§ 2.35 p.m.
§ [The Question was as follows:
§ To ask His Majesty's Government:
- 1. How much is spent in dollars per annum on petrol of less than 80 octane value?
- 2. How much is spent in dollars per annum on films?
- 3. How much is spent in dollars per annum on tobacco?
- 4. What is the amount of royalties paid in dollars for petrol produced in the sterling area?
- 5. What is the amount paid by American interests in dollars for the purchase of petrol produced in the sterling area?
- 6. What is the estimated dollar content of the standard petrol ration for a car up to 9 h.p., and 13 h.p. respectively per annum?
- 7. How much petrol is now produced in refineries in this country per annum, and what is the extent of the increase in these amounts which can be expected for 1950 and 1951? and
- 8. What is the value for 1948 and 1949 respectively of equipment for the production of petrol made in this country and exported?]
§ THE PAYMASTER-GENERAL (LORD MACDONALD OF GWAENYSGOR)My Lords, I must apologise in advance for the length of my reply. As your Lordships will appreciate, I am replying to eight questions at the same time. In the twelve months ending June 30, 1949, the United Kingdom imported from dollar sources 1398 petrol of less than 80 octane to the value of 53,000,000 dollars at f.o.b. prices; but this does not take into account the dollar element in the costs of oil from what are called sterling sources. In the same period the United Kingdom paid 24,000,000 dollars on account of films, and 52,000,000 dollars on account of tobacco. Royalties are paid on crude oil, and not on petrol, and no dollar royalties are paid on crude oil obtained in the sterling area. Most of the so-called sterling oil is not, however, produced in the sterling area but in other countries, such as Venezuela and Persia. Royalty payments to such countries at present involve, directly or indirectly, a substantial dollar expenditure.
With regard to the fifth question, dollars paid for petrol produced in the sterling area or by British-controlled companies throughout the world are not recorded separately, but our estimate of the f.o.b. value of petrol sold by these companies to United States interests in 1948–49 is 13,000,000 dollars. It is not possible to calculate the dollar content of a particular petrol ration. Some is produced in this country; some of our imports are from dollar sources, and therefore cost us 100 per cent. dollars; and some of our imports are produced by British-controlled companies in the Western Hemisphere and elsewhere where there are varying dollar elements of cost. Decision as to whether petrol shall be shipped to the United Kingdom from one producing region or another are determined mainly by commercial and geographic considerations. The size of the dollar element in petrol imported into this country from British controlled sources is, therefore, subject to considerable variation from time to time.
In answer to the last two points of the Question, the total production of petrol in the United Kingdom during the year 1948–49 was 1,128,000 tons. It is anticipated that production will have increased to 1,680,000 in 1950 and 2,220,000 tons in 1951. Equipment for the production of petrol is not separately distinguished in the trade accounts, and figures of exports are therefore not available. From figures released by the Oil Companies Materials Secretariat, it appears that the total value of export orders placed in the United Kingdom by the oil companies for materials and equipment for all purposes 1399 connected with the production, refining and distribution of all grades of oil has been as follows: for delivery in first half of 1948, £28,700,000; for delivery in second half of 1948, £32,400,000; for delivery in first half of 1949, £35,100,000.
§ EARL HOWEMy Lords, may I at once thank the noble Lord very much indeed for the answer to my Question? I apologise to your Lordships for the number of questions contained in the one. May I further ask the noble Lord whether his attention has been drawn to the answer given in another place yesterday, from which it appears that no less than 39,775,000 gallons of motor spirit have been imported into this country from the Netherlands during this year and a further 28,793,000 gallons from France? Dividing those figures by 300, in order to reduce the gallons to tons, my elementary mathematics produce a figure of 228,560 tons. May I ask whether, in view of these figures, the Minister of Fuel and Power will be persuaded to look again at the possibility of maintaining the standard ration of petrol in this country, observing that the amount from the Netherlands and from France were not necessarily paid for in dollars?
§ LORD MACDONALD OF GWAENYSGORMy Lords, my attention had not been drawn to the facts given by the noble Earl, but I am certain that the Minister is fully aware of them and will have them in mind when deciding his future policy.