§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will issue a direction to the British National Oil Corporation to give a second order for the construction of a drilling rig by Marathon at Clydebank, in view of the critical order position at the yard; and, if not, whether he will make a statement on the future of the yard and the contribution it will make to Scotland's exports of oil industry equipment.
§ Dr. MabonUrgent discussions are in progress involving a number of potential part users of a jack-up rig, and in which my Department is also engaged, with a view to an order being placed with the Marathon yard at Clydebank. However, this is a complex issue and I cannot at this stage anticipate the outcome. Meanwhile, the question of directing BNOC to acquire such a rig does not arise.