§ Mr. Teddy Taylorasked the Secretary of State for Energy (1) if he will make a statement on the form and nature of the advice given to the British National Oil Corporation and other oil companies on the preference which they should give in supplying oil to European Economic Community member States;
(2) if he will list the countries to which British oil companies have been advised not to supply oil; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. GrayNo special advice has been given to the British National Oil Corporation or other oil companies on the disposal of their oil. As I informed my hon. Friend the Member for New Forest (Mr. McNair-Willson) on 24 may 1979, the Government continue to expect that oil companies exporting North Sea crude will do so in the markets of our partners in the International Energy Agency and the European Community.
This expectation in no way cuts across the maintenance to the extent possible of any existing patterns of trade outside those regions. Apart from this general guidance, there are no specific countries to which British oil companies have been advised not to offer supplies.