A north-east MSP is to press the Scottish Government on steps to protect the local economy from the loss of thousands of offshore jobs.
Labour’s Lewis Macdonald said he would discuss the impact of falling oil prices and job losses with Scottish ministers next week.
He pledged to take action after it emerged this week that the UK oil and gas industry was poised to shed 35,000 workers over the next five years as major firms cut back on spending in the North Sea.
The number of jobs supported offshore is expected to fall by 9% from 375,000 to 34,000 by 2019.
The findings were revealed in a report commissioned by trade body Oil and Gas UK, skills group Opito and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (Bis).
Mr Macdonald said the study raised big issues about the future of the oil and gas industry in the North Sea, which need to be addressed urgently by both industry and government.
“Hundreds of jobs have already been lost in the north-east as global oil prices have fallen to around $65 a barrel, and hundreds more jobs are clearly at risk,” he said.
“Oil prices are beyond the control of governments, but there are things which governments and public agencies can do to support the regional economy at what is clearly a difficult time.
“That is why I will be raising these issues in the Scottish Parliament, to press ministers on what they are doing to mitigate the impact of these job losses on the north-east economy.”
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