Debate on bill and Committee of the Whole House (HC) on Tuesday, 20 February 2024, in the House of Commons, led by Graham Stuart. The answering member was Lord Whitehead.

Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill

Committee stage. Clause 1 amendment 12 considered with Clause 2 and further amendments. Clause 1 amendment 12 withdrawn. Amendment 10 negatived on division (44 to 285). Amendment 17 negatived on division (226 to 287). Clauses 1 and 2 agreed to on question. Bill reported without amendment. Third Reading. Agreed to on division (286 to 221). Bill passed.

Secondary information

Type: Parliamentary proceeding
Reference: 745 cc607-671
Session: 2023-24
Department: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Legislative stage: Committee stage; Third reading
Chamber / Committee: House of Commons chamber
Related items: Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill 2023-24
Wednesday, 8 November 2023
Bills
House of Commons
Proceeding contributions: Lord Sharma | 745 c608 (Link to this contribution)
I beg to move amendment 12, page 1, line 3, at end insert—
“(1ZA) The OGA must not invite a...; Baroness Winterton of Doncaster | 745 cc608-611 (Link to this contribution)
With this it will be convenient to discuss the following:
Amendment 15, page 1, line 3, at ...; Lord Sharma | 745 c611 (Link to this contribution)
I refer the House to my entry in the Register of Members’ Financial Interests.
On Second Re...; Lord Redwood | 745 c611 (Link to this contribution)
Can my right hon. Friend explain why it would be better to import liquefied natural gas, with fou...; Lord Sharma | 745 c612 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend makes an important point: LNG has a higher carbon-intensity footprint. But t...; Lord Redwood | 745 c612 (Link to this contribution)
Will my right hon. Friend give way?; Lord Sharma | 745 c612 (Link to this contribution)
If I may, I will continue. In their response last year to the Environmental Audit Committee’s rep...; Lord Redwood | 745 c612 (Link to this contribution)
The marginal gas we would import would come from Qatar or the United States of America. There is ...; Lord Sharma | 745 c612 (Link to this contribution)
With respect, I do not think I am missing the main point. The point that the Government are pursu...; 745 c612 (Link to this contribution); Baroness Winterton of Doncaster | 745 cc612-3 (Link to this contribution)
Order. We are in Committee, so I remind Members that the Chair should be addressed by name
...; Lord Whitehead | 745 c613 (Link to this contribution)
I would like to speak to our amendments 17, 18, 19 and 20, to comment on other amendments before ...; Barry Gardiner | 745 c613 (Link to this contribution)
Don’t pull any punches!; Lord Whitehead | 745 cc613-4 (Link to this contribution)
That was the mild version.
As the right hon. Member for Reading West (Sir Alok Sharma) has ...; Lord Redwood | 745 c614 (Link to this contribution)
The shadow Minister has said that getting more of our own gas out of the North sea would help our...; Lord Whitehead | 745 c614 (Link to this contribution)
The proposition before us today is for mandatory licence rounds in a declining North sea field, w...; David Duguid | 745 c614 (Link to this contribution)
Following on from the question from my right hon. Friend the Member for Wokingham (John Redwood),...; Lord Whitehead | 745 cc614-5 (Link to this contribution)
It is Labour’s position that we do not wish to see new energy exploration licences issued for the...; David Duguid | 745 c615 (Link to this contribution)
I take on board the hon. Gentleman’s comment that, overall, 30% of our gas comes from Norway. Yes...; Lord Whitehead | 745 c615 (Link to this contribution)
No, in line with the IEA and the IPCC, I am not in favour of new exploration licences. The point ...; Caroline Lucas | 745 c615 (Link to this contribution)
Does the hon. Gentleman agree that it might be useful to remind Conservative Members that, accord...; Lord Whitehead | 745 cc616-7 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Lady is absolutely right. New licences are an international issue. If we had new explora...; Selaine Saxby | 745 c617 (Link to this contribution)
I rise to speak to new clause 2 on spatial prioritisation. The competing pressures on sea space m...; David Duguid | 745 c618 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is making some very good points, particularly on the spatial squeeze. She says tha...; Selaine Saxby | 745 c618 (Link to this contribution)
As always, I agree with the points my hon. Friend makes. Prioritising space is critical, as the G...; Lord Redwood | 745 c618 (Link to this contribution)
Does my hon. Friend accept that in several cases potentially useful oil and gas deposits in the N...; Selaine Saxby | 745 cc618-9 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend makes a valid point. However, for me, this is about opening up that conversa...; Baroness Winterton of Doncaster | 745 c619 (Link to this contribution)
I call the Scottish National party spokesman.; Dave Doogan | 745 c619 (Link to this contribution)
I rise to speak to amendments 7, 8 and 10, which have been tabled by the SNP. I note that no subs...; Kirsten Oswald | 745 c619 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is making an excellent start to his speech. Does he agree that it is outrageous th...; Dave Doogan | 745 cc619-620 (Link to this contribution)
I agree entirely with my hon. Friend. She touches on some of the key elements that I will address...; Douglas Ross | 745 c620 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman is speaking about conditions for granting new licences, but the SNP’s draft en...; Dave Doogan | 745 c620 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for that. It is lovely to see him in his place; we know that ...; Douglas Ross | 745 c620 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Gentleman allow me to intervene, just to provide clarity?; Dave Doogan | 745 c620 (Link to this contribution)
No, I will not.
