§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy what he proposes will constitute the special monitoring procedures for identifying the improper diversion of oil supplies away from the United Kingdom; and how he interprets"improper diversion ", Official Report, 5 March, column 594.
§ Mr. BennThe monitoring procedure involves the scrutiny and analysis of weekly and monthly returns of crude oil production, imports and exports of crude and products and stock changes. There are always considerable and complex movements of products and crude in the international market, but the procedure should detect any unfavourable changes in the pattern. I would regard it as improper for companies to divert supplies from the United Kingdom market, outside the established patterns of trade, with the objective of short-term profiteering at the expense of the United Kingdom consumer.