§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on his talks in Kuwait in relation to British, American and Saudi action to extinguish oil fires.
§ Mr. LathamTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on his visit to Kuwait, including his meeting with the Kuwaiti Prime Minister on 27 April; and what discussions were held regarding putting out the fires in oil wells caused by the Iraqi armed forces prior to the liberation of Kuwait.
§ Mr. WakehamI visited Kuwait on 26 to 28 April with a team of British business men. This visit was part of our response to the request made by the crown prince to my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister that Britain should play a substantial part in the reconstruction of Kuwait. My meetings with the crown prince and with Kuwaiti Ministers were very positive and encouraging and I believe that United Kingdom industry will he able to make a significant contribution both to solving the urgent problem of extinguishing the fires and capping the wells and to the reconstruction of Kuwait's oil industry. The most immediate effect of my visit is the Kuwait Oil Company's intention to commission the Kuwaiti British Fire Group, a joint venture of AMEC, Taylor Woodrow and Wimpey, to undertake a damage assessment survey of a number of wells in northern Kuwait. If the Kuwaiti authorities are satisfied with the findings of this survey the fire group is likely to be appointed to put out the fires and cap the wells in that part of Kuwait.
§ Mr. DalyellTo ask the Secretary of State for Energy what estimate he made of the ferocity and consequences of oil fires in Kuwait in(a) October 1990, (b) November 1990, (c) December 1990, (d) January 1991, (e) February 1991(f) March 1991 and (g) April 1991, (i) pre and (ii) following his official visit to Kuwait to assess the extent of the conflagration.
§ Mr. WakehamThe Government's latest view of the consequences of the oil fires in Kuwait remains as stated in the assessment by the Departments concerned, entitled "The Potential Impact of the Burning Oil Wells in Kuwait on the Environment and Human Health" a copy of which was placed in the Library of the House on 15 April 1991.
377WThe main purpose of my visit to Kuwait was part of the follow-up to the request made to the Prime Minister by the crown prince on 6 March that Britain should play a substantial part in the reconstruction. I led a team of business men, most of whom had specialist expertise in the oil and gas industries, to investigate opportunities for British industry, as a result of which I have every reason to believe that a group of United Kingdom companies will be awarded a contract to carry out a damage assessment of one of the oilfields.
This is expected to lead to major opportunities for British industry to work on extinguishing and capping burning wells and restoring oil production.