§ The Earl of Lauderdaleasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether it is their intention in future to require companies seeking offshore exploration licences to provide evidence of their support for, or involvement in, research of development projects; what kind of evidence would be required; whether qualifying research would need to be fundamental or might be applied; and whether it would need to be directly or indirectly related to Continental Shelf problems.
§ Lord SkelmersdaleThe arrangements for future offshore licensing, including the criteria against which all applications are assessed, are kept under review. It is too early to say what the arrangements will be for the next round of licensing.
House adjourned at two minutes before nine o'clock.