HC Deb 03 July 1961 vol 643 cc1004-5
43. Mr. Dugdale

asked the Minister of Power if he will state the amount of dollars paid for oil and petrol bought by the United Kingdom during the past year.

Mr. Wood

I would refer the right hon. Member to the reply which my hon. Friend gave to the hon. and gallant Member for Down, South (Captain Orr) on 27th June.

Mr. Dugdale

I am not altogether able to recollect that reply. Can the Minister tell me whether any dollars at all were used?

Mr. Wood

I think the answer to that Question is "Yes", but the point of the Answer to my hon. and gallant Friend the Member for Down, South was that since convertibility it is not possible to give the amount of dollars paid for oil compared with other currencies.

Mr. Dugdale

Was the President of the Board of Trade aware of that fact when he said that it was not necessary to buy any Russian oil because we had oil running out of our ears? Did he then know how much this oil running out of our ears was costing in dollars?

Mr. Speaker

Order. The right hon. Gentleman will have to address that question to the President of the Board of Trade,