§ 2.50 p.m.
§ Lord HATCH of LUSBYMy 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 to explain its policy regarding the sale of o[...] abroad by BP.
§ The SECRETARY of STATE for FOREIGN and COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS (Lord Carrington)My Lords, in the present difficult circumstances in the oil market, the Government have made clear to all companies exporting North Sea crude, that they expect them to do so in the markets of our IEA and EEC partners or where there is an existing pattern of trade.
§ Lord HATCH of LUSBYMy Lords, in view of the fact that the noble Lord's colleague, the Minister for Trade, told the House last week that there was no guarantee that the swap arrangement of BP agreed to by the Government would not reach Rhodesia, would he tell the House whether it is a fact that the swap agreement is made between BP and the Continental Oil Company, in which BP will send oil from Indonesia to Durban despite the fact that the Indonesian Government has declared a boycott on its oil being sent to South Africa?
§ Lord CARRINGTONNo, my Lords, no embargoed oil is allowed to be sent.
§ Lord DERWENTMy Lords, may I ask whether this Question is in order? If one reads it carefully it does not appear to be a question at all: the wording is somewhat arrogant and unfortunate and, so far as I can see from reading it, it appears to give an order to the Government and to tell the noble Lord something. I wonder whether that is in order.
§ The LORD PRESIDENT of the COUNCIL (Lord Soames)My Lords, I suppose that is a question for me rather than for my noble friend the Foreign Secretary. I would say that it is a Question which might perhaps have been more felicitously put.
§ Lord HATCH of LUSBYMy Lords, this Question was accepted by the Table. May I press the noble Lord the Foreign Secretary, as we did have a little time on this during the debate last week, to say whether the swap agreement between BP and CONOCO, now approved by Her Majesty's Government, can result in the sending of oil to Rhodesia against the sanctions order?
§ Lord CARRINGTONNo, my Lords, there has been a specific undertaking by BP that the oil will not go to Rhodesia.
§ Lord NUGENT of GUILDFORDMy Lords, is my noble friend aware—I am sure that he is, but I say it for the benefit of the noble Lord, Lord Hatch—that the officers at the Table have no power to refuse any Question?