Petrol Supplies Overseas Visitors 4. Mr. Niall Macpherson asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether overseas visitors who purchase secondhand cars can now be given the same facilities in regard to petrol allowances as are made available to overseas visitors purchasing new cars in this country. 18. Mr. Dodds-Parker asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he has now come to a decision on the possibility of making an allowance of petrol available for visitors to Britain who wish to use friends' cars. Mr. Gaitskell I have come to the conclusion that arrangements can be made whereby, without undue risk of black market operations developing, a small supplementary petrol allowance can be issued to visitors from overseas who borrow a car here or buy one secondhand. Accordingly, as from 1st June, such visitors will be able to obtain a special allowance of petrol sufficient for 250 miles of motoring, in addition to any standard ration available with the car. Each visitor will be entitled to only one allowance in a period of six months, and not more than one allowance will be issued for any one car in the same period. Further details will be announced shortly. Mr. Dodds-Parker Is the Minister aware that the removal of this restriction so far will give considerable satisfaction, and will he endeavour to remove it still further? Mr. Gaitskell I think we had better wait and see how the plan works out in practice. Mr. Douglas Marshall Can the Minister say whether, where his regional officers have turned down recent requests, they will in fact take up those cases immediately in case sufficient publicity is not given to this matter? Mr. Gaitskell Perhaps the hon. Gentleman would await the further details which will be announced very shortly. Mr. Odey Is not a mileage of 250 miles a very inadequate concession? Mr. Gaitskell It is a small allowance, but I am satisfied that if we were to give a larger one the danger of abuse would be very great indeed. Hotel-Keepers (Fishing) 5. Mr. Wilfrid Roberts asked the Minister of Fuel and Power whether he will make a special allowance of petrol to hotel-keepers to enable them to transport their visitors to fish in rivers and lochs. Mr. Gaitskell Yes, Sir. I am prepared to grant a small allowance to hotels in exceptionally isolated rural areas for the use of a car to convey guests to a river or loch where the hotel has acquired fishing rights. Mr. Roberts Can the Minister say whether any special conditions, in addition to these, are being imposed? Mr. Gaitskell Subject to the interpretation of this rule by my regional petroleum officers, "None, Sir." Sir Waldron Smithers Is it not much more important to grant an additional allowance to commercial travellers, because their job is part of the raw material for the export trade? Mr. Gaitskell I have recently raised the allowance for commercial travellers. Radiospares, Ltd 11 and 12. Mr. Peter Thorneycroft asked the Minister of Fuel and Power (1) under what authority his Department suggested to Radiospares, Ltd., that they should at their own expense have saloon bodies removed from their vehicles and van bodies put in their place at a cost of £5,000 in order to evade the regulations under which his own Department are operating; (2) why he has reduced the amount of petrol previously allowed to Radiospares, Ltd., 19–23, Fitzroy Street, London, W.1. Mr. Gaitskell This firm originally received allowances for its cars from my regional petroleum officers. Last year, the firm converted its cars, obtained C licences and was given allowances by the district transport officer of the Ministry of Transport on the higher scale applicable to goods vehicles. When the definition of private motor vehicles was altered to include dual purpose vehicles so as to prevent their obtaining red petrol, the firm had once again to apply to the regional petroleum officer for allowances for its cars. After a careful review of the case, it was decided to increase by one-third the allowance previously issued by the regional petroleum officer. As regards the construction of the cars, my officers merely agreed that if certain alterations suggested by the firm were carried out, the vehicles would no longer fall within the structural definition of private motor vehicles contained in the Motor Spirit (Amendment) Regulations, 1948. Mr. Thorneyeroft Does the right hon. Gentleman appreciate that a car needs the same amount of petrol, whether the petrol is supplied by the Ministry of Transport or the Ministry of Fuel and Power? The car does exactly the same job. Could the right hon. Gentleman give some explanation as to why a differential scale is applied by the two Ministries? As the Minister has answered my two Questions together, perhaps I may ask two supplementary questions. Is he aware whether the advice, given "under the counter," so to speak, by his Department, that this firm should convert its vehicles, is accurate? Are the regulations so silly that if a different body is put on a vehicle which does exactly the same work as it was doing before, it gets a different amount of petrol? Mr. Gaitskell There has always been a quite natural distinction between the scales of allowance applicable to vehicles whose purpose is carrying goods, and to private cars which obviously can be far more easily used for private purposes. That distinction must, I think, be maintained. This firm converted its vehicles in effect to evade the anti-black market regulations which we introduced, and it is now being caught under the regulations which stop that evasion. Mr. Erroll If the firm carries out a fresh conversion so that the vehicles conform to the definition required, can the Minister say whether they will get their former allowances of petrol back again? Mr. Gaitskell If the firm conforms to the law, it conforms to the law.