§ Mr. Leadbitterasked the Minister of Power what steps he is taking to establish any safety measures for oil-rig operations, in addition to the present safety code for marine operations, arising from experiences in recent years of drilling in the North Sea and the inquiry into the "Sea Gem" disaster.
§ Mr. MarshAs stated in my reply to my hon. Friend's Question about the "Sea Gem" inquiry on 24th October, safety precautions in offshore drilling operations564W in the North Sea receive constant attention from my Petroleum Exploration and Production Inspectors, who regularly visit all platforms and are in close touch with the operators. The extent to which, in advance of legislation, current practice and procedure require to be modified in the interest of safety is to be discussed with the operators in the light of experience and of the "Sea Gem" report.—[Vol. 751, c. 416.]