§ Mr. DafisTo ask the President of the Board of Trade in what year his Department or the Department of Energy began to consider options for the disposal of disused oil platforms. [31694]
§ Mr. EggarMy Department has been considering options since the early days of North sea development.
§ Mr. DafisTo ask the President of the Board of Trade if his Department's procedures for considering applications for licences for the exploration and extraction of oil in Cardigan Bay will include an assessment of options for the disposal of disused oil platforms. [31698]
§ Mr. EggarNo. The model clauses incorporated into each offshore production licence provide that no licensee may develop a field for production without the prior consent of the Secretary of State. The Petroleum Act 1987 applies to the abandonment of installations and pipelines. It is therefore not appropriate to consider abandonment options at the application stage.