§ Mr. Marlowasked the Secretary of State for Trade if he will take steps to prevent the petrol companies from marking petrol pumps in litre sales as opposed to gallon sales.
§ Mrs. Sally OppenheimWhilst I have every sympathy with motorists and others who may be opposed to the sale of petrol by the litre, I do not believe that it would be in the public interest: to take steps now to restrict the industry's freedom to make the change at a time which is boat of its own choosing and when it should be able to contain its costs.
The major oil companies, with the support of the Motor Agents Association, which represents independent garages, gave wide publicity in November 1979 to its decision to embark on a voluntary programme of change. My understanding is that it had reached the decision that a change was inevitable and that it had been hastened by technical problems because the design of some pumps made them incapable of accommodating higher gallon prices.