Part of the debate – in the House of Commons at 9:37 pm on 19 January 1982.
The Minister is saying that a reconverted BNOC would be more enterprising. Let me take a concrete example. BNOC could place an order for an advanced drilling plant with Scott Lithgow of Port Glasgow in association with Ben Line and Odeco, because it knows that it has access to blocks in the North Sea that can use the rig. Under the Bill it could not do that because it would not have access to the field.