HC Deb 25 June 1996 vol 280 cc56-7W
Mr. Dafis

To ask the President of the Board of Trade (1) if he will list the meetings held since 1991 between Ministers in his Department and environmental non-governmental organisations to discuss oil and gas exploration in United Kingdom waters; [33116]

(2) if he will list the meetings held since 1991 between Ministers in his Department and environmental non-governmental organisations from Wales to discuss oil and gas exploration off the coast of Wales. [33117]

Mr. Page

Since 1991, DTI Ministers, and their Department of Energy predecessors, have met non-governmental environmental organisations on three formal occasions to discuss all aspects of the UK's oil and gas industry. Details of the meetings are as follows:

  • Royal Society for the Protection of Birds: 1991
  • Royal Society for the Protection of Birds: January 1993
  • World Wide Fund for Nature: May 1993

While no Welsh NGOs have been met in their own right, Welsh issues were discussed during at least one of the meetings.

In addition to these meetings, there have been a large number of meetings at official level and considerable correspondence with NGOs.

Mr. Dafis

To ask the President of the Board of Trade if he will list the meetings concerning oil and gas exploration in United Kingdom waters between Ministers in his Department and representatives of relevant oil and gas companies since 1991. [33115]

Mr. Page

DTI Ministers regularly meet oil company representatives, as did their Department of Energy predecessors, to discuss of the UK's oil and gas regime. Records of such meetings are not kept in a way which would identify those at which exploration in United Kingdom waters was discussed.