Question to the Scotland Office:

To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland, what discussions he has had with (a) the Scottish Government and (b) his ministerial colleagues on the sustainability of employment and exploration levels in the North Sea oil and gas industry; and if he will make a statement.

My Rt hon Friend the Secretary of State for Scotland has regular discussions with colleagues and industry leaders on support for the Oil and Gas sector in Scotland.

The UK Government has demonstrated its long term commitment to supporting this vital industry with a package of fiscal measures designed to ease the tax burden on the industry and expected to drive around £7 billion of additional investment. We are also delivering the full implementation of the Wood Review recommendations.