The last SNP amendment will prevent this Government and the soon-to-be-inst...; David Duguid | 745 c621 (Link to this contribution)
I was not sure if the hon. Gentleman had moved on from his glowing appraisal of the North sea tra...; Dave Doogan | 745 c621 (Link to this contribution)
I am not going to meet the hon. Gentleman’s ambition to nail those colours to the mast, but I wil...; Douglas Ross | 745 c621 (Link to this contribution)
On that point, will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Dave Doogan | 745 c621 (Link to this contribution)
No.
That is a just ambition for a just transition. The billions of pounds still to be yield...; Douglas Ross | 745 c621 (Link to this contribution)
In response to my previous intervention, the hon. Gentleman said that the Scottish National party...; Dave Doogan | 745 cc621-2 (Link to this contribution)
That question speaks to a mis-representation. There is no point in giving way to the hon. Gentlem...; Angus Brendan MacNeil | 745 c623 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman rightly mentions the sky-high energy prices that people in Scotland face, even...; Dave Doogan | 745 c623 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman raises an interesting question. There has been a lack of investment, and the n...; Baroness Winterton of Doncaster | 745 c623 (Link to this contribution)
Before I bring in some of those who may not have tabled amendments, I remind Members that we are ...; Peter Aldous | 745 cc623-4 (Link to this contribution)
As I mentioned on Second Reading, the Bill is of particular interest to me because the oil and ga...; David Duguid | 745 c624 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend mentioned the role of the NSTA in the facilitation and delivery of the North sea t...; Peter Aldous | 745 cc624-5 (Link to this contribution)
My hon. Friend is quite right: the North sea transition deal is the foundation stone on which we ...; Lloyd Russell-Moyle | 745 c625 (Link to this contribution)
I rise to support amendments 17 and 19, and to speak to my amendments 22 and 24 on energy efficie...; Graham Stuart | 745 c625 (Link to this contribution)
What has that got to do with this?; Lloyd Russell-Moyle | 745 cc625-7 (Link to this contribution)
Because if we sign more licences while we are still part of the energy charter treaty, the Minist...; David Duguid | 745 cc627-8 (Link to this contribution)
I rise to speak in support of the Bill and of all the employees of companies right across the cou...; Dave Doogan | 745 c628 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; David Duguid | 745 cc628-9 (Link to this contribution)
Before I give way, I will gently point out to Opposition Front Benchers—I am not sure whether the...; Dave Doogan | 745 c629 (Link to this contribution)
I am grateful to the hon. Gentleman for taking my intervention, even though it was about five min...; David Duguid | 745 cc629-630 (Link to this contribution)
I find myself looking for a point that I might agree with in the hon. Gentleman’s intervention, a...; Caroline Lucas | 745 cc630-1 (Link to this contribution)
In following the hon. Member for Banff and Buchan (David Duguid), I have to say that his speech w...; David Duguid | 745 c631 (Link to this contribution)
I am very familiar with the report the hon. Member has just quoted. Does she recognise that what ...; Caroline Lucas | 745 cc631-3 (Link to this contribution)
The best way to make use of those skills is by making sure that we put resources behind those wor...; Barry Gardiner | 745 c633 (Link to this contribution)
There has been much debate today about the alternative of LNG from Qatar, but there has been a fa...; Caroline Lucas | 745 cc633-4 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Member makes a characteristically wise and useful point. That figure of 67% is startling...; Neale Hanvey | 745 cc634-6 (Link to this contribution)
I rise to speak to amendment 15 tabled on behalf of the Alba party.
