§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Energy how many visits abroad have been made by Ministers in the Department during the last year; and if he will specify the purpose and date of each such visit.
§ Mr. VarleyDepartment of Energy Ministers have made the following visits abroad during the last year:
within the last year, either directly or in association with other Government Departments; what is the estimate of cost of each project; and how much will be spent, respectively, in Scotland, England. Wales and Northern Ireland.
233W
§ Mr. John SmithAreas in which research and development schemes in connection with the search for and exploitation of offshore oil have been commissioned by the Ship and Marine Technology Requirements Board, on behalf of my Department and in association with other Departments, with their estimated costs in 1974–75 are:
Platforms (including new types, sea-bed stability, instrumentation and wave loadings) 760 Oceanography (including environmental data collection) 690 Novel production systems (including subsea completions and submarine pipelines) 300 Materials 150 Diving 50 Submersibles 50 Total 2,000 Under a contract with the Natural Environment Research Council my Department is also funding geological studies of the Continental Shelf at an estimated cost of £650,000 in 1974–75.
It is not possible to estimate how much of these sums of money have been spent respectively in Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland because work placed under many of the contracts with, for example, firms in one part of the country may involve purchases from firms in another part of the country.