§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his attitude to the United States of America/French proposals for imposing some restrictions upon companies' operations on the Rotterdam spot market.
§ Mr. David HowellI discussed these matters with my colleagues in the EEC Energy Council on 18 June. I pointed out that prices for transactions on the Rotterdam spot market, which account for only a few per cent. of world oil supplies, were a sympton, rather than a cause, of the present difficult oil situation. I undertook nevertheless to examine carefully proposals aimed at improving the transparency of the Rotterdam market.