HC Deb 19 June 1979 vol 968 cc496-7W
Mr. Hooley

asked the Secretary of State for Energy what steps are being taken by his Department to ensure that families taking their annual holidays in July and August in the South-West, Wales and Scotland will have reasonable assurances of supplies of petrol in those regions.

Mr. Gray

The allocation schemes which the oil companies are generally operating are based on use in the corresponding period in 1978. They therefore take account of normal increases in demand during the holiday months. Given the reasonable economy in the use of oil which must be required of us all, I would not expect special problems in the South-West, Wales and Scotland.

Mr. Douglas-Mann

asked the Secretary of State for Energy to what extent panic buying is still contributing to the petrol shortage; and whether he will take steps to ensure that garages make a minimum charge of £3 to discourage motorists from purchasing petrol before they need it.

Mr. Gray

Panic buying of petrol when it occurs, does not increase the physical shortfall of supplies for long. There is no evidence that such buying is at present widespread and in my view legislation to curb it is not needed.

Mr. Morgan

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he is aware of the acute shortage of petrol and diesel oil in parts of mid—Wales, including the Tanat Valley; and what steps he proposes to take to remedy this situation.

Mr. Gray

There is a shortage of petrol and diesel oil in all parts of the country. But certain areas where filling stations are scarce and public transport thin on the ground have felt the shortage more keenly than others. I expect the oil companies to be scrupulous in ensuring that these areas are supplied on an equitable basis.

Mr. Douglas-Mann

asked the Secretary of State for Energy, to what extent shortages of petrol and domestic heating oils are subject to regional variations; whether he will publish figures showing, county by county, the current reduction below normal supplies; and what action he proposes to take to relieve local shortages and ensure that the burden of reduced supplies is shared fairly over the United Kingdom as a whole.

Mr. Gray

The degree of shortage of oil products varies as between different oil and independent distribution companies, and local variations arise according to which of these companies serve the area concerned. There are no marked regional variations.

I have asked the oil industry to tackle the problem of seeking to achieve a more even distribution of oil products between consumers.