Robert Smith
Main Page: Robert Smith (Liberal Democrat - West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine)Department Debates - View all Robert Smith's debates with the Cabinet Office
(13 years ago)
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Sir Robert Smith (West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine) (LD)
In Aberdeen in the north-east of Scotland and in Norway, there is considerable concern that the draft regulations on offshore drilling for oil and gas threaten the gold safety standard achieved in the North sea. Will what happened last week make it easier or more difficult to get the qualified minority necessary to make sure that those regulations are withdrawn and a directive is used as a means of implementing them?
The Prime Minister
I do not think what happened last week will have any impact on that decision because these issues are dealt with properly in the single market, and an organisation set up outside the EU cannot cut across existing treaties or existing legislation. We should work very hard to make sure we get a good deal for the North sea.