§ Mr. Litterickasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will take action to prevent unemployment arising in the United Kingdom oil platform construction industry.
§ Mr. John SmithI am currently engaged in a series of talks with a number of oil companies to discuss the development plans for their fields in the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea and to see whether it may be possible to advance orders for oil production platforms. We will naturally do everything possible to ensure that United Kingdom firms are given full and fair opportunity to win these orders.