To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry how much public money the Government spent on the UK’s North sea oil and gas fields in each year since 1997. (136811)

Expenditure on programmes relating to UK North sea oil and gas fields (Oil and Gas Maximising Recovery Programme and predecessor programmes, and the Offshore Geology Programme) is set out in the following table.

It is difficult to identify the exact portion of DTI running costs relating to oil and gas fields for each year of the period but in 2006-07 a further £3.5 million was dedicated to maximising production from the UK’s oil and gas fields.