Government ministers have been urged to think again over plans to offer licences for exploratory drilling for gas and oil in Cardigan Bay.

The call comes from Ceredigion's Liberal Democrat MP Mark Williams.

On March 13th, the Government invited applications for licences for exploratory drilling, under the 24th round of offshore petroleum licensing.

Despite advice in the Government's own Environmental Assessment, which recognised the importance of Cardigan Bay as a centre for wildlife, especially bottlenose dolphins, the area around Cardigan Bay has not been excluded from the licensing round, and the commercial sector is able to apply to carry out exploratory drilling. The deadline for applications is June 16th.

Mark Williams has asked four written questions, and sent two letters to Energy Minister Malcolm Wicks.

Mark Williams said: "Cardigan Bay is a Special Area of Conservation, with special protection under European Directives. Earlier this month we learned that one of the largest groups of bottlenose dolphins seen for 20 years in Wales was spotted in Cardigan Bay.

The minister's answers are yet to convince me that Cardigan Bay will be adequately protected in this licensing round.

"He states that any application for a licence will be rigorously assessed before it is granted. Surely, the only way to ensure Cardigan Bay is fully protected, is to exclude it from the licensing round altogether, on environmental grounds."

Earlier this year, Marathon Oil was unsuccessful in its search for gas reserves in its Dragon Field in the Irish Sea.