The choice we face is n...; David Duguid | 745 c636 (Link to this contribution)
I am reluctant to intervene, because the hon. Gentleman is making some interesting points, many o...; Neale Hanvey | 745 c636 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman makes an important point. Many of the operators are serious about exploiting t...; Wera Hobhouse | 745 c637 (Link to this contribution)
This February is on course to break an unprecedented number of heat records, and the dangers of f...; Barry Gardiner | 745 cc637-8 (Link to this contribution)
I wish to speak primarily to amendments 13 and 14, but I also support the amendments tabled by th...; David Duguid | 745 c638 (Link to this contribution)
I feel almost obliged to intervene, if only to agree totally with what the hon. Member just said....; Barry Gardiner | 745 cc639-640 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Gentleman is absolutely right to say that we must manage the decline, but we must manage...; Kenny MacAskill | 745 cc640-1 (Link to this contribution)
I rise to support amendment 15 in the name of my hon. Friend the Member for Kirkcaldy and Cowdenb...; Dave Doogan | 745 c641 (Link to this contribution)
I am sure that the hon. Gentleman will have heard me reference Grangemouth and its future in my c...; Kenny MacAskill | 745 cc641-3 (Link to this contribution)
I have had discussions with the shop stewards and unions, whom the Scottish Government may wish t...; Graham Stuart | 745 c643 (Link to this contribution)
It is a pleasure to take part in the debate this afternoon, which has been wide-ranging, well inf...; Barry Gardiner | 745 c643 (Link to this contribution)
Will the Minister give way?; Graham Stuart | 745 cc643-4 (Link to this contribution)
I will make a little more progress.
Annual licensing will improve our energy security and t...; Barry Gardiner | 745 c644 (Link to this contribution)
Is the Minister going to give way?; Graham Stuart | 745 c644 (Link to this contribution)
I promise to come to the hon. Gentleman before I finish.
Turning to the amendments selected...; Barry Gardiner | 745 c644 (Link to this contribution)
I am very grateful to the Minister for giving way, and no—I would not lose my mojo on this. We al...; Graham Stuart | 745 c644 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Gentleman for his question. He has taken a long and deep interest in this issue,...; Dave Doogan | 745 c644 (Link to this contribution)
Will the Minister give way?; Graham Stuart | 745 cc644-5 (Link to this contribution)
I am going to press on. [Interruption.] I do not mean to be rude, but I think I am unlikely, give...; Dominic Raab | 745 c645 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend is making a powerful speech. Is the reality not that reducing producer emiss...; Graham Stuart | 745 cc645-7 (Link to this contribution)
My right hon. Friend is absolutely right. That is the absurdity: ending licences will simply incr...; Lord Sharma | 745 c647 (Link to this contribution)
I have listened intently to the Minister and I welcome his willingness to work together on the is...; Graham Stuart | 745 c647 (Link to this contribution)
indicated assent.; Lord Sharma | 745 c647 (Link to this contribution)
I am delighted to see the Minister nodding. I would just point out that even if the Government do...; Graham Stuart | 745 cc647-655 (Link to this contribution)
I beg to move, That the Bill be now read the Third time.
It is my great pleasure to thank e...; Alison Thewliss | 745 c655 (Link to this contribution)
That was not what I was asking. The Minister says that we need to look at demand; where is the na...; Graham Stuart | 745 c655 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Lady may not have been present for the previous stage of this Bill, but as she has been ...; Jim Shannon | 745 c655 (Link to this contribution)
The Minister was very kind to come to my constituency in Northern Ireland to look at the potentia...; Graham Stuart | 745 cc655-6 (Link to this contribution)
I thank the hon. Gentleman, who is a consistent champion not only for his constituents but for th...; Lord Whitehead | 745 c656 (Link to this contribution)
It is customary on Third Reading to start with thanks, and I would like to thank two groups of pe...; Graham Stuart | 745 c656 (Link to this contribution)
It was not an Adjournment debate—get it right!; Lord Whitehead | 745 c656 (Link to this contribution)
Sorry; the Opposition day debate on fracking, which effectively brought down the Truss Government...; Graham Stuart | 745 c657 (Link to this contribution)
Offshore Energies UK has said that if Labour’s policy was implemented, it could cost this country...; Lord Whitehead | 745 c657 (Link to this contribution)
We are talking about what the Government are doing through this policy—that is what we are concen...; Douglas Ross | 745 c657 (Link to this contribution)
This has been an extremely crucial issue in the north-east of Scotland, particularly this week. D...; Lord Whitehead | 745 c657 (Link to this contribution)
They will not. I have tried to make it very clear, against what is, frankly, misinformed scaremon...; Douglas Ross | 745 c657 (Link to this contribution)
I cannot let that go unchallenged. This letter from the Aberdeen and Grampian chamber of commerce...; Lord Whitehead | 745 c658 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Member rather gives himself away by the first sentence he read out:
“if North Sea ...; Douglas Ross | 745 c658 (Link to this contribution)
It is
“a certain outcome of this policy”.; Lord Whitehead | 745 c658 (Link to this contribution)
North sea production will not cease over a long period of time, and Labour is committed to making...; Sammy Wilson | 745 c658 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Gentleman give way?; Lord Whitehead | 745 cc658-9 (Link to this contribution)
I will make some progress.
