§ Mr. Gordon Wilsonasked the Secretary of State for Energy if it is his policy to negotiate refining agreements with individual oil companies; what will be his objectives in such negotiations; and what steps will be taken to ensure development of refining and production of petrochemicals in Scotland to take account of oil landed from the Scottish sector of the North Sea.
§ Mr. GrayAll major United Kingdom refining companies consult my Department regularly about their use of North Sea oil and their refining activities and I do not consider it necessary or appropriate to extend these arrangements into " refining agreements " in the sense in which I understand the hon. Member to use the term.
142WThe development of the petrochemical industry in Scotland, whether based on feedstocks from the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea or from foreign sources, is a matter for my right hon. Friends the Secretaries of State for Industry and Scotland, who keep in close contact with me on this question because of my responsibilities for the disposal of North Sea oil and gas.