Question to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy:

To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, when he plans to make a decision on the (a) removal of the Brent concrete gravity-based installations and (b) derogation for leaving the footings of the Brent Alpha steel jacket east of Shetland.

The decision on the Brent Bravo, Brent Charlie and Brent Delta concrete gravity-based installations is currently being considered, and we are keeping the OSPAR Contracting Parties informed of our progress. We have no detailed timetable and a formal decision is expected to be made in due course.

In regard to the decision to leave in-situ the footings of the Brent Alpha steel jacket, we expect to be in a position to make a decision within the next 2 months.