The Bill, as I have said, will achieve none of its stated aims, ...; Graham Stuart | 745 c660 (Link to this contribution)
The data simply does not exist, as I think I set out. It does not exist and we cannot make a comp...; Lord Whitehead | 745 c660 (Link to this contribution)
I would not put it into my argument, but I am a little puzzled under those circumstances that the...; Graham Stuart | 745 c660 (Link to this contribution)
I hesitate to intervene again, but to suggest that this Bill has the assumption that our gas dema...; Lord Whitehead | 745 cc660-1 (Link to this contribution)
I think I have already indicated that gas production is predicted to fall by 95% by 2050. The add...; Douglas Ross | 745 cc661-2 (Link to this contribution)
It has been interesting following the process of this Bill. I spoke on Second Reading, and I sat ...; Dave Doogan | 745 c662 (Link to this contribution)
I do not know about you, Mr Deputy Speaker, but I have just about heard enough from the hon. Memb...; Nigel Evans | 745 c662 (Link to this contribution)
Order. I remind Members that this is a Third Reading and that we should not be reopening argument...; Douglas Ross | 745 c662 (Link to this contribution)
I respect that ruling, Mr Deputy Speaker, but I do not think it is reopening anything, because we...; Sammy Wilson | 745 c663 (Link to this contribution)
Was the hon. Member as confused as I was by the answer given by the hon. Member for Angus (Dave D...; Douglas Ross | 745 c663 (Link to this contribution)
That is just one example of the mixed and confused messaging from the SNP which, sadly, we hear f...; Dave Doogan | 745 c663 (Link to this contribution)
Will the hon. Member give way?; Douglas Ross | 745 c663 (Link to this contribution)
I will, because this may be our final chance to hear if the hon. Gentleman believes in the SNP’s ...; Dave Doogan | 745 c663 (Link to this contribution)
As much as I am enjoying the hon. Member’s crocodile tears about protecting jobs in Scotland, I w...; Douglas Ross | 745 c663 (Link to this contribution)
It is only this UK Conservative Government and the Scottish Conservatives at Holyrood who are sta...; Wera Hobhouse | 745 c663 (Link to this contribution)
rose—; Douglas Ross | 745 c663 (Link to this contribution)
I will briefly give way, and then I will bring my remarks to a close.; Wera Hobhouse | 745 c663 (Link to this contribution)
How does the hon. Gentleman propose to get to net zero by 2050 and a temperature rise of no more ...; Douglas Ross | 745 cc663-4 (Link to this contribution)
The hon. Lady has misinterpreted everything that I have heard during the debate. No one is saying...; Dave Doogan | 745 cc664-5 (Link to this contribution)
The Bill is completely lacking in merit. It seeks to solve a problem that does not exist. The Nor...; Douglas Ross | 745 c665 (Link to this contribution)
I will not go over an issue that I am not going to get an answer to. However, the hon. Gentleman’...; Dave Doogan | 745 c665 (Link to this contribution)
Not for the first time, the hon. Gentleman has stood on a political landmine if he thinks he is g...; Douglas Ross | 745 c665 (Link to this contribution)
Rubbish!; Dave Doogan | 745 cc665-6 (Link to this contribution)
Well, we can sort this out later. Scotland has the third highest availability of electric vehicle...; 745 c666 (Link to this contribution); Nigel Evans | 745 c666 (Link to this contribution)
Order. Proceedings must finish at 40 minutes past 5. Four people are standing. Please be consider...; Caroline Lucas | 745 cc666-7 (Link to this contribution)
It is hard to know what more can be said about this farcical and unnecessary Bill. It feels as if...; Nigel Evans | 745 cc667-8 (Link to this contribution)
There are about 18 minutes left. I call Wera Hobhouse.
4.57 pm; Wera Hobhouse | 745 c668 (Link to this contribution)
It is a pleasure to follow the hon. Member for Brighton, Pavilion (Caroline Lucas), who has made ...; Nigel Evans | 745 c668 (Link to this contribution)
I call Sammy Wilson. Please be cognisant of the fact that the debate will finish at 5.14 pm, and ...; Sammy Wilson | 745 cc668-670 (Link to this contribution)
May I first say that we fully support the Bill and the objectives that have been set? As has been...; Richard Foord | 745 cc670-1 (Link to this contribution)
Most people in this country accept that we need energy security, that we must move away from foss...
Subjects: Conservation Climate change Employment Licensing Energy Energy supply Exploration Oil Natural gas Prices Offshore industry Renewable energy Carbon emissions North Sea Liquefied natural gas Hydrogen Marine environment North Sea Transition Authority
Legislation: Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill 2023-24
Link: View this Parliamentary proceeding on hansard.parliament.uk

Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill

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