Petrol Prices (Hansard, 15 October 1990)

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will publish in theOfficial Report a table showing for each year since 1978 in terms of pence per gallon the fob export and cif import price of (a) crude oil and (b) petrol together with the United Kingdom ex-refinery price of petrol, excluding tax.

§ Mr. Moynihan
The figures requested are given in the following table:
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Pence per gallon

Crude oil Petrol¹

Export price (fob) Import price (cif) Export price (fob) Import price (cif) United Kingdom refinery petrol price² (premium leaded)

1978 20.5 20.9 28.2 28.5 32.5

1979 26.7 24.8 42.5 45.7 46.7

1980 41.9 37.4 55.3 52.4 60.8

1981 51.5 48.7 62.9 62.1 67.9

1982 54.0 54.6 64.0 65.7 67.5

1983 56.4 56.9 64.6 68.4 73.0

1984 61.2 62.4 66.5 70.2 73.7

1985 62.4 63.1 70.3 72.5 79.8

1986 29.3 29.6 39.8 39.6 49.2

1987 32.0 31.9 37.3 41.1 51.3

1988 24.5 24.0 32.8 33.6 45.5

1989 31.3 30.7 40.3 46.5 55.0

¹ Includes aviation spirit.

² Net sales proceeds to refiner, before taking account of marketing and distribution costs.

Sources: Export and import prices from Overseas Trade Statistics, refinery price from Department of Energy statistics.
The same information at 1989 prices is shown in the following table:

Pence per gallon¹

Crude oil Petrol²

Export price (fob) Import price (fob) Export price (fob) Import price (cif) UK refinery petrol price³ (premium leaded)

1978 48.5 49.4 66.7 67.4 76.8

1979 55.1 51.2 87.8 94.4 96.4

1980 72.4 64.6 95.6 90.5 105.1

1981 80.0 75.6 97.7 96.4 105.4

1982 77.9 78.8 92.3 92.3 97.4

1983 77.3 78.0 88.5 93.7 100.1

1984 80.2 81.7 87.1 91.9 96.5

1985 77.3 78.2 87.1 89.8 98.9

1986 35.1 35.4 47.6 47.4 58.9

1987 36.5 36.4 42.5 46.8 58.5

1988 26.2 25.6 35.0 35.9 48.6

1989 31.3 30.7 40.3 46.5 55.0

(1) Revalued to 1989 prices using the implied deflator for gross domestic product (at market prices).
(2) Includes aviation spirit.
(3) Net sales proceeds to refiner, before taking account of marketing and distribution costs.
Sources: Export and import prices from Overseas Trade Statistics, refinery price from Department of Energy statistics.

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, whether he will publish in theOfficial Report a table showing the average cif import price of a gallon of crude oil and the average fob export price of petrol for each month of 1990 to date, the corresponding United Kingdom ex-refinery price of petrol, excluding tax, and the current crude price at $25 and $30 a barrel, respectively, together with the current ex-refinery price of petrol.

§ Mr. Moynihan
The figures available, which are still provisional, are given in the table.
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Pence per gallon

1990 Export price (fob) Import price (cif) Export price (fob) Import price (cif) United Kingdom refinery petrol price² (premium leaded)

January 35.9 34.8 41.9 46.7 56.1

February 34.0 35.0 42.7 45.6

March 32.4 31.7 42.8 45.0

April 30.3 28.8 44.8 48.5 59.1

May 30.4 27.6 44.1 46.9

June 27.3 26.4 43.8 49.3

July 28.1 26.9 43.6 47.2

Sources: Export and import prices from Overseas Trade Statistics, refinery price from Department of Energy statistics.
¹ Includes aviation spirit.
² Net sales proceeds to refiner, before taking account of marketing and distribution costs. Data are available only quarterly.

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy, what information he has on petrol prices per litre in Germany, France, Holland, Italy, Spain and the United States of America(a) in December 1989, (b) at the latest available date and (c) the percentage increase since 2 August.

