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 formal decision on the decommissioning plans for (a) Brent Alpha, (b) the other Brent platforms and (c) any other similar applications which the UK government may have received seeking derogation from resolution OSPAR 98/3.

In regard to the proposal 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 few months.

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.

We are currently considering two Decommissioning programmes where a derogation is likely to be sought.