Road-transport Topics in Parliament
Page 23
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By Our Special Parliamentary Correspondent
EXTRAVAGANCE IN VEHICLE IMPRESSMENT..'
A A S Secretary Of State for War, Mr, 1-1 Hore-Belisha was asked by Mr. Woodburn to issue instructions that neW vehicles being -commandeered by his Department should be taken over at the works and not after they reached the customer. This procedure would save nearly 35 per cent, of the cost to the nation, it was suggested. Mr. Hore-Belisha replied tartly that it was already the policy to take over new vehicles at the works.
This led the questioner to tell the House 'that recently a vehicle had been delivered from London to Edinburgh and there taken over by the military at full price and sent back to London.
Mr. 'Tore-Belisha expressed willingness to look into this particular case, IMPRESSMENT AND LICENCE REFUNDS.
I T was brought to the notice of the Financial Secretary to the Treasury, by Captain Strickland, that in cases in which motor vehicles had been impressed by the military authorities prior to September 7, and in which the taxation certificates affixed to the vehicles hall not been returned to the
recent owners until September 20 and 22 respectively, the local licensing authorities had refused to refund the licence levied for that month. He asked that an instruction should be issued that all such refunds should date from the day of impressment.
The Treasury at once admitted that in some cases where licences were not removed from vehicles at the time of impressment difficulty had been experienced in recovering the licence for surrender to the licensing authorities. The authorities had now been instructed that, in such cases, the concession already announced should be granted.
SECOND-HAND VEHICLES FOR A.R.P. WORK.
I NSTRUCTIONS have been issued by Sir John Anderson, Home Secretary and Minister for Home Security, to the effect that, in view of the large sum at present being paid for the hire of motor vehicles for air-raid precautions work, purchase should be made of an appropriate number of second-hand cars, to take the place of hired vehicles. CURTAILED BUS SERVICES IMPROVED.
A TTENTION was drawn by Mr. Ellis I-1.Smith to the curtailment of roadtransport services in his locality— Stoke-on-Trent. It was explained to him that, as a result of fuel rationing, services had had to be reduced throughout the country. The position in the district named had been examined, however, by the Regional Transport Commissioner in the light of representations that had been made and substantial improvements would be effected.
COMMERCIAL USERS' PETROL SUPPLIES.
IT was stated by Mr. G. Lloyd, SecreIta.ry for Mines, that the Petroleum Board had made arrangements under which a commercial user 'might have delivered to his own storage tank petrol for use in private cars, provided that the delivery was made on account of a local dealer, to be selected by the user.
It was conditional also upon sufficient private-car coupons being presented, through the dealer, to qualify for the minimum bulk delivery of 200 gallons, and on the dealer invoicing the commercial user at the current retail price.