HC Deb 11 January 1990 vol 164 c691W
Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement about the scope for co-operation with the United Nations monitoring group covering oil shipping to South Africa.

Mr. Wakeham

The United Kingdom opposed the 1986 United Nations General Assembly resolution which called on the Security Council to introduce a mandatory oil embargo against South Africa and established the oil shipment monitoring organisation. Our policy is unchanged.

Mr. Dobson

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will place in the Library the United Kingdom's guidelines prohibiting crude oil exports to South Africa.

Mr. Wakeham

The Government have made clear to companies exporting North sea crude oil that they expect them to do so in the markets of our European Community and International Energy Agency partners, or where there is an existing pattern of trade. South Africa does not come within any of those categories. The guidelines were announced by the then Secretary of State for Energy on 31 January 1979[Official Report, col. 461].

United Kingdom petroleum product exports to South Africa (by volume and value)
Volumes (metric tonnes) Value (£'000s; current prices)
1985 1986 1987 1988 11989 1985 1986 1987 1988 11989
Motor spirits and light oils 29 19 157 8 13.8 10.1 51.2 16.3 1.1
Kerosenes and medium oils 14 1 1 1 8.5 1.6 1.9 2.0
Gas oils 206 324 360 3,932 7,846 76.0 109.8 113.2 742.4 1,528.9
Fuel oils 2 4 0.4 1.0 5.6
Lubricants 17,165 6,885 6,218 579 434 5,863.8 2,733.5 2,305.5 517.5 329.5
Petroleum jellies and waxes 83 274 1,148 808 402 72.0 192.8 716.9 506.5 323.7
Mineral tars and oil derivatives 449 706 131 194 102 152.6 309.8 81.2 133.5 81.4
Pitch and pitch coke 1 20 1 0.4 4.0 1.9
Petroleum bitumen and bituminous mixtures 4,238 11,777 10,528 109 34 1,830.5 3,924.0 3,053.8 75.5 30.6
TOTALS 22,185 20,008 18,548 5,631 8,818 8,017.9 7,286.6 6,331.2 1,993.7 2,295.2
1 January to July only.

SourceOverseas Trade Statistics