§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will help to reduce the uncertainty felt by certain of the major oil companies by bringing forward the date set for the fifth round of North Sea licensing applications.
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§ Mr. Biffenasked the Secretary of State for Energy what proposals he has for a further round of licences to maintain oil and gas exploration activities in the Continental Shelf.
§ Mr. Canavanasked the Secretary of State for Energy whether he will now make a statement about the consultations he has had about the next round of offshore oil drilling licences.
§ Mr. Benn,pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 14th June 1976; Vol. 913, c. 12–16], gave the following further information:
I have completed consultations with the industry and with the trade unions on the proposals in the consultative document on the fifth round of offshore licensing. Consequent upon these consultations and the consideration of other views I have received I have concluded that the arrangements for the round should be as proposed in the consultative document, with two adjustments as follows.
First, I am making adjustments in the detailed arrangements for relinquishing and retaining licensed territory, so as to afford the licensees some greater flexibility whilst preserving the intended incentives to engage expeditiously in exploration.
Secondly, both the British National Oil Corporation and the United Kingdom Offshore Operators Association have emphasised the importance of basing the negotiations for an operating agreement between the corporation and its prospective licence partners on an agreed standard document. I recognise the value of this and I have, therefore, asked the corporation and the association to work together on the preparation of such a standard document following generally the line set out in Appendix 1 to the consultative document. The standard text which the two parties propose will be subject to my approval; and I will need to be satisfied about any particular agreement eventually settled between the corporation and individual applicants, before I issue a licence.
I hope soon to lay revised regulations on licensing arrangements, and to make the formal invitation of applications when the regulations are in force.