To develop one of the largest untapped oil and gas fields in uk waters. Rosebank which is about 80 miles west of shetland is one of the largest untapped discoveries in the region. Experts say it contains up to 350 Million Barrels of oil. Production could start in 2026 with extraction continuing until at least 2030. Its thought that around 69,000 barrels of oil could be produced every day. That would equate to around 8 of the uks total output. And there would also be natural gas with around 44 million cubic feet of it produced per day during the projects lifetime. The Energy SecretaryClare Coutinho said, we need oil and gas on the path to net zero so it makes sense to use our own supplies from north sea fields. The jobs and billions of pounds this is worth to our economy will enable us to have Greater Energy independence. But there has already been criticism. The Environmental Group greenpeace says, relying on fossilfuels is terrible for our Energy Security, the cost of living, and the climate. And it described the decision to give the go ahead to the Rosebank Oil Field as � reckless. Our Business CorrespondentPeter Ruddick explained how the decision was reached. It would have been a controversial decision given the cost and environmental impacts at any time but i think at the moment the question surrounding the uk governments commitment to its own net zero targets, then of course this decision becomes even more controversial. Important to say although the government has backed this new oil field, although the government has backed this new oilfield, that although the government has backed this new oil field, that todays decision has come from the north sea transition authority, essentially oil and gas regulators. They say they have taken into account net zero considerations throughout the projects life cycle, not stopping, as you say, the environmental reaction from this greenpeace uk, essentially saying rishi sunak, the uk Prime Minister, putting the profits of Oil Companies above everyday people. As you say, rosebank located about 80 miles off shetland. Ithaca energy and equinor, the companies behind the project, previously said that if production started in 2026, rosebank could account for about 8 of the uks total Oil Production between ten and 2030. That stat is crucial. The governments Energy Secretary today backed the decision saying this oilfield has been subject to extensive scrutiny and environmental impact. But this will be crucial if the uk government is going to be able to be Energy Independent and thatis able to be Energy Independent and that is where this decision is so important. That is where this decision is so important that is where this decision is so imortant. ~. ,. ,. ,. , important. Who will stand to profit from this . Which important. Who will stand to profit from this . Which companies important. Who will stand to profit from this . Which companies are i important. Who will stand to profit l from this . Which companies are set to go in, and which portion of the uk government is set to drive the tax proceeds from this . Will any profits go to scotland specifically . 0r profits go to scotland specifically . Or will they be located to westminster . Or will they be located to westminster . ,. , westminster . Ithaca energy and Euuinor Westminster . Ithaca energy and equinor other westminster . Ithaca energy and equinor other companies westminster . Ithaca energy and equinor other companies behind | westminster . Ithaca energy and equinor other companies behind the project, they are the ones making the significant investment and they would obviously be gaining the profits from this. Important to say there are Windfall Taxes in place at there are Windfall Taxes in place at the moment on north sea oil and gas production, and there has been a reaction from the local chamber of commerce. They say rosebank will make an important contribution to the uk economy, to Energy Security, as well as creating hundreds of jobs. There are lots of these considerations that are being taken into account when a decision like this is being made obviously. Joining me now is tessa khan, Executive Director of uplift, a Climate Group who are behind the Stop Rosebank campaign. Thank you forjoining us. The labour leader keir starmer has already gone on record as saying that he wouldnt rescind any licenses that are in place if his party were to form the next government. So what are your options line before you now . Are you going to try and pursue the legal route . � , going to try and pursue the legal route . � ,. , h, route . Thats right. The labour pa as route . Thats right. The labour party as well route . Thats right. The labour party as well as route . Thats right. The labour party as well as the route . Thats right. The labour party as well as the lib route . Thats right. The labour party as well as the lib dems, | route . Thats right. The labour i party as well as the lib dems, the leader of the lib dems last week, ed davey, was also very clear they condemn rosebank. So labour has condemned it, the lib dems have condemned it, the lib dems have condemned it, the greens have condemned it, the greens have condemned it, the conservative government is really on its own out on a limb. ,. ,. ,. , government is really on its own out on a limb. ,. ,. , , on a limb. Labour has not condemned it if they say on a limb. Labour has not condemned it if they say they on a limb. Labour has not condemned it if they say they will on a limb. Labour has not condemned it if they say they will not on a limb. Labour has not condemned it if they say they will not rescind it if they