§ Lord BROCKWAYasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether discussions will be initiated with the Saudi Arabian Government with a view to maintaining its oil distribution to Western countries through Aramco without reducing its distribution to developing countries through Petromin.
§ Lord CARRINGTONAnglo-Saudi relatons are excellent, and we have regular contacts with Saudi Arabian Ministers on a wide range of issues, including energy. The Government welcome Saudi Arabia's recent reported decision to increase production by 11 mbd as a helpful contribution towards alleviating the present difficult oil market situation: it is, however, for the Saudi Arabian Government to decide how this increased production should be allocated.