Petroleum Engineering Department

HC Deb 10 June 1992 vol 209 cc302-3

16. Mr. Robert Hughes

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what plans he has to relocate the petroleum engineering department from London to Aberdeen.

Mr. Eggar

I refer the hon. Gentleman to the answer that I gave to the hon. Member for Glasgow, Maryhill (Mrs. Fyfe) a short time ago.

Mr. Hughes

Does the Minister accept that the fact that BP has decided to move its office from Glasgow to Aberdeen makes the case for the petroleum engineering department coming to Aberdeen even more compelling? Will he give the House a categorical assurance that his denigratory remarks in Aberdeen recently do not signify any intention to repudiate the Conservative party manifesto pledge to move the PED to Aberdeen?

Mr. Eggar

I made no denigratory remarks in Aberdeen. I merely drew attention—quite understandably —to the need for Aberdeen to control its costs as a centre. I believe that Aberdeen is the offshore oil centre of Europe. It has done spectacularly well over the past 20 years, and I want to see it doing even better. I want it to be a Europewide centre, not just a United Kingdom continental shelf centre. Aberdeen has some things to do to take advantage of those opportunities. I made that quite clear because oil companies had expressed to me their concern about the cost side. I repeat the assurance that I gave to the hon. Member for Gordon (Mr. Bruce) that I have an open mind with regard to relocation. I am awaiting the report from the independent consultants. I have given a pledge that that report will be published and I will, of course, take account of what it says.

Mr. Ian Bruce

Can my hon. Friend assure the House that he will not only consider moving the centre of offshore petroleum exploration, from London to Aberdeen, but will examine the possibility of moving to the AEA Technology site at Winfrith in my constituency, next door to the centre for onshore petroleum exploration? A new technology park is to be established there and a great deal of research work is already being done into petroleum technology. I am sure that a move to the site would be warmly welcomed.

Mr. Eggar

I have listened very carefully to what my hon. Friend has said and I will look into the matter further.

Mr. Salmond

Can the Minister reconcile the enthusiasm with which the Government move thousands of civil servants to bail out the subsidy junkies in the London docklands with their reluctance to move 80 civil servants from opposite Buckingham palace to the centre of the oil industry in Aberdeen? What will happen to a party in Scotland that pledged before the election to move jobs to the north-east of Scotland if, after the election, it is seen to be conspiring to keep them in the south-east of England?

Mr. Eggar

The hon. Gentleman knows perfectly well what was in the Scottish Conservative manifesto. He also knows perfectly well what I and my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland have said. I suggest that he awaits the publication of the independent consultants' report and the decision that will be made taking account of that report and other matters.