§ 102. Mr. Harold Daviesasked the Minister of Fuel and Power how many British oil firms were involved in the oil cartel inquiry in the United States of America; and how many British firms were requested to give documents or records to the committee of inquiry in the United States of America. Mr. Geoffrey Lloyd: I assume the hon. Member has in mind the proceedings of the United States Federal Grand Jury, and the current hearings in the U.S. District Court. According to my information, one British company has been served with a subpoena; five American subsidiaries of the Royal Dutch Shell group have received subpoenas; and at least one other British company has been mentioned by name in the subpoena served on its American parent. In addition, requests for disclosure of documents and records have been received by a number of British companies from their American parents who are under subpoena. 103. Mr. Harold Davies asked the Minister of Fuel and Power if he will publish in the OFFICIAL REPORT copies 131W of the letters sent by him to the AngloIranian Oil Company, Shell Transport and Trading Company and other oil companies requiring these firms not to produce documents for the American oil cartel inquiry.
§ Mr. Geoffrey LloydYes. On 2nd October, 1952, I addressed the following letter to the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, and letters to the same effect to certain companies of the Shell Group
Her Majesty's Government understand that in connection with proceedings under the Anti-Trust Laws in the United States of America you have been or may be requested or required to produce documents, and your officers have been or may be requested to give information, relating to your Company's business.Her Majesty's Government consider it contrary to international comity that you or your officers should be required in answer to a subpoena couched in the widest terms to produce documents which are not only not in the United States of America but which do not even relate to business in that country. Moreover, the disclosure of some of these documents or of information relating to business outside the United States may well, in the opinion of Her Majesty's Government, prejudice or endanger the economic, strategic or political interests of Her Majesty's Government and of the Western Powers.For these reasons Her Majesty's Government require you not to produce any documents which are not in the United States of America and which do not relate to business in the United States, or to give information which does not relate to business in the United States without in either case the authority of Her Majesty's Government.On 4th December and 8th December, I sent letters to the same effect to the Standard Fuel Oil Company, Ltd.; the Esso Petroleum Co., Ltd., and its British affiliates; the Eastern Gulf Co., Ltd., and Gulf Oil (Great Britain) Ltd.