May I ask a supplementary on Question No. 18?

The Deputy should resume his seat while the Minister is speaking. It is only an ordinary courtesy in the House and it is not too difficult to follow that.

I have endeavoured several times to ask a supplementary on Question No. 18.

This is the eight supplementary on this question.

The Deputy may ask one supplementary on Question No. 18.

What facilities are available to the Minister to determine the amount of oil held in any particular depot in the country on any given day of the week? If that information is available to him by what means is it available to him and if so why express surprise three weeks ago when he discovered the amount of oil held at Whitegate?

Because the amount of oil held at Whitegate was rather larger than I or my officials had anticipated it would be.

What is the source of the Minister's information?

We have had a lot of matters raised since we started on the first of those questions.

To whom is the Deputy referring?

The impression was created that the figures were being concealed and that only your detective work disclosed it.

The remaining questions will appear on tomorrow's Order Paper.