HC Deb 23 January 1957 vol 563 cc50-1W
97. Mr. Dodds

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how far the allocation of petrol by his Department has gone according to plan; on what date or dates the plan was decided upon; and how soon afterwards it was made known to road hauliers and other users for business purposes who applied in reasonable time for supplementary petrol.

Mr. Watkinson

My Ministry's plans for allocating petrol and fuel oil to goods vehicles was based on the general lines of the war-time scheme. The plan envisaged three phases—the issue of the basic ration; the issue of supplementary rations on account while the size of the demand for supplementary rations was gauged; and the final assessment and issue of supplementaries. Events have followed this pattern. I have kept in close touch with the associations representing road transport operators at all stages.

101. Mr. Nabarro

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation whether he is aware that the Ball Mill Sand and Gravel Company Limited, Grimley, near Worcester, supplying large quantities of washed sand, gravel, and aggregate to civil engineering works in the district, including requirements for the construction of new schools, factories, telephone exchanges, reservoirs, municipal housing estates, sewerage works, Royal Air Force runways, and similar undertakings, have been granted only 2,280 gallons of diesel oil for their vehicles delivering such materials to the works concerned, being only 17 per cent. of their 1956 rate of consumption; why this firm has not been given 75 per cent. allocation as promised in earlier Ministerial statements; and what further supplementary allocations will be granted to prevent the company being forced to a standstill.

Mr. Watkinson

As I have told my hon. Friend in my letter to him this firm should make use of the appeal machinery and approach the Regional Transport Commissioner for the West Midland area. But I must make it plain that the figure of 75 per cent. applies to the total tonnage of fuel available for goods vehicles as a whole and that the allocation to an individual firm may be more or less than 75 per cent. of normal consumption, depending on the work to be done.

Regional Commissioners are anxious to be as helpful as possible particularly where the continuity of a business is involved.

106. Captain Kerby

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many appeals against local office petrol rationing assessments have been received, to date, by the South Eastern Traffic Area district transport officers, based upon Southampton and Tunbridge Wells; and how many appeals have been rejected.

Mr. Watkinson

The district transport officer at Southampton has received to date 114 appeals and at Tunbridge Wells 222. On the numbers so far dealt with 65 and nil respectively have been rejected. In the main, appeals in the Southampton district have been from retailers in urban areas while in the Tunbridge Wells district they have been from people who make deliveries in rural areas with few shops.

107. Captain Kerby

asked the Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation how many appeals against local office petrol rationing assessments have been taken, to date, to the South Eastern Traffic Area regional transport commissioner from the district transport officers, based upon Southampton and Tunbridge Wells; and how many of these have been rejected by the regional transport commissioner.

Mr. Watkinson

The regional transport commissioner for the South Eastern Traffic Area had up to yesterday received no appeals from awards made by district transport officers at Southampton and Tunbridge Wells.