HC Deb 30 March 1981 vol 2 c15W
Mr. Michael Brown

asked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will list the latest available comparisons of retail prices, expressed in £ sterling, of derv, for Belgium, Denmark, Germany, France, Ireland, Italy the Netherlands, the United States of America and the United Kingdom, both exclusive and inclusive of tax and duty, and taking account of the measures announced in the Budget.

Mr. Gray

The latest available estimates of the retail prices of Derv in EEC countries relate to 16 March 1981. Estimates for the United States of America relate to 16 February 1981. In making international comparisons of Derv retail prices, it must be remembered that sales at the retail price account for less than 20% of the market in the United Kingdom, this level being about half that of many other European countries. In the United Kingdom Derv is normally sold by oil marketing companies to industrial and commercial consumers under contracts, the confidential terms of which are negotiated individually.

It must also be borne in mind when making such comparisons that difficulties can arise in times of changing prices and exchange rate fluctuations. There can, moreover, be a wide range of prices within countries and differences in the methods of collecting the data may not always provide comparable figures.

Estimated net price and retail price of DERV at 16 March 1981
Net Price (excluding duty and taxes) Retail price
(pence/gallon) (pence/gallon)
Belgium 68.5 111
Denmark 69.2 98
F R Germany 64.9 119
France 62.9 111
Ireland 68.2 117
Italy 60.9 74
Netherlands 65.1 97
US America(1) 59.6 66
United Kingdom 77.2 161

National currencies have been converted at exchange rates current on date of data collection.

(1) USA prices relate to 16 February 1981

SOURCES: EEC Weekly Oil Bulletin and Oil and Gas Journal