§ 15. Mr. Grayasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he anticipates future orders will be attracted to the oil platform construction yards at Portavadie and Hunterston.
§ Mr. EadieWe are reviewing the position at Portavadie and Hunterston in consultation with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland, but no final conclusions have yet been reached.
§ Mr. GrayDo the Government now realise that this was an ill-conceived project which served only to waste £20 million or more of taxpayers' money? When the Cabinet gives further consideration to how oil revenues should be spent, will it bear this salutary lesson in mind?
§ Mr. EadieI cannot agree exactly with the hon. Gentleman. Indeed, as the hon. Gentleman knows, the background to this was that the decision to support the development of these sites in 1974 and 1975 was taken in the light of the buoyant platform demand forecasting by oil companies and independent authorities and against the background of the loss of several orders for concrete platforms overseas because of lack of sufficient capacity in the United Kingdom. There was pressure from the House of Commons in relation to concrete platform orders. Concrete platforms seem to be out of fashion at present, although their prospects cannot be entirely ruled out.