§ Mr. Viggersasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement explaining the reasons for the estimated yield from North Sea oil development being substantially lower than was originally anticipated, attributing as far as it is possible the extent to which each factor involved will contribute to the expected shortfall.
§ Dr. MahonI do not accept that oil production from the United Kingdom continental shelf is substantially lower than was originally expected. Production in the early years has been delayed, largely because of the time taken to develop solutions to problems posed by the hostile environment of the North Sea. However, the possibility, first noted in the 1974 report to Parliament on production and reserves of oil and gas in the United Kingdom, of achieving net self-sufficiency in oil in 1980 remains our main initial objective and we expect to achieve it.