say they will not rescind any licenses in place before they were going to come into government. They dont have the power. The party that has the power at the moment to approve this decision and enable these companies to go ahead with the development of the field, the moment they take the decision they will start to spend money in pursuit of the development of that field. That is the conservative government and the regulator that we have in this country, so the scrutiny needs to be on them. We absolutely well once we have seen the detail of this decision look to legally challenge it if we think there are strong legal grounds to do so. But i think we need to be clear that this is a huge mistake on economic grounds, on Energy Security grounds and on climate grounds. And that the uk public do not stand to benefit from this field. , ~ public do not stand to benefit from this field. ~ ,. , i this field. Take us through why you feel this is a this field. Take us through why you feel this is a mistake. This field. Take us through why you feel this is a mistake. We this field. Take us through why you feel this is a mistake. We have this field. Take us through why you feel this is a mistake. We have the| feel this is a mistake. We have the Scottish Secretary Alisterjack saying today it is great news the regulator has given rosebank the green light. It is a huge role to play in securing the uks Energy Security and will also reduce any reliance on hostile states. What would you say to that . Unfortunately this is oil that would you say to that . Unfortunately this is oil that is would you say to that . Unfortunately this is oil that is going would you say to that . Unfortunately this is oil that is going to would you say to that . Unfortunately this is oil that is going to be this is oil that is going to be extracted and developed by companies that do not belong to the uk public. Equinor and ithaca energy, they are companies that will sell this oil on the open market. 80 of the oil that is produced in the uk is ultimately exported. It doesnt end up in uk households, we dont have any right to buy it. The government is also on the record as saying that no matter how much oil and gas we produce in the north sea it will not bring our energy bills down. Thats the real crisis that we face in this country. Last winter we have 7 million households who could not afford to heat their homes, not because there wasnt oil and gas available in the country but because they couldnt afford it, and this wont do anything to address that. In fact, what it does involve is us giving an enormous subsidy, £3. 75 billion tax break to equinor, a company that has Just Announced last year a record profit as a result of high oil and gas prices. And according to our analysis, over the lifetime of this oilfield of the tax body, stands to lose more than £700 million. That is in tax over all. It is a terrible economic proposition. In tax over all. It is a terrible economic proposition. Says so, if i can ust economic proposition. Says so, if i can just come economic proposition. Says so, if i can just come in economic proposition. Says so, if i can just come in there. Economic proposition. Says so, if i can just come in there. Your economic proposition. Says so, if i j can just come in there. Your group has been behind this Stop Rosebank campaign for quite some time. What do you read into the timing of this decision today . Do you read into the timing of this decision today . Given it came hot on the heels of decision today . Given it came hot on the heels of rishi decision today . Given it came hot on the heels of rishi sunaks the heels of rishi sunaks announcement last week that the government is planning to weaken its net zero policies, that this is part of a political ploy in the run up to the election to turn Climate Change policy in this country into a political football. Policy in this country into a politicalfootball. I think policy in this country into a political football. I think it is a huge mistake given the very real impacts of Climate Change we are seeing across the country. Tessa, do ou think seeing across the country. Tessa, do you think there seeing across the country. Tessa, do you think there is seeing across the country. Tessa, do you think there is a seeing across the country. Tessa, do you think there is a chance seeing across the country. Tessa, do you think there is a chance that you think there is a chance that might work . That there are some who might work . That there are some who might say the uk needs to use the profit from the assets that it has got . Profit from the assets that it has tot . , ~ profit from the assets that it has tot . , ~ ,. , profit from the assets that it has tot . , ~, , profit from the assets that it has tot . , got . No, i think people see this as the nical got . No, i think people see this as the cynical ploy got . No, i think people see this as the cynical ploy that got . No, i think people see this as the cynical ploy that it got . No, i think people see this as the cynical ploy that it is. Got . No, i think people see this as the cynical ploy that it is. But the cynical ploy that it is. But more to the point, i think people understand that actually as i said, there is no real economic profit to be had for the uk public from this field, all of those profits are going to these private multi billion pound companies, and that it is not going to make a scrap of difference in the everyday life of most people across the uk. What we know and we have seen other countries like the us and across the eu are doing is we need to move fast and hard in the