HL Deb 09 December 1976 vol 378 cc681-2

3.20 p.m.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether any applications for exploration licences under the fifth round of offshore exploration licensing have been accepted for consideration since the period for applications closed officially.

Lord STRABOLGI

My Lords, no applications have been accepted since the application period closed on 5th October.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE

My Lords, while thanking the noble Lord for that reply, may I ask what the Government propose to do about the unloved 21 blocks for which no applications were received?

Lord STRABOLGI

The inquiries were not in relation to the same blocks, my Lords. As your Lordships will know, it is not the Government's general practice to publish which blocks have been applied for.

The Earl of LAUDERDALE

My Lords, is it not the case that the Government have announced that 50 our of 71 blocks were applied for, leaving 21 not applied for and generally regarded as unloved? May I ask the noble Lord to say whether the subsequent inquiries, as he put it, relate to those?

Lord STRABOLGI

Not without notice, my Lords.