Committees

BEIS Committee launches Downstream Oil Resilience Bill inquiry

18 June 2021

The Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee has announced a new inquiry to undertake pre-legislative scrutiny of the draft Downstream Oil Resilience Bill.

Pre-legislative scrutiny is the detailed examination of an early draft of a Bill that is done by a parliamentary select committee before the final version is drawn up by the Government.

The draft Downstream Oil Resilience Bill sets out how the Government intends to address threats to security of fuel supply by providing powers to ensure resilience in the downstream oil sector, including companies involved in the refining, importing, distribution and marketing of oil products.

The draft bill also intends to help protect fuel supply resilience when required and prevent supply disruptions from occurring in the first place.

Inquiry terms of reference

On 7 June the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy published the draft Downstream Oil Resilience Bill. The draft Bill’s publication follows a public consultation on Fuel Resilience Measures in October – December 2017. The Department published its response to the consultation in April 2018.

Interested stakeholders are invited to submit evidence on any of the questions outlined below. The Committee particularly welcomes submissions from those in the refinery/supply, wholesale, infrastructure, haulier, retail and end-user sectors. The closing date for submissions is Monday 12th July.

  • Is the Government’s policy on fuel resilience appropriate and effective?
  • How well does the draft Bill, as currently drafted, meet the Government’s stated policy intentions?
  • Are the measures contained within the draft Downstream Oil Resilience Bill necessary and proportionate? Is the Bill necessary, given existing emergency powers under the Energy Act 1976 and the Civil Contingencies Act 2004?
  • How did the Government’s 2017 consultation on Fuel Resilience Measures inform the draft Downstream Oil Resilience Bill?
  • Have the views of stakeholders been taken account of in the draft Downstream Oil Resilience Bill?
  • Are the measures contained within the draft Downstream Oil Resilience Bill appropriate, sensible and workable?
  • Do stakeholders have any other concerns about the draft Bill?

Further information

Image: William Starkey, geograph.org.uk, cc-by-sa/2.0