Oral Answers to Questions

Gregory Stafford Excerpts

Wednesday 25th February 2026 Commons Chamber

[Mr Alexander]

I find myself in agreement with the hon. Gentleman. With that biggest sustained increase in defence expenditure since the cold war—not simply in Scotland, where defence supports about 12,000 Scottish jobs, but in Northern Ireland, Wales and England—there are real opportunities for a defence dividend. That is why the defence industrial strategy is UK-wide and why, notwithstanding the Scottish Government’s weakness on defence and economic support, we remain committed to that strategy.

[Gregory Stafford (Farnham and Bordon) (Con)]

4. What discussions he has had with Cabinet colleagues on the potential impact of the energy profits levy on the oil and gas sector in Scotland.

[The Secretary of State for Scotland (Mr Douglas Alexander)]

First, I respectfully remind the hon. Gentleman that it was the Conservatives who brought in the energy profits levy in 2022. Oil and gas will be a central part of the energy mix in the UK for decades to come, but it is also right to recognise that there is a transition that needs to be managed and there was an abject failure by the previous Government to manage that transition. The Chancellor confirmed at the Budget that we are ending the EPL on 31 March 2030.

[Gregory Stafford]

It is clear that the Secretary of State is totally uninterested in the reality of what is happening in the industry because of the EPL. A thousand jobs a month are being lost as a direct result of the Government’s decision, all the while we are importing more at a higher cost with high emissions, jobs are being lost, investments are being turned away and our energy security is being undermined. At the same time, despite what the Secretary of State says, bills are going up for my constituents. Why will he not rectify that and sort out the problem for the whole country?

[Mr Alexander]

I do not know whether the hon. Gentleman had a chance to listen to what was on the radio this morning about bills and the progress being made. [Interruption.] Well, let us introduce some facts to the debate. This trend in the North sea did not emerge yesterday; it is a mature basin where there was a 75% reduction in production between 1999 and 2024. We have been a net importer since 2003, and we lost more than 70,000 jobs from the basin in the last 10 years of the Conservatives being in power.