§ Mr. Hector Hughesasked the Minister of Power if he will state the number and features of licences he has granted to persons and companies to drill for oil and gas in the North Sea; what provisions those licences contain for reporting to him progress of work and safety of workers; and how many and which casualties have been reported to him accordingly.
§ Mr. MasonI have issued 89 production licences for areas in the North Sea. These licences give
exclusive licence and liberty to search and bore for, and get, petroleum in the sea bed and sub-soil under the sea in the area of the licence".They incorporate model clauses set out in Schedule 2 to the Petroleum (Production) (Continental Shelf and Territorial Sea) Regulations 1964 (S.I. 1964 No. 708). Details of licensees and their holdings are given in "Continental Shelf Act, 1964; Report for Year 1967–68" (House of Commons Paper No. 46).Model Clause 22 incorporated in licences requires all operators to furnish me with weekly, monthly and annual returns of the progress of their operations.
55WUnder Model Clause 18 I have issued instructions obliging licensees to report to me all accidents involving death or injury requiring transport ashore for medical attention. Since 1965, there have been 18 fatalities (13 by the sinking of the drilling platform "Sea Gem"), 20 cases of broken limbs and a number of less serious injuries.