§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will give the estimate of Scotland's oil consumption this year, or for the nearest convenient full year; and if he will give a breakdown of the figure by product.
§ Mr. Tom BoardmanDetails of inland deliveries of petroleum products for consumption in Scotland in recent years are given in Table 37 of the Digest of United Kingdom Energy Statistics 1972. Copies of the digest are available in the Library of the House.
Final consumption in 1972 will depend on a number of uncertain factors, but the figures will be published in due course as they become available.
§ Mr. Sillarsasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what has been the percentage increase in oil prices charged by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries in each round of increases in the last 15 years; and if he will indicate the effect of the increases on Great Britain's balance of payments.
§ Mr. Tom BoardmanMy right hon. Friend is not responsible for the price of OPEC oil. According to unofficial published sources the average Middle East Government receipts per barrel of crude oil increased from 82.3 cents in 1956 to 124.5 cents in 1971. Over the same period, the total cost of our oil imports from the Middle East rose from £191 million to £572 million, and the average cost per ton from £8.22 to £8.55.