§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will indicate the nature and extent of the investigations currently being undertaken by his Department into the potential for the development of oil and petrochemical industries in Scotland.
§ Dr. John A. CunninghamAt present the two major oil refining and petrochemical proposals in Scotland involving the use of North Sea feedstocks are Cromarty Petroleum's scheme for a refinery at Nigg Bay and Esso Chemical's petrochemical project at Moss-morran. On future development prospects,338W at my request a company has been set up to study possible schemes for gathering and landing further quantities of North Basin gas. These studies will extend to the potential for using the heavier gases in new United Kingdom petrochemical plants, and my Department is keeping in close touch with that work. The tripartite petrochemicals working party is developing a national strategy for the petrochemicals sector in the context of the Government's industrial strategy.