§ Mr. Moynihan
The petrol prices are given in the table for the countries requested(a) in December 1989, (b) at 17 September, which is the latest available date. At (c) the percentage increase since 30 July is given, as this is the nearest date prior to 2 August for which the Department of Energy has prices. Prices are in pence per litre (including tax and duty) for premium petrol, except those for the USA which are for regular unleaded.

(a) December 1989 (b) 17 September (c) Percentage increase since 30 July

Germany 44.1 48.7 15.7

France 53.1 59.7 14.3

Holland 51.9 58.1 11.8

Italy 68.5 73.7 11.1

Spain 43.9 47.7 10.1

USA 16.2 17.6 15.6

§ Mr. Hoyle
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will seek powers to issue an order freezing petrol prices at the level which appertained prior to Iraq's invasion of Kuwait and direct that oil companies must justify any application for a price rise with his Department.

§ Mr. Moynihan
No. Price controls below market levels stop the market working and affect availabilities. France has now abandoned the price controls it applied in August and September which restrained prices less well than the approach the United Kingdom and other countries have followed. The hon. Member may also be aware of the Director General of Fair Trading's conclusions about price control in his report published on 28 September.

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy (1) how many meetings he has had with oil companies to discuss heating oil prices since 2 August;
(2) how many meetings he has had with oil companies to discuss petrol prices since 2 August.

§ Mr. Moynihan
My right hon. Friend and I regularly meet representatives of the oil companies and discuss a range of issues including oil product prices.
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§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what value and quantity of oil was bought and sold by British companies on(a) the Rotterdam market and (b) long-term contracts in each year since 1980.

§ Mr. Moynihan
Data are not available to the Department in the precise form requested. Figures are available from the major importers of crude oil into the United Kingdom showing their purchases under continuing supply agreements (i.e., long-term agreements) and other purchases. The figures, which cover a majority of crude oil imports, are shown in the table below, but are available only from 1983 onwards:

Continuing supply agreements Non-continuing supply agreements

Value US$ million Quantity million barrels Value US$ million Quantity million barrels

1983 3,268 109 1,171 39

1984 2,251 79 1,350 47

1985 2,122 77 1,812 65

1986 1,740 123 892 64

1987 2,393 132 1,251 70

1988 2,259 150 720 50

1989 3,333 188 999 57

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy what is the refinery input cost in terms of a gallon of crude oil at $20 and $30 a barrel.

§ Mr. Moynihan
The input costs to a refinery are the cost of the crude oil plus any delivery costs to the refinery not included in that price. Delivery costs vary greatly, depending on the distance and the method of transport (ie pipeline, barges, tanker) and the going rate for transport at that time, and are not directly related to the price of the crude oil itself.
The Department does not collect information on delivery costs or delivered prices of crude oil.

§ Mr. Austin Mitchell
To ask the Secretary of State for energy whether he will publish in theOfficial Report a table showing for each year since 1978 and for the first six months of 1990 the average ex-refinery price of petrol less tax in the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy as well as the current price.

§ Mr. Moynihan
The Department has limited information on ex-refinery prices. The figures presented in the following table are for pump prices excluding tax for the countries and periods requested.
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Petrol price less tax (pence/litre)

