§ Mr. Awdryasked the Minister of Power if, from information available to him from international sources, he will list those European countries which have higher cost petrol than Great Britain, showing in each case the retail price per gallon of the two top grades; and if he will also give available comparable information for those European countries which have cheaper petrol.
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§ Mr. FreesonComparisons between retail petrol prices in Western European countries are not exact, as zonal practices and grade definitions vary. The approximate prices per gallon for the top two grades, equivalent to recommended prices in London of 6s. 5½d. and 6s. 7½d., for those countries with higher prices, are:
France 7s. 10½d. and 8s. 1½d. Italy 7s. 9½d. and 8s. 5d. Belgium 6s. 5d. and 6s. 9½d. For those with lower prices, the figures are:
Austria 4s. 10d. and 5s. 6½d. Denmark 5s. 11½d. and 6s. 3d. Irish Republic 6s. 1d. and 6s. 4½d. Germany 5s. 9d. and 6s. 1½d. Luxembourg 6s. 0d. and 6s. 1½d. Netherlands 5s. 10½d. and 6s. 2½d. Sweden 6s. 3d. and 6s. 5½d. Switzerland 4s. 11½d. and 5s. 3½d. The figures for France are those for the Paris zone, those for Italy are the official maximum prices, and those for the Irish Republic reflect the recent tax increase. Tax being the main element in all the prices listed, differences in price substantially reflect differences in the level of taxation. In view of the different market practices and the artificial exchanges rates, it is not possible to provide comparable figures for the Eastern European countries.