§ Mr. Skeetasked the Chancellor of the Exchequer what proposals he has for the development of marginal fields in the North Sea and for the size of the oil allowance provided in the Oil Taxation Act 1975.
§ Mr. GrayI have been asked to reply.
Changes in the oil allowance are included in the Budget proposals of my right hon. and learned Friend the Chancellor of the Exchequer. It is my intention to invite representatives of the off-shore oil industry to join officials in reviewing—without commitment—the way in which "marginal fields" can best be defined and the impact on them of the Government's off-shore oil policies as a whole.