UK Says No Need To Stop North Sea Drilling

A major oil spill at a deepwater well in the North Sea would be more difficult to handle than the Gulf of Mexico disaster, but a moratorium on drilling isn't necessary because Britain already has tough safety standards, lawmakers said Thursday.

Saying any ban on deepwater drilling would leave the U.K. too reliant on imported energy, a committee of lawmakers backed the government's decision not to impose new restrictions on oil and gas rigs off the coast of Scotland.

After hearing months of testimony on the U.S. spill from regulators and oil executives – including from BP's former CEO Tony Hayward – Parliament's Energy and Climate Change committee said it was satisfied Britain has more stringent safety rules than were previously in place in the Gulf of Mexico.