§ 37. Mr. David Priceasked the Secretary of State for the Environment if he will take powers to introduce a system of royalty payments on the extraction of oil on land to any county council within whose boundaries oil wells are sunk in order to defray the infrastructure costs of such developments.
§ Mr. Guy BarnettThe occupiers of land-based oil installations already pay rates to the local council; the rateable value on which these are levied is based partly upon the value of premises and plant and partly upon the royalties paid upon the mineral extracted. At present I see no reason for any further measure.