89. Mr. B. Harrisonasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Power if he is aware that as Australian tourists are unable to take home cars purchased in the United Kingdom unless they have been used for eighteen months they alone of overseas visitors will be penalised by petrol rationing; and whether he will arrange for more lenient treatment for these Commonwealth visitors.
§ Mr. RentonAll overseas visitors are entitled to the same special allowances of petrol and I regret that it is not practicable to differentiate between them by reference to varieties of legal arrangement in their countries of origin.
§ Mr. Osborneasked the Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Power what advice he has to give to the organisers of agricultural shows, gymkhanas, and fetes in rural constituencies, in view of the shortage of petrol; and to what extent he now estimates that the petrol situation will have eased by the summer, so as to allow such shows to be held.
§ Mr. RentonIt is too soon for any reliable forecast to be made of the supply position beyond the present rationing period and I regret that I am not yet able to give any guidance to organisers of agricultural shows.