§ Mr. Brooksasked the Minister of Technology whether he will now announce the award of further licences to search for gas and oil on the Continental Shelf.
§ Mr. Harold Lever:I hope to make formal offers of some 30 licences covering about 90 per cent. of the area under consideration within the next few days. The offers will be made on the basis of the criteria announced by my right hon. Friend the then Minister of Power in his statement of 23rd July, 1969. On this basis the British share in the area concerned will be about 50 per cent. of which about half will be held by the nationalised industries. As my right hon. Friend foreshadowed, the offers will provide an opportunity to the Gas Council to operate on its own in the Irish Sea through Hydrocarbons Great Britain Ltd.
These offers of further licences will represent another important step forward in the exploration of the resources of the U.K. Continental Shelf. The new licences should ensure that a continuing and vigorous exploration effort is maintained, and that the nationalised industries and British companies will play a larger part.
I shall announce details of the awards as soon as possible after the formal offers are accepted.