Following publication of their highly inaccurate article, I have sent this letter to the Daily Telegraph:
I was amazed that you chose to print your article ‘Miliband blocks North Sea drilling’ (Tel: 12 July). This was, as the Department stated, a ‘complete fabrication’.
Contrary to the article, the Secretary of State has not told us not to approve a round of new drilling. Indeed, no such proposal has been made.
There remain a handful of applications still to be decided from the 33rd Oil and Gas Licensing Round. The North Sea Transition Authority is an independent regulator with robust well-established processes in place, and we will reach decisions on these in due course.
Tim Eggar - Chair