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Natural Gas and Oil: Exploration

Asked by James McMurdockIndependentDepartment for Energy Security and Net ZeroTabled Answered 5 June 2026UIN 4042

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what plans he has to encourage a) onshore and b) offshore oil and gas exploration.

Answered by Michael Shanks

The 2025 North Sea Future Plan set out the government’s commitment not to issue new oil and gas licences onshore in England or offshore across the UK.

The government will manage existing fields for their lifespan, including through the introduction of Transitional Energy Certificates, supporting a fair, orderly and prosperous transition.

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