asked the Minister of Overseas Development what has been the cost of supplying British Government facilities to oil-producing countries in the Middle East from which Great Britain purchases oil during each of the last five years for which records are available; and what is the proposed cost of providing the services of this division during the year 1975.

The services of my Department are available to developing Middle East countries both from its headquarters and associated bodies in this country and from its Beirut-based Development Division. It is not practicable to divide the costs of these services between the oil-producing countries—which number less than half the total—and the rest, but the bulk of these services is directed towards the poorer countries which have no oil.