NO PLEASURE TRAVEL; NO PETROL

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25275, 29 August 1947, Page 7

NO PLEASURE TRAVEL; NO PETROL

“The allowance of foreign currency for pleasure travel will be reduced immediately from £75 for 12 months to £35 for 14 months, and proportionately for a child from £4O to £30,” said the statement. “After October, provisional foreign currency for pleasure travel abroad ■will be wholly suspended, and foreign ’currency will not be provided for the ! payment of fares for pleasure travel in foreign ships or aircraft, “The Government trusts that in the present circumstances nobody will take la foreign holiday in September unless she has already entered into commitments which he cannot break. “The Government's purpose in continuing the reduced allowance in September is solely to avoid undue hardship. Stricter control will be maintained over allowances for business travelling abroad. Hie maximum daily rate of allowance for travel in Europe will also be reduced. “The Government previously announced its intention to reduce the basic petrol ration by 33 1-3 per cent, from October 1. In the new situation it has decided that the basic petrol

ration should be abolished altogether from October 1. “These specific decisions are all designed to reduce our consumption of goods and services purchased abroad, particularly from hard currency countries. “Positive Side” “Further measures of this kind may be required but by themselves they will not suffice. The positive side of the programme is to increase home production of goods hitherto bought abroad and to expand our export trade. This is of even greater importance. “Last week the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Tom Williams) and the Secretary for Scotland (Mr Joseph Westwood) announced their detailed plans for attaining an increased target of food production in this country. The Government announced in the debate its aim of increasing the total volume of exports to 140 per cent of the 1939 level by the middle of 1948 and 160 per cent, by the end of 1948. Plans already worked out by the department and by industry on the basis of their consultations with individual countries are now being revised to secure this level.’*