To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which blocks have been excluded from the 25th licensing round for oil and gas (a) on environmental grounds and (b) owing to lack of data. (189423)

[holding answer 27 February 2008]: Forty-two blocks have been excluded from the 25th licensing round on environmental grounds, including 21 blocks which have been excluded pending appropriate assessment consultations.

Following recommendations in Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) 7, a further 44 blocks to the west of Scotland have been excluded due to lack of data.