HL Deb 13 January 1976 vol 367 cc10-1

2.55 p.m.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they propose that within three years the United Kingdom should seek membership of OPEC as suggested in the Press report of the Prime Minister's Statement to the EEC Heads of Governments who met in Rome on 2nd December.

The PARLIAMENTARY UNDER-SECRETARY of STATE, DEPARTMENT of ENERGY (Lord Lovell-Davis)

My Lords, Her Majesty's Government have no plans to seek membership of OPEC.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that reply, which comes as some measure of relief, may I ask whether we arc to understand that he denies the Press reports of the Prime Minister's Statement?

Lord LOVELL-DAVIS

No, my Lords, I am doing nothing of the kind. On several occasions the Prime Minister has made light-hearted references to possible membership of OPEC. There is, of course, a serious side to the reference, in that it made the point that this country is moving into the big league of oil producers and, by the 1980s, will rank among the top OPEC oil producing nations.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that reply confusing the light-hearted with the serious, may I ask whether he would agree that these remarks—whether lighthearted or serious—are hypothetical, irresponsible, presumptuous and premature? Is there any reason to believe that this country would be invited to join OPEC even if we wanted to?

Lord LOVELL-DAVIS

My Lords, it is not at all impossible. I do not agree with the first part of the noble Earl's statement. It is not impossible that we should be invited to join OPEC.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE

My Lords, would there not be a conflict of interest between our membership of OPEC and our membership of the European Community?

Lord LOVELL-DAVIS

My Lords, yes, indeed, there might well be.

Lord CAMPBELL of CROY

My Lords, if and when Britain joins OPEC, will a Labour Foreign Secretary consider it his first duty to create the maximum of animosity among Britain's fellow members by demanding special status because Britain has the major consumer interest?