I understand that proposals for Shell's Jackdaw development have been approved by the Offshore Petroleum Regulator for Environment and Decommissioning (OPRED). This comes after negotiations between OPRED and Shell and I am aware that the Business Secretary has welcomed that an agreement has been reached. This has the potential to produce 6.5 per cent of Britain's gas output which is in line with the Government's plans to secure our domestic energy supply in the face of global events.
I appreciate your concerns about this, however oil and natural gas are still required for heating, cooking and transport, and are vital to the production of many everyday essentials like medicines, plastics, cosmetics and household appliances. While I am glad that the Government is working hard to drive down demand for fossil fuels, there will continue to be ongoing demand for oil and gas over the coming years, as recognised by the independent Climate Change Committee, with the UK as net importers of both oil and gas.
