§ Mr. KynochTo ask the President of the Board of Trade how he will ensure that environmental considerations are taken into account when deciding on the award of petroleum licences in areas around the United Kingdom coast.
§ Mr. EggarAt my initiative, which has the full agreement of the United Kingdom Offshore Operators710W Association, UKOOA will fund the preparation and publication of a series of 16 United Kingdom continental shelf coastal directories regional reports.
This work will be done in conjunction with a consortium, co-ordinated by the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, and composed of local authorities, central Government Departments, countryside agencies and the private sector.
Those reports covering areas likely to be of interest to companies in the 16th round will be available in draft by the end of December, and published in final form in June 1995. Prospective licensees will be expected to show that they have taken this information into account in their environment management systems for activities in the block to be awarded.
There is concern, which I share, about the impact on the environment of licensing inshore blocks. At present there is not enough agreed data on any sensitive areas in blocks on offer.
This collaborative project, which will take over two and a half years to complete, shows that the oil and gas industry and environmental organisations can work together for their mutual benefit. The reports will build on work already carried out by the JNCC, individual oil companies and the bodies already mentioned, as well as data contributed by knowledgeable environmental groups. This will provide valuable knowledge about the coastal and marine environment for the whole of the United Kingdom coastline which will greatly assist me in my decision making in the 16th and subsequent licensing rounds. The initiative will help environmental groups, local authorities and oil companies to discuss the issues in a more informed and co-operative way.