§ 58. Captain Pilkingtonasked the Paymaster-General by how much monthly shipments of oil from the United States of America have fallen short of the amounts originally expected by the Government in the event of a failure of Middle East supplies.
§ Mr. MaudlingIn assessing the effect on Europe's oil supplies of the closure of the Suez Canal nad of the trans-Syria pipelines the Government estimated that it would be possible, with the assistance of additional imports from the United States and other Western Hemisphere sources, to meet about 75 per cent. of normal consumption after the initial period of reorganisation. Supplies have reached this level and are expected to average about 80 per cent. in the first quarter of this year.
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74. Mr. Vaneasked the Paymaster-General how the total supplies of oil entering this country during the last three months compare in quantity and cost with imports during the same period a year ago.
§ Mr. MaudlingOver the period November, 1956—January, 1957, inclusive, 7½ million tons of oil were imported into the united Kingdom, as compared with nearly 9½ million tons in the corresponding period a year ago. The c.i.f. values were £81 m. and £87 m. respectively.
§ Mr. Godman Irvineasked the Paymaster-General why oil is permitted to be exported from this country when many transport workers are on short time or out of employment as a result of the shortage of fuel supplies.
§ Mr. MaudlingBritish companies import and export oil as part of their worldwide trade, and it is agreed policy between the seventeen countries (of which the United Kingdom is one) represented on the Oil Committee of the Organisation for European Economic Co-operation that such exchanges between member countries are of mutual benefit and should continue. Proper allowance is made by the Committee for these exchanges in arranging for the equitable distribution of oil supplies, and they do not therefore reduce the total available to this country.