North Sea oil and gas proposals clear first commons hurdle as MPs back bill

The government’s bid to maximise North Sea oil and gas production has cleared its first House of Commons hurdle as MPs backed the Offshore Petroleum Licensing Bill by 293 votes to 211.

A majority of 82 MPs backed the legislation despite the criticism voiced by some on the Conservative benches, including former COP26 president Sir Alok Sharma.

Speaking in the debate, Sharma, who did not vote for the bill, said: “Today, we have a bill before this House, the sole purpose of which is to double down on granting more oil and gas production licences.

“I do not believe, and it pains me to say this, that this bill will advance [the UK’s] commitment to transition away from fossil fuels”.

Shadow minister Dr Alan Whitehead said “If passed, [the bill] will linger on the statute book for a short period. It will make no difference to anything in the meantime and will be rapidly overtaken by the reality of the forward march of decarbonisation in energy”.

However, defending the legislation, climate minister Graham Stuart said: “This Bill is designed to send a signal to the industry that we have their back.

“This bill is all about ensuring that we get to net zero in the most efficient, effective manner possible and it will underpin this government’s continued leadership on climate for now and many years to come”.

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