§ Mr. Topeasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will seek powers to ensure that automatic car 459W washers are so placed as to minimise the possibility of fatal accidents.
§ Mr. Dudley SmithI have been asked to reply.
The Government have already indicated in their proposals for a Safety and Health at Work Bill, published on 27th June, that they intend to seek powers to protect the public against hazards to safety and health from industrial, commercial and similar activities. The hazards created by automatic car washing installations are one of a group of similar hazards that are now being considered in relation to the proposed new legislation. Precautions of the kind the hon. Member mentions have already been drawn to the attention of the manufacturers and suppliers of such equipment and appropriate guidance on precautions
Field Name Block Number Companies involved Date when production expected Expected peak production {million tons a year) Forties 21/10 (*) British Petroleum 1975 About 20 Brent 211/29 Shell U.K. Ltd., Esso Petroleum Company Ltd. ….. 1975 About 15 Auk 30/16 Shell U.K. Ltd., Esso Petroleum Company Ltd. ….. 1974 About 5 Argyll 30/24 Hamilton Brothers Oil Company (Great Britain) Ltd., Hamilton Brothers Petroleum (U.K.) Ltd., Rio Tinto-Zinc Corporation Ltd., Blackfriars Oil Company Ltd. Trans-European Company Ltd. 1974 Piper 15/17 Occidental Petroleum (U.K.) Ltd., Getty Oil International (England) Ltd., Allied Chemical (Great Britain) Ltd., Thomson Scottish Associates Ltd. 1975 (†) Beryl 9/13 Mobil Producing North Sea Ltd., Amerada Exploration Ltd., Texas Eastern (U.K.) Ltd., The Gas Council. (‡) In excess of 5 Dunlin (§) 211/23 (11) Shell U.K. Ltd., Esso Petroleum Company Ltd. …. (‡) (‡) Notes:
(*) Extends into Block number 22/6 in which Shell U.K. Ltd. and Esso Petroleum Company Ltd. have interests. Initially production is expected to be 12 million tons per year. Additional production facilities will be installed to increase it to the peak level shown.
(†) The company has not announced peak production level but has announced that it is planning pipeline facilities to carry 10–12 million tons a year.
(‡) No details yet announced by operators.
(§) First indications suggest that Dunlin is commercial, but further work will be necessary.
(‖) Believed to extend into Block number 211/24 in which the National Coal Board (Exploration) Ltd., Conoco Ltd. and Gulf Oil (Great Britain) Ltd. have interests.
§ Mr. Shoreasked the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what is his latest estimate of the net contribution to the British balance of payments by 1980 of the discoveries of North Sea oil; and what percentage of Great Britain's total oil requirements will be met from indigenous sources in 1980.
§ Mr. Tom BoardmanThe net contribution to our balance of payments in 1980 will depend on many factors, includ-460W is being given to local authorities and factory inspectors.