§ Mr. Pawseyasked the Secretary of State for Energy if he will list his Department's principal achievements since 1979.
§ Mr. Peter WalkerMy Department's objectives and principal achievements were described last year in my reply to the hon. Member for Welwyn Hatfield (Mr. Murphy) at columns92–94.
Since then we have continued to make encouraging progress. Our policies have helped to make 1984 a record year for oil and gas exploration and development in the North Sea, and the North Sea contribution to United Kingdom employment has been further expanded:
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- —our offshore supplies industry has had one of its most successful years ever, with United Kingdom-based industry taking a 74 per cent. share, worth £2.65 billion, of total UKCS orders. We are continuing with our major initiatives in the export field;
- —a record number of exploration and appraisal wells were
§ Mr. DunnThe Department met in full Cornwall county council's request for an increase from £35,000 to £145,000 in their allocation for capital expenditure on voluntary aided and special agreement schools to enable additional grant at 85 per cent. of the expenditure involved to be paid in 1984–85. The projects which received grant-aid are:
drilled;
- —a record number of North Sea projects were approved;
- —a record demand for offshore licences has been attracted by the ninth licensing round;
- —net additions to our remaining proven and probable gas reserves have increased our confidence that indigenous resources can satisfy most of our needs for the remainder of this century.
The energy efficiency campaign is resulting in a upsurge of interest and activity in energy efficiency measures. There has for example been a 50 per cent. increase in the take-up of extended survey grants, a 33 per cent. increase in savings under our demonstration scheme and a 30 per cent. expansion of our voluntary homes insulation projects which have now treated some 100,000 homes.
The sale to the private sector of the British Gas interest in the Wytch Farm oilfield and the flotation of Enterprise Oil have been successfully carried through. We have announced our intention to abolish the British National Oil Corporation.
With Government support, the electricity and coal industries have enabled the electricity system to withstand a year-long coal strike without power cuts and with only limited damage to the rest of British industry.
We continue to encourage the energy nationalised industries in their efforts to greater efficiency and for the second year running, price increases will be less than the rate of inflation. A new financial target and performance aim has been agreed for the electricity supply industry for the years to 1987–88.
We have announced our intention of introducing legislation to enable the UKAEA to move onto a more commercial footing by operating as a trading fund from April 1986.
The management of energy research and development has been strengthened by the formation of a unified research and development budget and an expanded role for the advisory committee on research and development for fuel and power (ACORD).