asked the Secretary of State for Energy what sums of public money have been spent on the Portavadie and Hunterston platform sites.

Government expenditure at Portavadie up to the end of September 1976 was £14·07 million, including Government consultancy and administrative costs.At Hunterston, the Government have entered into an agreement with the Clydesdale Bank to guarantee advances to Anglo-Dutch Offshore Concrete (ANDOC) for the purposes of constructing works for the building of concrete plaforms. Advances by the Clydesdale Bank under the guarantee, together with accrued interest at end-September 1976 totalled £4·29 million, while Government consultancy and administrative costs at that date were £0·288 million.