The SNP have called on the UK Government to take urgent measures to help protect the North Sea oil and gas industry in the forthcoming Autumn Statement.
The party has called for further support or else risk a “rapid and premature decline” in the sector.
The comments come after a report was published by PwC which says the industry needs decisive action to fix “fundamental problems”.
Earlier this month, industry body Oil & Gas UK called for further commitments by the Treasury.
SNP MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Gillian Martin, said:“Tory government ignorance of the needs of the North Sea industry is laid bare in this report. It makes clear that the oil and gas sector
has the potential to develop, but only if the UK government provides the right support – which they have failed to do for decades.
“PwC has said that there is more than just the fall in the oil price to consider when looking at the industry’s future – and it is clear that the UK government’s decades of mismanagement has left the oil and gas sector in this situation where it risks a ‘rapid and premature decline’ if action is not taken.
“This is why the Chancellor must listen to industry experts and take the decisive action necessary to help support the North Sea industry – which supports thousands of jobs across Scotland and the rest of the UK.
“The Tories have been guilty of betraying Scottish industry in the past – Scotland will not stand by and let them do it again in the North Sea.”
The PwC highlighted ways large companies in the sector could take advantage of “green shoots of recovery”.
The report, ‘A Sea Change: Emerging from a downturn’ said there was a “growing confidence” in the sector as oil prices appear to be stabilising.
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