asked the Minister for Energy if export performance is taken into account by his Department in deciding whether a company shall receive a supplementary fuel allowance; and, if so, what criteria are employed.

In view of the present tight oil supply position, supplementary fuel allowances in general are granted only for those priority uses listed in the issue of Trade and Industry dated 29th November 1973, or to those consumers whose pattern of fuel consumption has increased substantially in 1973 through the addition of new capacity or increased production.