asked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will consider the presentation of oil import figures in the monthly trade returns separated from other imports of primary commodities, and other imports as a whole.

Separate details of oil imports are published monthly in the Overseas Trade Statistics of the United Kingdom ; some information is now to be included in the monthly Press notice on the current account of the United Kingdom balance of payments. Figures for December 1973 were released at noon today.