HC Deb 24 October 1994 vol 248 c410W
Mr. Llew Smith

To ask the President of the Board of Trade what environmental protection conditions cover the loan by the European Investment bank to BHP Hamilton Oil for its development of oil and gas fields off the Welsh Coast.

Mr. Eggar

Before the loan was granted environmental impact assessments—EIAs—were carried out in accordance with directive EEC/85/337 on all on-shore and off-shore elements of the project. The project has also met all the environmental requirements of the United Kingdom authorities, following their separate EIA on the off-shore installations. A 500m shipping exclusion zone and a 1,000m development zone will operate around each offshore structure; radar coverage from Liverpool will be extended to include these structures.