Mr. Sproateasked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what consideration, under Basket 2 of the Helsinki Agreement, he is giving to the help that would be provided to the Soviet economy by an agreement to proceed following, negotiations between British Petroleum and the Soviet authorities regarding exploration and production of oil in the Barents Sea; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. LuardDiscussions are continuing between British Petroleum and the Soviet authorities about oil exploration in the Barents Sea but no agreement has yet been reached. Commercial arrangements of this kind are seen by the Government primarily as means of improving the balance of Anglo-Soviet bilateral trade, rather than as action to fulfil the Final Act's provisions on economic co-operation.