§ Mr. Skeetasked the Secretary of State for Energy, following his direction to the British Gas Corporation under section 7 of the Gas Act 1972 to dispose of the corporation's holding in the Wytch Farm oilfield, what timetable was established for disposal and what method of sale was prescribed; and whether his direction has yet been complied with.
§ Mr. John MooreThe British Gas Corporation (Disposal of Wytch Farm Oilfield Interests) Direction 1981 does not set out either a timetable or a method of disposal. The conduct of the disposal is a matter for British Gas, which has a statutory duty to give effect to the direction, although the Government naturally expect to be consulted on such questions as method and timing. The Government initially, hoped that the disposal would be completed by the end of the financial year 1981–82, but subsequently accepted the corporation's advice that it could not complete the disposal within this time scale. The Government's view remains that the disposal must be completed as quickly as possible, consistent with achieving a fair price, and they have therefore not sought to impose a rigid deadline on the corporation.