West Germany Italy United Kingdom

1978 10.09 8.82 8.20

1979 11.51 9.39 11.90

1980 14.13 13.56 15.20

1981 16.88 15.61 16.50

1982 16.94 17.57 16.70

1983 17.76 18.77 18.00

1984 18.92 18.96 18.30

1985 19.61 19.20 19.70

1986 13.00 12.72 13.59

1987 13.18 13.36 13.60

1988 11.61 12.48 12.30

1989 13.98 14.76 14.70

1990

January 15.46 15.53 15.14

February 14.59 15.90 15.08

March 15.04 16.11 15.12

April 14.73 16.27 16.02

May 15.38 16.10 15.64

June 14.17 15.44 15.54

17 September 20.73 21.09 21.69

			Pence per gallon
	Crude oil	Petrol¹
	Export price (fob)	Import price (cif)	Export price (fob)	Import price (cif)	United Kingdom refinery petrol price² (premium leaded)
1978	20.5	20.9	28.2	28.5	32.5
1979	26.7	24.8	42.5	45.7	46.7
1980	41.9	37.4	55.3	52.4	60.8
1981	51.5	48.7	62.9	62.1	67.9
1982	54.0	54.6	64.0	65.7	67.5
1983	56.4	56.9	64.6	68.4	73.0
1984	61.2	62.4	66.5	70.2	73.7
1985	62.4	63.1	70.3	72.5	79.8
1986	29.3	29.6	39.8	39.6	49.2
1987	32.0	31.9	37.3	41.1	51.3
1988	24.5	24.0	32.8	33.6	45.5
1989	31.3	30.7	40.3	46.5	55.0
¹ Includes aviation spirit.
² Net sales proceeds to refiner, before taking account of marketing and distribution costs.

			Pence per gallon¹
	Crude oil	Petrol²
	Export price (fob)	Import price (fob)	Export price (fob)	Import price (cif)	UK refinery petrol price³ (premium leaded)
1978	48.5	49.4	66.7	67.4	76.8
1979	55.1	51.2	87.8	94.4	96.4
1980	72.4	64.6	95.6	90.5	105.1
1981	80.0	75.6	97.7	96.4	105.4
1982	77.9	78.8	92.3	92.3	97.4
1983	77.3	78.0	88.5	93.7	100.1
1984	80.2	81.7	87.1	91.9	96.5
1985	77.3	78.2	87.1	89.8	98.9
1986	35.1	35.4	47.6	47.4	58.9
1987	36.5	36.4	42.5	46.8	58.5
1988	26.2	25.6	35.0	35.9	48.6
1989	31.3	30.7	40.3	46.5	55.0

Pence per gallon
1990	Export price (fob)	Import price (cif)	Export price (fob)	Import price (cif)	United Kingdom refinery petrol price² (premium leaded)
January	35.9	34.8	41.9	46.7	56.1
February	34.0	35.0	42.7	45.6
March	32.4	31.7	42.8	45.0
April	30.3	28.8	44.8	48.5	59.1
May	30.4	27.6	44.1	46.9
June	27.3	26.4	43.8	49.3
July	28.1	26.9	43.6	47.2

	(a) December 1989	(b) 17 September	(c) Percentage increase since 30 July
Germany	44.1	48.7	15.7
France	53.1	59.7	14.3
Holland	51.9	58.1	11.8
Italy	68.5	73.7	11.1
Spain	43.9	47.7	10.1
USA	16.2	17.6	15.6

	Continuing supply agreements	Non-continuing supply agreements
	Value US$ million	Quantity million barrels	Value US$ million	Quantity million barrels
1983	3,268	109	1,171	39
1984	2,251	79	1,350	47
1985	2,122	77	1,812	65
1986	1,740	123	892	64
1987	2,393	132	1,251	70
1988	2,259	150	720	50
1989	3,333	188	999	57

Petrol price less tax (pence/litre)
	West Germany	Italy	United Kingdom
1978	10.09	8.82	8.20
1979	11.51	9.39	11.90
1980	14.13	13.56	15.20
1981	16.88	15.61	16.50
1982	16.94	17.57	16.70
1983	17.76	18.77	18.00
1984	18.92	18.96	18.30
1985	19.61	19.20	19.70
1986	13.00	12.72	13.59
1987	13.18	13.36	13.60
1988	11.61	12.48	12.30
1989	13.98	14.76	14.70
1990
January	15.46	15.53	15.14
February	14.59	15.90	15.08
March	15.04	16.11	15.12
April	14.73	16.27	16.02
May	15.38	16.10	15.64
June	14.17	15.44	15.54
17 September	20.73	21.09	21.69