§ Mr. HarveyTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how the environmental interests of the coast are safeguarded during the oil exploration licensing procedure.
§ Mr. EggarThe Department of Trade and Industry consults other Government Departments, the joint Nature Conservation Committee and local advisory groups before offering any blocks for licensing. The JNCC in turn consults English Nature, the Countryside Council for Wales, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.
Blocks that are offered for licensing in sensitive areas such as those close to the coast are subject to special conditions to protect wildlife and the environment. These conditions are agreed with relevant Government Departments and the JNCC.
The conditions include consultation with JNCC and other environmental organisations before the licensee undertakes operations; seasonal restrictions to protect wildlife; a ban on drilling within three miles of the coast; the use of zero-discharge rigs and water-based drilling muds; and to agree with the advisory bodies and local authorities plans to be put into effect in case of an oil spill.