Lord Chelwoodasked Her Majesty's Government:
Whether they will request all oil companies to give preference to sinking exploratory boreholes in the United Kingdom in areas that are not scientifically or scenically sensitive, relegating those that are to the bottom of their lists against the time when real need could arise, unless there are overwhelming commercial reasons for not doing so.
§ The Minister of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Belstead)Her Majesty's Government's policy is to encourage exploration for and exploitation of onshore oil and gas, provided operations can be carried out in an environmentally acceptable way.