HC Deb 04 February 2002 vol 379 cc645-6W
Mr. David Stewart

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if she will make a statement on the prospects for the downstream fabrication industry over the next five years. [32249]

Mr. Wilson

As my hon. Friend is aware, overall demand for fabrication for the UKCS is unlikely to return to the levels seen in previous years.

Sophisticated field development techniques using floating and subsea technologies have largely replaced heavy fixed platforms. UK Industry has acknowledged this and is presently reconfiguring itself to tackle the new market conditions.

The Department is actively engaged in assisting companies, large and small, to increase their competitiveness by adopting best practice from around the world and particularly from the Gulf of Mexico.

I am confident that the industry will respond well to these challenges.

Mr. David Stewart

To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when she last met(a) UKOOA and (b) LASCOF to discuss the future for oil fabrication. [32250]

Mr. Wilson

The information is as follows:

  1. (a) The future of the oil fabrication industry is a regular agenda item at the quarterly meetings of the cross industry forum PILOT which I chair. UKOOA member companies are fully engaged with this process.
  2. (b) On 14 December I had a very constructive meeting with LASCOF in Glasgow.

Back to