HC Deb 21 April 1980 vol 983 c32W
Mr. Speller

asked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will make a statement on the position over the allocation of possible oil and gas sites in the Bristol Channel and Western Approaches.

Mr. Gray

I shall be announcing soon the arrangements for the seventh round, including the blocks to be offered for licensing; these will be selected from the areas referred to in the reply I gave to my hon. Friend the Member for New Forest (Mr. McNair-Wilson) on 5 December 1979 about my proposals for the round. It is for licensees to identify the places they believe most suitable to service their offshore activities, but proposals to develop sites onshore would be subject to the usual planning procedures.