To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, with reference to sections 47 and 49 of the Scotland Act 2016, what the timetable is for the transfer of powers to issue licences to search and bore for any mineral oil or relative hydrocarbon and natural gas.
Answered on
31 October 2017
The UK Government is committed to implementing all sections of the Scotland Act in full, and that includes commencing the sections in the Scotland Act 2016 regarding powers to issue licences to search and bore for mineral oil or relative hydrocarbon and natural gas.
Work is continuing to bring remaining sections of the Act into force in a sensible and managed way. The Scotland Office and the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy are working with the Scottish Government on consequential amendments to ensure the smooth transfer of these powers. The affirmative Statutory Instrument was laid in July and we are awaiting debate time, with the aim of commencing the powers set out in sections 47 and 49 as soon as possible, subject to parliamentary timing.