opposite direction which is supporting the investment of our Renewable Energy industries, which is where the long term secure jobs of the future are. Instead we have had a failed around of new development of offshore wind in this country had now the government are proving a huge new oilfield. It is completely at odds with the Direction Of Travel that we know we need to be going on if we are going to secure the Economic Future of the uk public. To secure the Economic Future of the uk ublic. ,. ,. ,. ,. , uk public. You are an environmental la er. Uk public. You are an environmental lawyer how uk public. You are an environmental lawyer. How quickly uk public. You are an environmental lawyer. How quickly do uk public. You are an environmental lawyer. How quickly do you uk public. You are an environmental lawyer. How quickly do you think lawyer. How quickly do you think your group might move ahead with a Court Challenge . fits i your group might move ahead with a Court Challenge . Court challenge . As i said, the moment we Court Challenge . As i said, the moment we have Court Challenge . As i said, the moment we have seen Court Challenge . As i said, the moment we have seen the Court Challenge . As i said, the l moment we have seen the detail Court Challenge . As i said, the moment we have seen the detail of the decision, as far as i know that hasnt yet been published but we believe there are very strong grounds to legally challenge the decision, we think it is very difficult to reconcile the development of such an enormous new oilfield with the uks climate targets, for example, among other potential grounds so we would be looking to move very quickly. Tessa khan, thank looking to move very quickly. Tessa khan. Thank you looking to move very quickly. Tessa khan, thank you for looking to move very quickly. Tessa khan, thank you for speaking looking to move very quickly. Tessa khan, thank you for speaking to looking to move very quickly. Tessa khan, thank you for speaking to us, Executive Director of uplift. Investigators in Northern Iraq are trying to establish the exact cause of a fire at a Wedding Party which is reported to have killed more than 100 people. People were celebrating in al hamdaniya when fire tore through the venue late on tuesday evening. Pictures from the Scene Show Emergency Crews picking through the charred remains of the building. Civil defence officials said initial findings suggested fireworks were lit during the celebration inside a hall attended by up to 1,000 people. 0ur correspondent lina sinjab has been following the story from beirut. Well, it was a night of celebration that turned into a catastrophe, into a nightmare. The numbers are changing by the hour. Now the red cross is saying that there are casualties of almost a50 people, while officials confirmed at least 100 dead. Were not sure about the fate of the bride and groom yet. We have heard from people including officials and Civil Defence report that fireworks were used inside the hall that caused the start of the blaze and also there were some flammable, physically flammable panels, the help of the spread of the fire and caused the damage of part of the ceilings. People rushed throughout for their lives but were suffocated because of lack of oxygen and many were burnt alive. This is not a rare incident in iraq, that is known for corruption, mismanagement and lack of accountability and efficiency. There were reports of violation of Construction Rules and Safety Measures in the past that caused in many cases a loss of life. Lina, it seems shocking to hear that fireworks were used inside a hole, fireworks were used inside a hall, and also that this isnt a rare occurrence. Can you tell us more about that situation . This is exactly shocking. You cant even tolerate to think about how people thought about using it inside a wedding hall. But there are, you know, some traditions that they do without thinking or taking into consideration the Safety Measures. And apparently the construction, the style that was used inside the wedding hall helped the spread of the fire, unfortunately. But to start with there was terribly responsible action of using fireworks. 0wen holdaway, a freelance journalist who regularly reports from Northern Iraq, told me more about the region. I mean, the area itself, hamdaniya, it was reconstructed slightly. It wasnt quite as damaged as sort of sort of central areas of mosul during the war against the islamic state. But theres been a lot of ad hoc reconstruction there, particularly its south of mosul. It also borders very much on the krg region. So the actual distribution of funds and the reconstruction and the rebuilding there has been very much by locals, which hasnt really followed any sort of regular standard. Its not near any particular i mean, it does have a historic church, but a lot of the oversight of it is not there by the government to sort of really enforce any sort of any sort of standards in terms of building regulation, types of Fire Regulations. That being said, in general in iraq, to be honest, you know, the Fire Regulations and the Fire Security is very lax. You may have remembered during the covid pandemic there was a horrific fire in baghdad that ripped through a hospital, killing, you know, over 80 people. This fire seems much more extensive and much more worse. You know, it seems that its been in a very much enclosed in place. And also theres been logistical, looks like there has been some logistical issues of actually getting to this area. As i said, the area very much borders on between the krg area. So its within the federal areas remit, but