HC Deb 03 December 1956 vol 561 cc81-5W
44. Mr. Burke

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he proposes to introduce a special scheme of supplementary petrol allowances for bona fide commercial travellers.

49. Mr. Mason

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will, in accordance with precedent, introduce a scheme of supplementary petrol allowances for commercial travellers; and if he will make a statement.

53. Mr. Dodds

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power, in view of the treatment allocated to pleasure motorists in the petrol rationing scheme, why such severe limitations have been put on those who have to run the nation's business; and, in view of the gravity of the situation for commercial travellers and those running a wide variety of small businesses, if he will take action to satisfy their needs.

58. Mr. Reeves

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power why he has issued instructions that commercial travellers are to be allocated, apart from the basic ration, a maximum of 2½ gallons a month for cars under 7 horsepower, 3 gallons for 8 to 9 horsepower, 4 gallons for 10 to 13 horsepower, 5 gallons for 14 to 19 horsepower, and 6 gallons for 20 horsepower and over; if he is aware that most commercial travellers using cars for their work will be unable to continue operating; and if he will make a statement.

59. Dr. King

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will accede to the request of the United Commercial Travellers' Association for a special commercial traveller's supplementary petrol allowance, as was granted in 1949.

65. Mr. F. Noel-Baker

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power when he will introduce a scheme for supplementary petrol allowances for bona fide commercial travellers, in view of their importance to the economic life of the country and the fact that their livelihood depends upon travelling.

74. Mr. Awbery

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that many bona fide commercial travellers will be driven out of business unless they can obtain a supplementary petrol allowance; and if he will consider granting them an extra allowance similar to that which operated under the last petrol-rationing scheme from 1940–50.

Mr. Aubrey Jones

Because of the extent of the petrol shortage I regret that the basic ration and the business supplementary allowance combined will not allow many commercial travellers to travel as freely as they would wish. But firms who employ travellers will be at liberty to devote as much as they think fit of their supplementary allowance to meet the requirements of their travellers; and I can promise that special consideration will be given to the needs of self-employed travellers whose livelihood would otherwise be threatened.

47. Sir I. Fraser

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to give specially sympathetic consideration as regards petrol rationing to persons who use motor vehicles on account of severe disabilities.

63. Mr. Hunter

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to grant an extra supplementary ration of petrol to all disabled persons who use invalid motor vehicles, and who are unable to use public transport.

Mr. Aubrey Jones

Yes, Sir. My regional petroleum officers have been so instructed.

54. Mr. Moss

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he is aware of the special difficulties of persons who have to travel in rural areas; and if he will make special provision for them in the rationing of petrol.

60. Mr. Spence

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power, in view of the dissatisfaction which has become apparent in rural areas, whether he will now consider reallocating our available supplies of petrol by reducing the basic ration and increasing supplementary allowances; and if he will base his estimates of supplementary requirements, for necessary purposes, upon the experience of our previous petrol rationing scheme in which the basic ration was smaller but the supplementary allowance was directly related to essential requirements however large or small.

Mr. Aubrey Jones

The difficulties of persons in rural areas were taken into account in deciding the level of the basic ration, which is intended to cover essential journeys that cannot be made by public transport. Special provision for persons in rural areas as a class is not practicable, but my regional petroleum officers will consider special supplementary allowances where the individual would otherwise be threatened with loss of livelihood or other severe hardship.

56. Mr. J. Harvey

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power what records are maintained by his Department of all types of supplementary allowances of petrol which were considered necessary during the war; and how far such records have been taken into consideration in formulating present policy.

Mr. Aubrey Jones

Adequate records of the operation of the previous rationing scheme have been maintained by my Department and they were naturally taken fully into consideration in formulating the present one.

57. Mr. J. Harvey

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will take steps to ensure that no petrol is made available to vehicle owners who do not renew their licences on 1st January, 1957.

Mr. Aubrey Jones

Any vehicle owner who fails to return unused coupons when his vehicle ceases to be licensed will be in breach of the law.

64. Mr. Dodds

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware of the serious situation that has developed in regard to petrol supplies; and if he will therefore bring forward the date for the introduction of petrol rationing.

66. Mr. Rankin

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will introduce petrol rationing at an earlier date than 17th December, because of the difficulties which cars and lorries engaged on important services are experiencing in obtaining supplies.

67. Mr. Irving

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware of the breakdown in petrol supplies in many areas; and, in view of the need for orderly distribution of limited supplies, if he will bring forward the date for the commencement of petrol rationing.

69. Mr. Owen

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power, in view of the great difficulty in obtaining petrol for essential journeys in rural areas, if he will exercise immediate controls.

70. Mr. Beswick

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if, in view of the unfairness in the present system of distributing available petrol supplies, and of the difficulty which is now being experienced in obtaining petrol for essential business purposes, he will advance the date of organised official petrol rationing.

73. Mr. Holman

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will introduce petrol rationing at an earlier date than he has yet announced in view of the need to distribute available supplies in a more equitable way than is now the case.

76. Mrs. Butler

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware of the position which has arisen because of the absence of petrol supplies for firms delivering foodstuffs to their customers; and whether he will bring forward the date for introducing the petrol rationing scheme to improve the situation.

Mr. Aubrey Jones

The 17th December is the earliest possible date on which petrol rationing can be introduced without causing difficulties far greater than those now being experienced. Some inconvenience was to be expected as a result of the present restrictions on supplies to garages, but I have no reason to suppose that essential journeys have been restricted.

71. Mr. G. Darling

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he is aware that many garages and petrol stations have been unable to obtain nine-tenths of their 1955 petrol supplies, in accordance with his arrangements; and what he proposes to do to make sure that every petrol station has its fair share of supplies for the commencement of petrol rationing.

Mr. Aubrey Jones

No. The companies assure me that in almost every case they have maintained a 90 per cent. delivery to garages since 7th November. The oil companies will deliver to every dealer over the period 1st to 16th December 90 per cent. of his normal allocation for that period, plus a supplement equal to three days' supply to provide a buffer stock for the start of rationing.

Mr. Mason

asked the Minister of Fuel and Power to introduce a supplementary petrol allowance scheme for driving schools to enable them to continue teaching doctors and nurses who are still under instruction.

Mr. Aubrey Jones

I would refer the hon. Member to the reply which I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for Taunton (Mr. du Cann) on Monday, 26th November.