asked the Secretary of State for Energy what progress is being made by his Department in spreading oil-related projects throughout the North-East of Scotland and away from the already con- gested areas around Aberdeen and Peterhead.

Many oil-related projects require to be sited in areas which satisfy certain criteria—good transportation facilities, housing, availability of labour, easy access to the sea and a developed urban infrastructure. In the North-East of Scotland, Aberdeen and Peterhead have been well placed to meet these requirements, but oil-related development has also taken place in other areas, such as Montrose, Dundee, Inverness and Fraserburgh. In addition, a firm of consultants has reported in detail on the prospects of Wick and Thurso in Caithness.