HL Deb 16 July 1979 vol 401 cc1269-70WA
The Earl of LAUDERDALE

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they will now clearly define the measures of project worth that will henceforth be used to determine whether they will forgo royalties on marginal or sub-marginal oilfields on the Continental Shelf.

The MINISTER of STATE, DEPARTMENT of EMPLOYMENT (The Earl of Gowrie)

My right honourable friend the Minister of State for Energy announced on 21st June in another place that he intends to invite representatives of the offshore oil industry to join officials in reviewing—without commitment—the way in which "marginal fields" can best be defined and the impact on the Government's offshore oil policies as a whole. The Government do not wish to anticipate the outcome of that review, which is now in progress.