§ 3.5 p.m.
§ The Lord Chancellor (Lord Irvine of Lairg)My Lords, I beg to move that this Bill be now read a second time. This is a Consolidation Bill which brings together a number of enactments on petroleum. It deals with rights and licences to search for and get petroleum; the application of criminal and civil law to offshore activities; authorisations for submarine pipelines; and the decommissioning of these pipelines and offshore installations. The Bill has been the subject of consultation by my right honourable friend the President of the Board of Trade.
The main Acts which are consolidated are the Petroleum (Production) Act 1934; the Petroleum and Submarine Pipelines Act 1975; the Oil and Gas (Enterprise) Act 1982; and the Petroleum Act 1987, Parts I and II.
In the past, some model clauses for petroleum licences have been included in primary legislation. Although they were originally contained in regulations, it was considered that amendments to model clauses which were to apply to existing licences should be made by primary legislation. As a result, well over 100 pages of schedules to the 1975 Act and other Acts consist of amended model clauses. The Bill will enable all model clauses to be placed again in secondary legislation. where they originally belonged. Since this Bill is a consolidation Bill, it does not change the substantive 843 law. The Bill will, however, enable any future legislation on petroleum to be easier to follow than the existing law.
I am sure that the House would wish to join me in thanking the draftsman and the Law Commission for their important work in simplifying and shortening the statute book. If your Lordships are content to give the Bill a Second Reading, it will be referred to the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills in the usual way. I commend the Bill to the House.
Moved, That the Bill be now read a second time.—(The Lord Chancellor.)
§ On Question, Bill read a second time, and referred to the Joint Committee on Consolidation Bills.