§ Mr. Speedasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the British oil interests in Nigeria.
§ Mr. FoleyThe Shell Petroleum Co. Ltd., a member of the Royal/Dutch/ Shell group (40 per cent. of which is British owned) and British Petroleum (which is wholly British owned) jointly own the Shell-B.P. Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria Ltd., which is incorporated in Nigeria and engaged in oil exploration and production, and a concession-holding company, Offshore Petroleum Explorations (Nigeria) Ltd., also a Nigerian-incorporated company. The two companies also have a 25 per cent. share each in the Nigerian Petroleum Refining Company Ltd., which is also incorporated in Nigeria. Both Shell and B.P. have their own marketing companies in Nigeria.
§ Mr. Goldingasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether, in view of the continuing need for relief assistance on both sides in Nigeria he will consider giving additional aid in a form that will enable those in need on both sides to benefit.
§ Mr. FoleyWe have decided, subject to Parliamentary approval to make grants of £100,000 each to Oxfam and the British Council of Churches in this financial year for relief work on both sides in Nigeria. Provision will be sought in a supplementary estimate in due course and in the meantime an advance will be sought if necessary from the Civil Contingencies Fund.