Is Petrol Usage Fairly Controlled?
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...THE inability of numerous manu
facturers, engaged on national work, to obtain adequate supplies of petrol for their transport needs, while a " colossal amount of joy-riding and wastage of petrol" was going on, was brought to the notice of Mr. Geoffrey. Lloyd by Mr. Levy in Parliament last week.
Captain Vyvyan Adams, in a similar connection, recommended the avoidance of " squandering war resources by prohibiting motor-coach tours, and horse-racing.
Colonel Sir C. M'Andrew said that certain A.R.P. ambulances were being driven simply to charge the accumulators.
To Mr. Levy and Colonel M'Andrear respectively, the Secretary for Petroleum said (a) that no issue of petrol in the basic ratiOn in any way prejudiced the issue for national purposes, and (b) that he would certainly look into the matter.
To Captain Adams, the home Secretary replied that so long as the national situation did not require the limiting of private motoring to cases of urgent necessity, there would be no justification for further restricting motor-coach facilities. These were largely used by people without cars. All horse-racing meetings would be cancelled.
The foregoing questions and answers followed some remarks by Mr. Leach on the numbers of private cars to be seen at pleasure resorts, at shopping centres and on routes between residential suburbs and business quarters. He suggested that here was scope for conserving petrol and lubricating oil, Mr. Lloyd was prompted by this to state that our supplies of petrol were very satisfactory. However, whilst he did not propose, at the moment, to impose further restrictions, he emphasized the vital importance of all petrol users co-operating to the full in the strict observance of the new Rationing Order recently issued with the intention of checking abuses in the use of petrol.
Mr. Leach asked for a definition of " abuse" in this connection, inquiring also whether the Minister had adequate powers to deal with waste Of petrol by private users.
It , was not an ablise, came the reply, to use the basic ration for reasonable recreation, but it was an abuse to employ the supplementary allowance for purposes for which it was not given. He possssed pow'fts and he intended to use #91n. Prosecutions would be taken in proper cases and he was appointing inspectors for the work.
Mr. Lloyd's statement that„there Was an ample supply of petrol was taken up by Mr_ Levy, who said that, if this Was the case, transport for .oational purposes ought to be given sufficient quantities.