09-10-21, 10:42
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Re: Here Comes The Cavalry-ARMY to Drive Fuel Tankers to Save Christmas
Here Comes The Cavalry! Soldiers to Take The Wheel of Lorries to Save Christmas
The military has already been called in to drive fuel tankers but may now be required to drive HGVs in a bid to combat festive shortages
The Telegraph UK 9 OCT 2021
The Government is prepared to ask soldiers to drive HGVs until Christmas, The Telegraph has been told.
The military has already been called in to drive fuel tankers, but could also be required to drive lorries to prevent festive shortages of food and other goods.
Multiple senior government figures have indicated they are willing to seek an extension of the Military Assistance to Civilian Authorities [MACA] order that allows soldiers to be drafted in, if problems finding new HGV drivers persist.
Boris Johnson insisted this week that “Christmas this year will be very considerably better than last year”, amid fears of shortages.
He previously refused to rule out continuing supply chain disruption, but promised the Government “will do everything we can”.
It comes as a survey from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that one in six shoppers were unable to buy essential food items in the past fortnight.
Approximately 200 soldiers are involved in driving fuel tankers to petrol forecourts, with around 100 doing the driving and another 100 helping with delivery.
The original MACA order is understood to only last 30 days, meaning it runs out at the start of November.
But a government source said it could be extended: “MACAs are required periodically. One of the functions of the Armed Forces is resilient to all types of threat.
“If it is needed for longer we would look at a new extension to this one.”
Government analysis of petrol shortages has shown an improvement in the situation throughout this week, though concerns remain about stocks in the South East of England.
But there remain fears over the shortage of HGV drivers. On Tuesday it emerged that just 127 out of 300 fast-tracked visas for lorry drivers had been granted, with just 27 of those for fuel tanker drivers.
Multiple cabinet ministers have declined to rule out that shortages and supply chain issues could last all the way to Christmas.
An ONS survey has found that some 17 per cent of adults have not been able to buy essential food items in the last fortnight because they were not available and almost a quarter (23 per cent) said the same for non-essential food items.
The ONS analysed responses from 3,326 adults between September 22 and October 3 as part of its Opinions and Lifestyle survey.
However, Nigel Jenney, chief executive of the Fresh Produce Consortium, said: “Our industry, from a fresh produce point of view, is in a labour crisis.
“I think the simple message would be there is no point in having any drivers if we don’t have anyone to harvest and package the goods.
“All we want to do is to help find a solution to feed the nation.”
The report also found that one in seven (15 per cent) could not buy fuel.
It comes as Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, told Sky News “we’re right at the tail end” of the situation with fuel supply pressures.
He said in “most parts of the country” problems have ended, and that London and the South East are the only two areas “where we’re seeing any continued problems”.
He added that around 3,500 people have applied for provisional HGV licences in the past week.
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