will now make a statement as to the continuance of the standard petrol ration.

111. Colonel Dower

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he has any statement to make regarding the future ration allowance of petrol.

127. Brigadier Medlicott

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will now make a statement as to the future of the standard petrol ration.

Mr. Gaitskell

As I have already announced, the present standard ration will be maintained, and the system of deducting the standard ration from supplementary allowances will be gradually brought to an end, so that there will be no deductions at all from 1st May, 1949, onwards.

123. Commander Noble

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether motorists who have not used all their current six months' allowance by 1st December will be able to use these coupons after that date.

Mr. Gaitskell

Yes, standard ration coupons are valid for the month shown on them and the five succeeding months. those for June, marked "First month," will not be valid after the end of this month, but those marked "Second Month" will be valid till the end of December, and those marked "Sixth Month" till the end of April.

125. Mr. Sharp

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what are the details of the proposals whereby those now receiving supplementary petrol allowances will be able to obtain some basic petrol allowance; and by what procedure additional coupons will be issued.

Mr. Gaitskell

The system of deducting the standard ration from supplementary allowances will be brought to an end gradually. Those receiving supplementary allowances for the period 1st December to 1st June will have the standard ration deducted for five months only; those receiving allowances for the period 1st January to 1st July for four months only and so on. Thus the standard ration will, in fact, have been deducted for the 11 months 1st June, 1948, to 1st May, 1949, and everybody will have been treated alike. From 1st May, 1949, onwards there will be no further deduction.