§ Mr. Canavanasked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will make a statement about Government policy on oil trade with South Africa.
§ Sir Ian GilmourI have been asked to reply.
As my hon. Friend the Minister of State, Department of Energy told my hon. Friend the Member for Southend, East (Mr. Taylor) on 23 March, the Government expect companies to export United Kingdom continental shelf oil to the markets of our partners in the International Energy Agency and in the European Community, except where there are existing patterns of trade outside those regions. South Africa does not fall into this category.
The Government have made clear their opposition to any mandatory ban on the sale of oil to South Africa, and have consistently voted against United Nations General Assembly resolutions calling for such a ban. However, as my hon. Friend the Under-Secretary of State told the House on 18 February, certain countries have imposed a unilateral embargo against South Africa. The Government expect British companies to observe the laws of other countries within whose jurisdiction they operate; but the embargo is not imposed by the United Kingdom and it is not for the British Government to enforce it.—[Vol. 1, c. 211.]