London: Secret plans to ration petrol

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Sunday 15 October 2000

London: Secret plans to ration petrol By David Bamber and David Cracknell

PETROL rationing will be introduced if hauliers and farmers attempt another fuel blockade next month, under secret Government plans to ensure that the country does not grind to a halt.

Ministers are determined that there will be no repeat of the total blockade last month, when panic buying led to petrol running out in just three days, food supplies failing and surgery being cancelled.

If the blockade is re-imposed, essential users, including teachers, doctors and food production staff, will be limited to #10 worth of petrol a week and non-essential users allowed about #5 worth - or none if stocks run too low.

The rationing will be enforced by filling station staff, although ministers are prepared to invoke emergency powers if the rules are not followed. Two hundred garages will be open for emergency users and other service stations will be earmarked for supplies for the public on a rotating basis.

Although rationing will inevitably lead to huge queues, the Government hopes that fuel will still be available even after a week of disruption. Tony Blair has also authorised the use of the Government's military oil dumps and pipeline system to try to defeat any protests.

The Prime Minister has staked his reputation on making sure that there is not another fuel crisis. His official spokesman said yesterday: "There is a lot of work going into it. A lot of it is stuff it's probably best not to talk about. I think once people realise how much damage was potentially being done [by the blockade] I don't think there will be the same appetite for it."

Road hauliers and farmers have threatened to re-impose the fuel blockade on November 13, the 60th day after the last one was lifted, if the Government does not reduce fuel tax. On Friday, Brynle Williams, the man who set off last month's fuel protests outside the Shell Oil refinery in Stanlow, Cheshire, said: "People are starting to stockpile now, at 30 days. Come day 53 or 54, we are going to see people panicking because the Government is not doing anything."

Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, hopes to avoid another fuel blockade by making concessions on vehicle tax in his pre-Budget statement, due this month.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/et?ac=000122257519214&rtmo=V686J38K&atmo=99999999&pg=/et/00/10/15/npet15.html

-- Carl Jenkins (Somewherepress@aol.com), October 15, 2000


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