§ Mr. Banksasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will estimate the prices paid by manufacturers in the glass industry for gas and oil in each of the member countries of the European Economic Community.
§ Mr. GrayThe price of oil and gas specifically to the glass industry is not available. Latest available information on gas prices to large industrial consumers in the European Community was recently given in reply to my hon. Friend the Member for Sheffield, Hallam (Mr. Osborn)—[Vol. 19, c. 291.]
The following table shows the price of heavy fuel oil for deliveries of 24 tonnes per annum or 2 tonnes a month and is based on an informal survey conducted for the European Commission on 19 April. In making international comparisons it must be borne in mind that difficulties can arise in times of changing prices and exchange rate fluctuations. There can, moreover, be a wide range of prices within countries and differences in the method of collecting data may not always provide comparable figures.
£/tonne Price of heavy fuel oil including duty (excl. VAT) Belgium 106.5 Luxembourg 98.0 Denmark *141.6 FR Germany 110.5 France 105.4 Greece † Ireland 126.6 Italy 96.8 Netherlands 111.4 United Kingdom 116.0 * Duty of £28.40/tonne rebated to VAT registered traders. † Not available. Exchange rate £1=$1.7602.