asked the Secretary of State for Energy what is his policy towards the drilling for oil in national parks and in sites of special scientific interest.

It is my policy to encourage comprehensive exploration for oil and gas. The location of drilling requires specific consent including that of the planning authorities. For some sites the necessary consents may not be forthcoming. In such cases it might be possible to evaluate potential and produce by drilling from an alternative site. However, any strata explored for petroleum must be covered by a licence.