§ 23. Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will estimate in barrels a day the expected yield of the whole of the North Sea oilfields in 1975, 1976 and 1977 and a revised estimate of reserves of crude oil on the British side of the median line including the Ninian field in both blocks 3/8, and 3/3.
§ 11. Mr. Anthony Grantasked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his estimate of the total petroleum production of the British sector of the North Sea in 1976, 1978, 1980 and 1984, respectively.
§ Mr. StrangThe forthcoming report to Parliament will give the latest estimates of total production and reserves expected from discoveries on the United Kingdom Continental Shelf.
§ Mr. SkeetWe shall not have the report until May. Cannot the hon. Gentleman give an estimate? Is he aware that there has been a considerable slippage in the programme due to the absence of planning permissions for North Sea platform sites? Will he estimate, for the benefit of the House, the percentage of oil likely to be exported and the part which coal will play in the programme?
§ Mr. StrangWe are aware of the slippage which has occurred in some of the production programmes, but I do not think it is unreasonable to expect the hon. Gentleman to wait until next month for the latest publication giving the estimates of our reserves.
§ Mr. Norman LamontCan the hon. Gentleman say what consultations about North Sea oil have taken place between his Department and the European Commission? Was his Department consulted before the speech made in New York last week by M. Spaak, the director-general of European energy policy, when he announced a Community plan for the sharing of North Sea oil?
§ Mr. StrangTo date there have been no direct ministerial consultations between the Secretary of State for Energy and the European Commission.
§ Mr. Patrick JenkinDo the Government support and endorse the statement made by my right hon. and noble Friend Lord Carrington shortly after he became Secretary of State for Energy that North Sea oil is ours?
§ Mr. StrangCertainly North Sea oil is ours, and the British Government intend to ensure that the British people obtain the maximum benefit from this resource.