Marquess of HARTINGTONasked the Secretary for Mines how many applications for licences to bore for petroleum have been received in the last 10 years from British and foreign undertakings, respectively; and how many of each have been refused?
§ Mr. E. BROWNDuring the last 10 years, 10 formal applications for licences were received by the Petroleum Department, of which two were granted, two were refused, one was withdrawn, and in the remaining cases the formalities connected with the issue of licences had for various reasons not been completed when the Government announced that pending the consideration of the Bill now before Parliament no further licences would be issued. A number of inquiries regarding licences have also been received during the last 10 years, which did not, however, proceed to the stage of a formal application. There is nothing in the Petroleum (Production) Act, 1918, under which licences have hitherto been granted, to prevent a foreign undertaking from applying for a licence, or from providing capital required by a licensee. It would18W appear that all the formal applications received were made by British concerns, but the Department has no information as to how far foreign interests might have been concerned in the applications or inquiries. It should be borne in mind that the amount of interest displayed in this question cannot be measured entirely by the number of applications received, but depends rather upon the standing of the applicants or inquirers.